First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors

by Gabriella Oldham

Overview

First Cut offers an opportunity to learn what film editing really is, and to learn from the source. Gabriella Oldham's interviews with twenty-three award-winning film editors give a full picture of the complex art and craft of editing a film. Filled with animated anecdotes and detailed examples, and updated with a new preface, this book provides a comprehensive treatment of both documentary and feature film editing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520274679
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	11/05/2012
Edition description:	First Edition, Twentieth Anniversary Edition, With a New Preface
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Gabriella Oldham is a freelance writer. Her books include First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors (UC Press), and Keaton’s Silent Shorts.
Harrison Engle is the award-winning director and producer of more than 80 films, including the documentaries The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt and The LOST Kennedy Home Movies.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Harrison Engle xi

Preface to the 2012 Edition xv

Introduction 1

1 Being an Editor Sheldon Kahn 13

2 Becoming an Editor Emily Paine 29

3 Distilling the Documentary Tom Haneke 41

4 Film as All the Arts Carol Littleton 61

5 Flashback, Flashforward Harold F. Kress Carl Kress 79

6 The Essential Film Geof Bartz 101

7 Telling Stories Tom Rolf 119

8 Sparking Life, Shaping People Paul Barnes 131

9 Touching the Heart Anne V. Coates 151

10 Maximizing the Moment Bill Pankow 171

11 "Percussive" Editing Paul Hirsch 185

12 Keeping the Beat Donn Cambem 199

13 Seeing the invisible Evan Lottman 219

14 Remaining Versatile Peter C. Frank 235

15 "Good Stuff" Never Changes John D. Dunning 253

16 Subliminal Truths Ted Winterburn 269

17 The Inner Voice Sidney Levin 289

18 Drawing the Emotional Line Merle Worth 305

19 The Supreme Collaboration Barry Malkin 323

20 Diplomatic Takes Rudi Fehr 341

21 Creating a Legacy Richard Marks 359

22 "Locking" Up Alan Heim 375

Appendix: Awards and Nominations 397

References 403

Index 405

Editorial Reviews

The real accomplishment of Oldham’s book is her concentration on the psychology of editors rather than just their technical ingenuity . . . Let’s hope a third volume of this illuminating series will follow.

Kevin Lewiss Guild Mag

“The real accomplishment of Oldham’s book is her concentration on the psychology of editors rather than just their technical ingenuity . . . Let’s hope a third volume of this illuminating series will follow.

Editors Guild Mag - Kevin Lewis

"The real accomplishment of Oldham's book is her concentration on the psychology of editors rather than just their technical ingenuity . . . Let's hope a third volume of this illuminating series will follow."--Editors Guild Mag

From the Publisher