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

This seventh edition of The Technique of Film and Video Editing provides a detailed, precise look at the artistic and aesthetic principles and practices of editing for both picture and sound.

Industry veteran Ken Dancyger puts into context the storytelling choices an editor will have to make against a background of theory, history, and practice across a range of genres, including action, comedy, drama, documentary, and experimental forms, featuring analysis of dozens of classic and contemporary films. This seventh edition includes new chapters on the developments of different genres and how these changes have affected editing decisions. This includes the recent predominance of biopic films, such as Oppenheimer (2023) and Maestro (2023), which will both be compared with earlier precedents, such as The Life of Emile Zola and Elizabeth. Then the book will also consider the changes and movements with melodrama, comedy, and soft satire.

This is an essential resource for students and professionals seeking both a contextual background as well as a practical guide for the best editing tips and tricks.

1119290970
The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice

This seventh edition of The Technique of Film and Video Editing provides a detailed, precise look at the artistic and aesthetic principles and practices of editing for both picture and sound.

Industry veteran Ken Dancyger puts into context the storytelling choices an editor will have to make against a background of theory, history, and practice across a range of genres, including action, comedy, drama, documentary, and experimental forms, featuring analysis of dozens of classic and contemporary films. This seventh edition includes new chapters on the developments of different genres and how these changes have affected editing decisions. This includes the recent predominance of biopic films, such as Oppenheimer (2023) and Maestro (2023), which will both be compared with earlier precedents, such as The Life of Emile Zola and Elizabeth. Then the book will also consider the changes and movements with melodrama, comedy, and soft satire.

This is an essential resource for students and professionals seeking both a contextual background as well as a practical guide for the best editing tips and tricks.

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

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

by Ken Dancyger
The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice

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

by Ken Dancyger

eBook

$66.99 
Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on January 22, 2026

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Overview

This seventh edition of The Technique of Film and Video Editing provides a detailed, precise look at the artistic and aesthetic principles and practices of editing for both picture and sound.

Industry veteran Ken Dancyger puts into context the storytelling choices an editor will have to make against a background of theory, history, and practice across a range of genres, including action, comedy, drama, documentary, and experimental forms, featuring analysis of dozens of classic and contemporary films. This seventh edition includes new chapters on the developments of different genres and how these changes have affected editing decisions. This includes the recent predominance of biopic films, such as Oppenheimer (2023) and Maestro (2023), which will both be compared with earlier precedents, such as The Life of Emile Zola and Elizabeth. Then the book will also consider the changes and movements with melodrama, comedy, and soft satire.

This is an essential resource for students and professionals seeking both a contextual background as well as a practical guide for the best editing tips and tricks.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781040693155
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication date: 01/22/2026
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 574
File size: 15 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ken Dancyger is 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
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