In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition Reviews

• Don't "Blink" or you'll miss it

  
  By A3T6PGMHIZEKR8 on 2002-08-25
  Despite the admiration I have for Walter Murch, "In the Blink of an Eye" was a waste of money. The book is actually the transcript of a lecture he gave at a film school, and to his credit, it was not Murch who came up with the idea of marketing it as a full-length book. He did attempt to lengthen this edition by adding a section on digital editing, but still, the book falls short of expectation.

  Murch's insights into film editing, both analog and digital, are valuable, and I would recommend picking up the book from the library or sitting down and reading it at your local bookstore - it really is that short, but it's not a keeper.

  I bought this book hoping to get some real-world tips to editing - what makes a good cut and what doesn't, pacing, etc., etc., etc., but I came away with just one - cut when you blink. Murch's "blink theory" is interesting, but there's much more to editing than just that. I was looking for more from one of the best editors in the business.

  Murch does discuss some of his own experiences while editing movies such as "Apocalypse Now" and "The English Patient", but doesn't really delve into the cutting itself and why he chose certain shots or cut a scene a certain way. The book also discusses the history of digital editing and its future but seems to focus on the attitudes of older directors and editors alike who seem to be afraid of change and insist, like Stephen Spielberg who bought up every Motorola editing system and hired enough technicians who can fix the ancient editors so that he will never have to fire up that computer, that "the old way" is better than the new one.

  Murch seems to be in the middle of the debate. It is interesting to hear what he has to say, but it still seems to me to be rehashing the old joke about the grandparents who are unable to set the VCR. For those brought up on digital editing, it is only natural to sit down and touch a keyboard than experience what Murch believes is all important - standing up and touching the film itself.

  If you're looking for a little bit of editing theory, a little bit of editing history, a little bit of personal experience, this book delivers, but if you're looking for a more in-depth discussion of editing in the 21st century, I recommend buying any Robert Rodriguez DVD, whether you like the movie or not, and listening to the commentary. Rodriguez not only gives tips on making a movie as a whole, but also how to film to edit, and how to cut scenes - all digitally.
  
  

• Murch masterfully edits film as the rest of us dream dreams.

  
  By A3DQSY4JEP6UJM on 1998-07-07
  One of the greatest image and aural montagists of our time is Walter Murch. What makes films like Apocalypse Now, The English Patient, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, or Julia great, just to name a few of Mr. Murch's masterpieces, is often the mostly invisible flow of time and mood. In this book Murch takes us inside the metaphysics of editing film and sound in a most understandable way. Any lover of film will appreciate the different sensibility and perspective than that we usually get from actors and directors. Any would be film editor better read this book to have any chance of rising above mediocrity.
  
  

• Depends what you are looking for...

  
  By A17QAS8K17V9EC on 2001-04-22
  This book was thoroughly enjoyable to read, but had very little advice on actual editing. It is very worth reading, if for nothing else, to hear the author's words (he is a god of editing). Nevertheless, I really wanted more on his ideas behind making cuts instead of abstract thoughts. His three pearls are: 1) Stand up when editing, 2) When a person blinks it is because they got the concept and are making a "mental cut", and that we are going to move into a time of digital editing, but must remember our past. There... I saved you the 10 dollars. Buy it to enjoy it, but don't expect it to teach more than I just revealed...
  
  

• A great look at Film Editing

  
  By A9LIET7K21PAO on 2000-10-30
  Murch delivers a short, but insightful analysis of film editing. The just of the title refers to Murch's theory that an eye blink is the equivalent of an edit. He found that when an audience is riveted they will seldom blink. His further studies led him to believe that an audience will generally blink when a film cut should be made. Whether true or not, it was truly thought provoking.

  I also found his analysis of non-linear editing quite insightful. He goes a good way to explain the positive and the negative of editing on a computer versus the old cut and paste method. The computer oriented method offers quicker editing and fixing. When you physically cut film it cannot be undone without a lengthy ordeal. On a computer, you can quickly restore any changes.

