The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice / Edition 6

by Ken Dancyger

Overview

The Technique of Film & Video Editing contains the best training for aspiring directors and editors, providing a detailed, precise look at the artistic and aesthetic principles and practices of editing for both picture and sound. A comprehensive history of editing is accomplished through analyses of photographs from dozens of classic and contemporary films and videos. Practical skills are grounded by an exposition of the ideas and styles of editing through which the director can understand the visual tools at his or her disposal. This book, puts into context the storytelling choices an editor will have to make against a background of theory, history, and practice.

Covering cutting edge topics such as the influence of new technology on the art of editing and the appropriation of style over content, the latest edition examines the editing characteristics of nonlinear storytelling. As well, there is new material focusing on the trend of documentary as mainstream entertainment t (e.g., Fahrenheit 9/11, The Fog of War) and the possibilities that digital audio effects present.

About the Author:
Ken Dancyger is currently Professor of Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138628403
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/26/2018
Edition description:	New
Pages:	538
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ken Dancyger is a Professor Emeritus of Film and Television at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, as well as the author of numerous books on screenwriting, editing, and production, including Alternative Scriptwriting (with Jeff Rush) and Writing the Short Film (with Patricia Cooper), The Director’s Idea and Global Scriptwriting, all published by Routledge/Focal Press. Ken also conducts scriptwriting and editing workshops internationally.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments for the Fourth Edition     xi
Acknowledgments     xiii
Introduction to the Fourth Edition     xv
Introduction     xvii
History of Film Editing     1
The Silent Period     3
The Early Sound Film     39
The Influence of the Documentary     53
The Influence of the Popular Arts     71
Editors Who Became Directors     81
Experiments in Editing: Alfred Hitchcock     97
New Technologies     110
International Advances     128
The Influence of Television and Theatre     148
New Challenges to Filmic Narrative Conventions     159
The MTV Influence on Editing I     184
The MTV Influence on Editing II     196
Changes in Pace     214
The Appropriation of Style I: Imitation and Innovation     223
The Appropriation of Style II: Limitation and Innovation     233
The Appropriation of Style III: Digital Reality     255
Editing for the Genre     265
Action     267
Dialogue     280
Comedy     293
Documentary     304
Imaginative Documentary     320
Innovations in Documentary I     328
Innovations in Documentary II     342
Ideas and Sound     349
Principles of Editing     359
The Picture Edit and Continuity     361
The Picture Edit and Pace     373
The Sound Edit and Clarity     383
The Sound Edit and Creative Sound     391
Innovations of Sound     400
Nonlinear Editing and Digital Technology I     408
Nonlinear Editing and Digital Technology II     417
Conclusion     433
Filmography     435
Glossary     449
Selected Bibliography     458
Index     461

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Sixth Edition

"Ken Dancyger continues to update and improve this latest edition for what is already the ‘gold standard’ of books on editing. He knows good storytelling and how editing is integral to the process. He places this in historical context with theory and practice. If you are a student of editing, you should read this book."

—Scott Arundale, Editor; Author of Modern Post: Workflows and Techniques of Digital Filmmakers

"Ken's additions to his book show all of us who love and study the craft of editing, a real understanding of the importance and stimulating impact editing has in helping tell a story, create mood, and shape characters."

—Samuel D. Pollard, Academy Award Nominee, Emmy Award-winning Editor, Eyes on the Prize (1990), 4 Little Girls (1997), When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006), ACORN and the Firestorm (2017)

"From D.W. Griffith to MTV, from silent movies to action films, Dancyger explores not only history, techniques, and the social aspects of film and video, but he also looks at how technology has affected film and video making and editing. This isn't a quick read, but definitely worthwhile if you want to gain an understanding of what it takes to be an excellent director and editor."

—Theano Nikitas, Camcorder & Computer Video

"Dancyger's book is an excellent introduction to the art of manipulating moving pictures and sound for students, amateurs, hobbyists and professionals alike."

—Videomaker.com

From the Publisher