Grammar of the Edit

Media Manuals

by Christopher J. Bowen, Roy Thompson

Learn the basic "grammar" of editing films and videos in Grammar of the Edit ! This book shows you in no uncertain terms (independently of software) what you absolutely need to know to edit your video production. Whether you are just learning how to edit or you need a refresher, this book gives you a basic toolkit to understand the basic terms and the common practices of editing to help create a coherent and meaningful story or visual presentation. This book concentrates on where and how an edit is made and teaches you how to answer the simple question: 'What do I need to do in order to make a good edit between two shots?' Grammar of the Edit begins with an explanation of the basic rules of visual construction that will allow you to arrange your footage logically. The book takes you from the basic vocabulary of editing, to knowing when to cut (and why), to transitions, and finally to good working practices. Designed as an easy-to-use reference, each topic is covered succinctly and is accompanied by clear photographs and diagrams that illustrate the key concepts presented in the book. Simple, elegant, and easy to use, Grammar of the Edit is a staple of any filmmaker's library. Don't miss the companion volume, Grammar of the Shot 2e, 9780240521213!

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 1993

Reviews

[Roxana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book for the beginners in the art of video editing.
It's very well structured and begins with the basics of the footage. It is very important for an editor to know this stuff (like shot description, framing and composition, exposure, etc) because you need to have technical knowledge, you must master the film "language" in order to make a fine product that tells a story, gives information and entertains.

After that you are introduced in the basics of editing (why is good to cut here and why is not good to cut there, when is best to use a transition and why to use wipe and not dissolve, which are the major categories of edit types, etc).

The book ends with a glossary that will answer all of your questions about the terms from the pages.

I liked the book because it doesn't have an academic language and you can understand very well what the autor tries to tell you, each definition comes with examples and pictures and at the end of each chapter you have a review which helps you to put in an order all the new notions.

The book also contains working practices that are good tips for you to think about during the process of editing. Some offer specific rules to follow, while others simply suggest some good habits you may consider as you work. Each working practice (the most common with whom you will surely meet in your career as an editor) is explained with reasons, solutions and exceptions of use (and pictures for a better understanding).

I find this caption from the introduction fitted for describing the book.

The goal of this text is to inform a person new to editing about the most generic basics of accepted editing practices, the reasoning behind them, and their common interpreted meanings. Good technique and not so good technique may be discussed and illustrated, but in the end there is no right and there is no wrong, there is only what works and what does not work — and why.

[Erin White · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forced to buy and read at uni. Waste of time and money

[Glenn Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're engaged in any amount of video editing, I would consider this book to be mandatory reading.
The 46 'Working Practices' listed on pages 158 - 160 are, by themselves, worth the price of the book.
The detailed explanations and graphic examples are icing on the cake.

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a required text for my post 3 class. Great for review over basic editing principles. Pretty easy to read and understand, uses language that makes sense. Can be a bit boring, but it is sort of like a textbook and goes over basics, so that's fine.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of film editing. A lot of the content was somewhat simple and repetitive, but clear. I liked learning more about workflows, jump cuts (making sure you don't cut to a shot that's too similar / less than 30 deg off), and continuous action edits in the middle of motion.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book we worked out of in College. Really helpful to understanding story telling through video editing

[alessandro adami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non male per chi vuole conoscere le principali tecniche di montaggio. Contenuti approfonditi in modo chiaro e completo, seppur nella loro elementarità. Ottimo il capitolo dedicato ai consigli pratici.

[Siddhu]

good

[Ker ᥫ᭡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. Defenitely the "bible" for editors or producers

[Ardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY GREAT BOOK! I really liked it, for beginners as well. Easy read, to understand, and very informative.

[Mahda Purmehdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابی مناسب برای مبتدیانی که هیچ چیزی درباره ی تدوین نمی‌دانند.

[Shirl Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friends and I have recently taken up short-film making. We just jumped into it. This book has been amazing in helping us understand what we are doing. Love it.

[Marva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful tool for learning basics and getting an understanding of the how and why of editing.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Enso · Rating 5 out of 5]

отличное практическое пособие

[Esbil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semplice schematico e interessante

[Adit · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book is interesting