  Murch, though, feels that the necessity of rolling through raw footage on a movieola sometimes led to better shot selection during his re-edits. When editors digitize what they initially like, they limit themselves to the other takes that might make more sense after a rough cut is made. Interesting.

  These are just some of the many jewels offered in this short work.
  
  

• From a film editor

  
  By A2CGW9UHK55YM on 2004-01-01
  OK I can't believe the guy who was looking for tips on how to put a scene together. I have been a film and commercial editor for 25 years and Mr. Murch's work is what all who have ever wanted to be an editor look up to. The joy of this book is that it doesn't delve into the nuts and bolts of editing-which is the worst part of my craft-but it focuses on the zen of editing, which is the true joy. I have had the opportunity to cut nine feature films in my life and before I started each one, I read "In the Blink of an Eye" to get me back in that feature film mindframe. God Bless Mr. Murch for his insights. As a fellow editor-and I struggle to live up to the bar you have raised for us-I can only bow down and thank Mr. Murch for passing on his knowledge to us.
  
  
• Film editing means what it says...
  By A1TLVSWAEMUSJS on 2002-09-04
  After reading Maggie333's review it reminds me just how removed the modern generation of video editors (the esteemed terms of "cutters" and "film editors" I reserve for those who handle film) are from the actual art of "film" editing. The whining about how the old timers don't devote enough time to paying homage to the new wave that is digital smacks of immaturity and pretentiousness. This attitude that there is nothing to learn from the old hands is exactly what elevates good film editors above the seemingly endless stream of video junkies who believe the sun rises and sets with their cute, color-coded keyboard.

  I believe that NLE has its place in todays aresenal of tools available to the editor. But there is much to learn from actually cutting on film, and any aspiring film editor would do well to recognize this. In short, it takes a lot more time to cut on film, which forces you to learn patience and in the process makes you think more about each cut. I have no doubt that cutting on film makes you a better editor, regardless of where your career path takes you. Issues like pacing, shot selection, and good dialogue editing, not to mention many others, is precisely why learning the craft on a flatbed is so beneficial, and which to a great degree, is lost on those editors who work only in the digital domain. There are many indie films being made out there, so there is ample opportunity for those who claim no opportunity to learn on film.

  Although Mr. Murch's book is good, I would highly recommend another. That book would be "On Editing Film" by Edward Dmytryk. This little gem offers a wealth of insight, practical knowledge and immesely useful information in a nuts-and-bolts style of short, to the point writing. I believe that this book provides the film editor everything necessary to sit down at the Steenbeck or Moviola (that's Moviola Maggie... not Motorola). I read it anew everytime I begin cutting a new film.

  I would also point out that many in Hollywood are going back to the Steenbeck, as the pitfalls of NLE are self-evident. That makes books like Murch's and Dmytryk's invaluable.
  
  

• Not a technical guide on HOW to edit, but a guide on HOW to APPROACH editing
  By A61MCDI4FO9YV on 2006-02-14
  Murch is brilliant, there is no doubt of that, and I found this book to be quite inspiring. It is certainly not a guide to how to operate an editing system, (be it analog or digital,) or even a means of telling you how to assemble wide shots and close ups into a cohesive narrative.
  
  It is about how Murch approaches a project. How he creates. Aspiring and seasoned editors alike can take much from this short work, and incorporate it into their own style and approach. I don't think that I will ever look at film the same way after his anecdote about blinking and editing "The Conversation."
  
  Many reviewers have mentioned that they expected more, (length, content, etc.) I wanted more myself, but I think Murch says all he needed to say. It is WELL worth the read. I suggest getting it from a library, reading it, and then deciding if you wish to add it to your own library.
  
  I now own a copy, and expect to consult it in future for every editing project that proves difficult.
  
  
• From another film editor
  By A3KPB6AIXN9OYX on 2005-04-25
  To merely explain "what film editing is" would be worth the price of this book, and
  what I expect when I read a book on film editing, but this book goes far beyond that.
  
  This book almost effortlessly explains "why film editing works," "how film editing works,"
  and "what the human experience expects and wants from film editing."
  
