What do you think?
Rate this book
Documentary Editing: Principles & Practice
This book offers clear and detailed strategies for tackling every stage of the documentary editing process, from organizing raw footage and building select reels to fine cutting and final export. Written by a Sundance award-winning documentary editor with a dozen features to his credit and containing examples from over 100 films, this book presents a step-by-step guide for how to turn seemingly shapeless footage into focused scenes, and how to craft a structure for a documentary of any length. The book contains insights and examples from seven of America’s top documentary editors, including Geoffrey Richman, ACE ( The Cove, Tiger King ), Kate Amend, ACE ( ¡Viva Maestro!, The Keepers ), and Mary Lampson ( Harlan County U.S.A. ). Written for both practitioners and enthusiasts, this book offers unique and invaluable insights into the documentary editing process. The second edition is completely revised and updated with contemporary examples and contains a new chapter titled, "Editing the Short Documentary."
254 pages, Paperback
Published June 19, 2023
5 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 10, 2023
A superb and extremely practical book. Highly recommended.
There are loads of books about how to make films, but only a small fraction of them are concerned with documentary filmmaking. Of those, most of them seem to be filled with advice on how to make a camera work or how to get financing. This is the first book I've found with real, usable, sage advice on the practical process of taking hours of footage and finding the story within it.
Bricca's text spoke to me right from the opening pages, where he lays out the challenges that make documentary (especially ObDoc and verite styles) editing so very different from regular narrative films. His advice on organizing, storing, and logging footage is pragmatic and helpful.
This book is like sitting down with an experienced and friendly editor sit down with you over coffee and say "You know what works for me? This, this, this, and this. Oh, and if you get stuck here, don't sweat it - happens all the time. Just keep this in mind..."
I've stumbled my way through some small projects and I'm currently embarking on my first major effort. This books could not have come at a better time. I have already used many of the tips and processes he explains. Equally helpful was to get confirmation that some of the things I was already doing are best practices.
This is the kind of book I will buy a second copy of so that I can lend one out without worrying about losing my own. After tearing through this book, I immediately went online and bought his first book.
There are loads of books about how to make films, but only a small fraction of them are concerned with documentary filmmaking. Of those, most of them seem to be filled with advice on how to make a camera work or how to get financing. This is the first book I've found with real, usable, sage advice on the practical process of taking hours of footage and finding the story within it.
Bricca's text spoke to me right from the opening pages, where he lays out the challenges that make documentary (especially ObDoc and verite styles) editing so very different from regular narrative films. His advice on organizing, storing, and logging footage is pragmatic and helpful.
This book is like sitting down with an experienced and friendly editor sit down with you over coffee and say "You know what works for me? This, this, this, and this. Oh, and if you get stuck here, don't sweat it - happens all the time. Just keep this in mind..."
I've stumbled my way through some small projects and I'm currently embarking on my first major effort. This books could not have come at a better time. I have already used many of the tips and processes he explains. Equally helpful was to get confirmation that some of the things I was already doing are best practices.
This is the kind of book I will buy a second copy of so that I can lend one out without worrying about losing my own. After tearing through this book, I immediately went online and bought his first book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review