Cutting Rhythms

Book excerpt: How does a film editor make decisions about where and when to cut in order to make a film 'feel right'? Generally speaking, the answer is, 'it's intuitive', which is accurate but leaves one wanting to know more. Cutting Rhythms breaks down the definition of intuition to find that, even if rhythmic thinking is intuitive thinking, we can still say more than we 'just know.' This book offers possibilities rather than prescriptions. It presents questions an editor or filmmaker can ask themselves about their work, and a clear and useful vocabulary for working with those questions. Cutting Rhythms makes ideas about rhythm in film editing clear and accessible, so that you can do more than just imitate editing you've seen on TV. With this book you'll develop your own sense of rhythm, refine our rhythmic shaping skills, and increase your creativity--and in so doing, become a better filmmaker.