  It does this in an engaging style, with a remarkably-few,
  well-chosen words. This is a truly great little book.
  
  It teaches some slippery concepts easily, with simple historical examples.
  (How filmmaking is like opera, or like music, or literature or art, for example.)
  
  Its concepts are clear, and they stick in the mind, and return
  to one later, usually while in the middle of doing something else.
  
  That means to me that not only my conscious mind
  understands what Mr. Murch has written, but my
  unconscious mind as well.
  
  I am very grateful for that, as
  my unconscious mind is my source.
  
  Mr. Walter Murch is not only one of the most gifted film editors ever,
  he has clearly thought and mulled and quantified what he knows in his bones,
  so that others can learn from it.
  
  Beethoven wrote great music, (and, according to Mr. Murch, was one of
  the fathers of cinema), but did Beethoven write a little book that explained
  what he was trying to do, or the principles behind it, or what he had learned
  about how it worked, and how to make future projects work in the same way?
  
  No, alas. I've read letters from Beethoven, but found
  his process elusive. Nothing wrong with that, his music
  certainly stands on its own, but how much better would
  it have been, to have some great little book like this one?
  
  To the film artist, this little book is a gift from God.
  A glimpse into the process of a very gifted man.
  
  It explains what the principles of film editing are,
  where to look for them, how they came about.
  All from a great artist in the form.
  
  As for my calling it a "little book," I mean no disrespect.
  It's hard to make something complex look easy, even harder
  to say that in only a few words.
  
  Its brevity is part of its genius.
  
  
• I loved this book
  By A2QRN41WOMUQZ on 2005-07-26
  It's like having a conversation with a really smart, educated and thoughtful person on a variety of topics relating to film. I feel angry with the people who gave it negative reviews because it's not a textbook about editing; it's not intended to be. Don't troll-rate a book because you don't know how to find a book on the subject you're looking for.
  
  
• How to Edit 101
  By A3984TFB9AVVRA on 2000-06-13
  If you are planning to have a career in the film industary, read this book, you will be better off for it. From just the basics, to some ral insights in the mind of an editor, this book will help make you a more valuable crew member and make you a better editor.
  
  
• Recommended reading for future editors.
  By A3BL8JDWOCF50D on 2003-06-27
  This book lies on the fence between a biography book and a conversation between a mentor and his apprentice. Walter Murch is known for his career as an editor and sound designer on movies like "Apocolypse Now" (original and "redux"), "The Conversation," "American Graffiti," "The Godfather (pt 2 & 3)," "Ghost," "The English Patient," and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

  I completely enjoyed this book, and highly recommended it to anyone who is interested in film/video editing. Murch gives advice to those people who are curious about the business, and insight to those who simply enjoy watching movies. This book was required reading for a video editing class I attended in college, and it's one of those rare college "textbooks" I greatly enjoyed reading from cover to cover. For me this is one of those books that I wouldn't mind reading again just for the heck of it. I hope you will enjoy it as well.
  
  

• read it with a blink of my eye. AMAZING!
  By A24WO1GO02JM20 on 2004-06-29
  I got this book in the mail and i finished reading it the same day. Walter Murch can write so compellingly well while delivering an exteremly great portrayal of the Artistry behind Editing Film.

  I'm so glad I purchased this book. Anybody who is interested in editing, should definitely read this.

  Movies to his credit include: Cold Mountain, English Patient, Apocalypse Now, Godfather III, Julia (ofcourse he's done more, but those are great popular choices)
  
  

• Uh, that's "Movieola"
  By A2PA2PXNNM9BR0 on 2005-12-09
  Maggie333 wrote:
  
  "like Stephen Spielberg who bought up every Motorola editing system".
  
  That's "Movieola", not "Motorola".
  
  The cell phone generation...
  
