Cutting Rhythms: Shaping the Film Edit

There are many books on the technical aspects of film and video editing: e.g., how to use software packages like Final Cut Pro and Avid. Much rarer are books on how an editor thinks and makes decisions. Faced with hundreds of hours of raw footage, a film editor must craft the pieces into a coherent whole. Rhythm is a fundamental tool of the film editor; when a filmmaker adjust the length of shots in relation to one another, he or she affects the entire pace, structure, and mood of the film. Until this book, rhythm was considered a matter of intuition; good editors should just 'know' when to make a cut.

Cutting Rhythms breaks down the issue of rhythm in an accessible way that allows filmmakers to apply the principles to their own work and increase their creativity. This book offers possibilities rather than prescriptions. It presents questions  editors or filmmakers can ask themselves about their work, and a clear and useful vocabulary for working with those questions.

Filled with timeless principles and thought-provoking examples from a variety of international films, this book is destined to become a staple in the filmmaker's library.

* This is the only book to address the issue of rhythm in film editing. It's what separates an OK film from a great one!

* Easy-to-apply principles that will translate to better work. Don't just guess where to make a cut--read this book.

* Examples from a range of international films show you practical illustrations of the concepts at work.

"A pioneering effort to capture lighting in a bottle. The most powerful aspect of the craft is also toughest to explain. Pearlman's introduction of dance and movement theory is impressively leveraged for exploration and her cognitive-developmental approach is solidly grounded. No serious student of editing will come away from this book untouched." -Loren S. Miller, Instructor, Emerson College

"Anyone even the slightest bit interested in the mechanics of film making is going to be impressed with Karen Pearlman's new book Cutting Rhythms. Dr Pearlman...manages to combine indepth knowledge of the business of editing with a highly understandable to the layman style. Meaning of course that Cutting Rhythms is useful as both a practical reference for editors and editors in training and as a welcome addition to the bookshelf of the movie fan who likes to know how his favourite films work." -memorabletv.com

This groundbreaking book presents a brand new methodology for improving a film edit.

There are many books on the technical aspects of film and video editing: e.g., how to use software packages like Final Cut Pro and Avid. Much rarer are books on how an editor thinks and makes decisions. Faced with hundreds of hours of raw footage, a film editor must craft the pieces into a coherent whole. Rhythm is a fundamental tool of the film editor; when a filmmaker adjust the length of shots in relation to one another, he or she affects the entire pace, structure, and mood of the film. Until this book, rhythm was considered a matter of intuition; good editors should just 'know' when to make a cut.

Cutting Rhythms breaks down the issue of rhythm in an accessible way that allows filmmakers to apply the principles to their own work and increase their creativity. This book offers possibilities rather than prescriptions. It presents questions  editors or filmmakers can ask themselves about their work, and a clear and useful vocabulary for working with those questions.

Filled with timeless principles and thought-provoking examples from a variety of international films, this book is destined to become a staple in the filmmaker's library.

* This is the only book to address the issue of rhythm in film editing. It's what separates an OK film from a great one!

* Easy-to-apply principles that will translate to better work. Don't just guess where to make a cut--read this book.

* Examples from a range of international films show you practical illustrations of the concepts at work.

Karen Pearlman is Head of Screen Studies at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, and a freelance film editor who cuts drama, documentary, and experimental projects. She has edited many award-winning shorts, and is also co-founder of The Physical TV Company, which specializes in the creation of dance on screen.

Karen Pearlman is Head of Screen Studies at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, and a freelance film editor who cuts drama, documentary, and experimental projects. She has edited many award-winning shorts, and is also co-founder of The Physical TV Company, which specializes in the creation of dance on screen.

Rhythmic Intuition; Editing as Choreography; Timing, Pacing and Trajectory Phasing; Tension, Release and Synchronisation; Physical Rhythm; Emotional Rhythm; Event Rhythm; Integrating Rhythms; Montage; Decoupage; Common Scenes; Devices