From the editor of Apocalypse Now, Walter Murch, I discovered this small gem of a book on film editing. Can you imagine there was 4 tonnes of material to edit in that film!

What I found striking about this book is that it gives a view in how in our everyday lives, we all ‘edit’ reality continually. If you don’t believe me, read his chapter on ‘blinking’ and watch people when they blink (it’s a sure fire way to see if they have taken in what you have been saying).

So from someone who has worked on the biggies in Hollywood, I found loads of practical ideas for my small film attempts – printing out images and sticking on walls in rows to introduce new ‘cut’ options thereby allowing you mind to creatively mix and match new options. Basically It means you can communicate more strikingly… Printing out stills; it’s on my ‘to do’ list for my recent footage and it brings to mind what I learnt at a recent film masterclass about letting the visuals be more random and poetic. I’ve also found recently to work on the audio first and then add the visuals as I get too precious with the images, too soon.

He shares generously, so that even though its a complex subject, you come away inspired. I’ve recommended it to a few, including some writing friends – ideal if you want to make better projects for youtube!

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