  
• A great insight into editing.
  By A3BL8JDWOCF50D on 2002-11-05
  This book lies on the fence between a biography book and a conversation between a mentor and his apprentice. Walter Murch is known for his career as an editor and sound designer on movies like "Apocolypse Now" (original and "redux"), "The Conversation," "American Graffiti," "The Godfather (pt 2 & 3)," "Ghost," "The English Patient," and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

  I completely enjoyed this book, and highly recommended it to anyone who is interested in film/video editing. Murch gives advice to those people who are curious about the business, and insight to those who simply enjoy watching movies. This book was required reading for a video editing class I attended in college, and it's one of those rare college "textbooks" I greatly enjoyed reading from cover to cover. For me this is one of those books that I wouldn't mind reading again just for the heck of it. I hope you will enjoy it as well.
  
  

• Fascinating reading
  By ABAGGVUK6XHHE on 2003-02-26
  I had to read this book for my Graphic Design class. I thought, "I'm not in Film school, why should I have to read this?" Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. I am a movie lover so learning about film editing was pretty interesting but I was also able to relate film editing to editing in Graphic Design. In film editing you start out with alot of material. With that material, you could do like five different movies. Editing is what steers the story your trying to get out in a direction that you want your viewer to understand. In Graphic Design, you do the same. You keep parts, cut parts to make your story clear. I highly recommend this book for Film students and Graphic Design students. This book is also very personable, which makes it easy to read.
  
  
• Baffled!
  By A3K91X9X2ARDOK on 2006-09-06
  I'm still trying to figure out why some of the people here have given this book negative reviews. Of course, I respect people's opinions and the fact they might not necessarily jibe with my own all the time but I have to say that for anyone to say that they thought the book was a waste of time is just dumbfounding to me.
  
  This book is a transcript of a lecture given by Walter Murch, award winning editor of several classic films, most notably The Conversation, The English Patient and Apocalypse Now. The first thing that hit me about the book was how well written it was. It's an easy read but Murch is eloquent and engaging enough to make this an extremely enjoyable read through.
  
  Anyone looking for a book describing to you exactly how to edit a film is going to be disappointed with this because that's not what this book is about. Murch assumes that you already know how to edit, at least in the technical sense. It's about the ideas and philosophies that go into it and how to prepare for it beforehand. Anybody can learn how to edit a film but to do it in a fresh and exciting way that make the story of the film you are editing flow naturally and logically is what Murch is attempting to speak of. His theory about the blink of an eye (which I will leave you to read about, if you are at all interested) is something I never thought of and actually served to make me reconsider my views on editing.
  
  Murch is an old school editor but he takes the time to praise the move from analog to digital editing in the book's second half, an inevitable change that has been a long time coming. It's nice to see someone from the old school embracing the new technologies and give a candid write up about the systems pros and cons.
  
  I found this book to be very well put together and I really enjoyed reading all he had to say. It's further proof that we need to heed the words of the masters before they are no longer with us as I can barely imagine any of the young, fresh out of film school editors having anything this meaningful and important to say about the editing process.
  
  
• A must for film Editors
  By A1GSTCPM8NRZRV on 2001-12-22
  In The Blink of an Eye is a must for anyone intersted in film editing. It is a very precise, very up-to-the-minute book that tells the reader everything he needs to know about this profession. The book is comprehensive in its comparision between the old traditional hands-on approach to film editing and the new wave of digital film editing that we are presently living through. Murch doesn't shy away from telling us his real opinions about both processes. He is very honest and truthful.

  This book is very interesting. Murch, who edited films for Coppola as well as won an Academy Award for editing The English Patient, knows what he is talking about. He knows all the ins and outs of this profession and has no trouble telling his readers all about it.

  I particularly enjoyed the second half of the book, where Murch goes into great details to describe this new wave of digital editing. He really gives us all the pros and cons of this new revolution.

  My only problem with this book is that it was too short. Ending up being a little less than 150 pages, the book left me wanting more. Murch could have gone into more details of his own career and his own experiences as an editor. There is a section where he talks about the dilemmas he had editing The English Patient, where he had to mix his work life with his personal life, that is very affecting. I wanted more of that.

  But overall, this book is a great one for anyone who is curious about film editing, for anyone who wants an introduction to this great art.
  
  

• Walter Murch goes digital...
  By on 2003-05-05
  No one doubts Walter Murch's accomplishments, artistry or expertise, right? So I have to wonder where the anti-NLE crowd stands now that Walter Murch himself has thrown the moviola over to cut Anthony Minghella's "Cold Mountain" on Apple's Final Cut Pro?

  The book by the way, is fine, as far as it goes, which in my opinion isn't far enough. Techology discussions should be left out of books, which I think should stand the test of time, versus say a magazine interview. I'd rather know much more than this book offers on how Walter Murch sees a cut. Mr. Murch had sensible things to say about editing digitally seven or eight years ago, but that's a very long time in the computer world, and now he's a convert to NLE (for one major film at least).

  Editing, I think, has more to do with artistry and a sense of story and composition than it does technology. I don't see a direct benefit achieved by "touching the film" and standing at the table. If you've never touched a piece of film or stood at an editing table, you can't be a good editor? Come on. The editor from Milwaukee said things along the lines of thinking about the best possible cuts, and why they are the best. Any good editor should do this, irrespective of gear. Tell me why, exactly, a thoughtful, creative, organized and visonary editor does better with one technology than another?

  I have nothing against the old way of doing things, and if that's what makes for someone's best work, fine, let them do it. Whatever works best for you is the right thing to use.

  But for those who refuse to even consider digital editing, try finding a typewriter store in your area sometime. NLE's are a baby technology, and they are the future. It's hard to think how the moviola is going to be improved. A good editor, I think, will find the current generation of NLE's (FCP4) a pleasure to work on, though the almost infinite choice the NLE presents can be daunting.
  
  

• There is more than meets the eye.
  By A2ACGLLF5LNNBJ on 2006-11-16
  This book gives insight into film editing like no other. the other reviewers said that the book did not really help into any actual editing technioques in real life, well perhaps that is why there are NO actual ways to edit. With today's editing suites, you drag and drop, cut, and you're done. What Walter Murch is giving you are lessons that go deep beyond that. How to tell when a good cut is there, when the emotional moment tells you to cut, how to recognize it. If you want to learn a jump cut, or editing tricks, then pick up something else, but if you want to learn how to recognize the story in your film, and how to tell it in the way that only you can, then pick this book up, and read in between the lines.
  
  
• do editors dream of digital moviolas?
  By A2EWOM159WHT7U on 2002-05-28
  I belive it is very hard to write a book on film editing, maybe the best way to teach this is with a video or in an actual class. But this book does acomplish a couple of interesting things. You will love to read the "blink of an eye" theory in this book.
  I really recomend this book to get the feeling that a great editor has on the whole cuting business.
  His final words on film editing on compuder sistems are a little behind, because his book is like 7 years old. Finaly I belive his questioning to the NLE systems really makes you realize what you are missing on your final cut or premiere system.
  Buy this book.
  
  
• It's a book about Story Telling and narrative design
  By A3KEV6VXA4TTZZ on 2007-02-23
  Sometimes a book's own hype kills people's appreciation of it.
  
  With Murch's classic, the problem is that it is considered a classic text about editing, simply because it is a biographical account of an editor at work.
  
  It is not about the techniques or tools or modern equipment necessary to edit a film. If you seek a functional book to learn the fundamental skills of visual film editing, this is not something you should purchase.
  
  It's very much more a story telling book. Most specifically if you are a writer, or, if you consider your film directing as 'writing with pictures,' this book will elevate your ability and understanding of 'writing with film.'
  
  The old adage that 'film is a visual medium' is wrong.
  
  Maybe that's why a get a little uppity about catchall phrases. Like "Film is a visual medium." It's not. Not really. It has music. It has dialogue. And, it exists over time.
  
  One painting, is a visual medium.
  
  Film, is 24-paintings per second with noise, weight, drama, visual, action, cognitive momentum, magic, and trust and hope. Film, as the casual and professional observer speaks of it, is more likely a cognitive medium. Film more closely approximates our external reality more than any other media, and it is Murch's perspective -- as the ultimate unifier of the other filmed elements -- that reminds us of that. He casually reveals what he knows about his art and how to design a dramatic narrative based on upon cognitive principles.
  
  If you stumbled across this book just because you just dig making and writing films that much, than this book will excite you for the price of a Starbucks lunch. And it's better for your body than crumbcakes and coffee.
  
  
• great book
  By on 2001-07-30
  Of all the books I have read on editing, this is definitely my favorite. It really goes into the thought processes behind editing - focusing less on the technical aspects and more on the creative. The author really has a handle on what makes people tick and instinctively draws from that when editing film. Walter Murch is a genius. Very exciting reading for us film geeks.
  
  
• Amazing: A must have.
  By A1E1YH7RPHLHS5 on 2002-03-09
  This is the best book I have read about the editing. His theory about the "blink" is very interesting and helpful. Insights from "Apocalypse Now" are fun to discover.

  The comparison between NLE and Linear Film editing is also very well written.
  
  

• A guide for understanding filmmaking
  By A1MALOH1V8AN34 on 2005-09-30
  It's a magnificent guide to understand the process of filmmaking and the craft of film editting. Walter Murch uses the phsycollogy to explain the process of the audience when watch a movie.
  
  
• Very Helpful
  By ACP1US5XEUXY2 on 2006-09-12
  In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch has helped me quite a bit not only in the way I view video editing, but video production as a whole. Whether you are an editor, camera operator, director, or sound engineer, this book will change the way you think about any video project, from comercials to full length films.
  
  
• I'll never see movies in the same way again
  By AH4TAT5BMY6XN on 2007-02-09
  Murch is uses everyday language eloquently to describe what he does and how he decides just where to do it. This is a time of tremendous change in how movies are made. It's fascinating to read a master's description of this transformation process in language that a nontechie, as I am, can understand.
  
  
• In the Blink of an Eye
  By A29BR5ZYKX6JRA on 2007-02-16
  It's a quick read, and somewhat entertaining. Not something I would recommend as a schoolbook for an editing class, but if you are interested in the editing process, it's a good read.
  
  
• A Must Read
  By A1MR2L0AWGIQZI on 2007-03-13
  Whether you have a passing fancy with movie editing, or just want to understand the anatomy of one of our greatest media achievements, you will like this book.
  
  It is brief, clear and drops you into the world of film in a blink of an eye.
  
  
• Seasoned professional's wisdom of his craft: film editing
  By A1FY5B0GZNN1QR on 2007-08-04
  This book was a required reading for my national university on-line class in digital video editing. The book is a short read that can be accomplished in two sittings. I read the second part of the book on digital editing first, as I have been editing for the past 10 years and have made the leap from analog to digital, myself. Murch relates the changes from a professional's point of view. He compares analog versus digital editing He outlines how the workflow of the editor and, indeed, the whole industry, as filmmaking is such a collaborative art, is changing due to the inevitable transition to a totally digital medium. I read the first part of the book next. Smartly, this saved the best for last as his most profound advice for editing is contained in the middle of the text, at the end of part one. Here he explains a moment in editing when he understood the essence of his editing choices on a particular movie, thus revealing the title of the book. This is a gem of a read for anyone interested in the working mind of a seasoned editor. I recommend it to film fans, students, and anyone interested in getting into the industry professionally.
  
  
• Transcript of fantastic lecture on editing/ film theory
  By A1EDAB97X8HFGO on 2003-05-09
  This book is a transcript of W. Murch's lecture on the theory and practice of film editing, edited for print and updated to include recent developments in NLE's (Non-linear editing systems).
  A real eye opener. This was my first contact with Mr. Murch's perspective on film editing and I was blown away. Through psychological theory and a clear and grounded perspective on the practice of editing (developed from years of experience), he explores how we relate the film experience to our real-life experience and why film and film editing work as a compelling and coherent medium. Since reading this book I have passed it on to all of my film maker friends and they have all raved about it. Before you begin another film or video project, READ THIS BOOK.
  
  

• The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film
• Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television
• On Directing Film
• The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing
• The Eye is Quicker: Film Editing: Making A Good Film Better