Introduction

This is above all a practical book. It is not full of theory, for it is designed to introduce you to the equipment you will find in a professional film cutting room and the basic procedures carried out there. With this book in your pocket, when you are asked to do something you have never done before or are faced with one of the inevitable crises which occur regularly in even the best cutting rooms, you will not be on your own.

In revising the text for this reprint I have brought it up to date so it should continue to be useful in the years ahead. Cutting is a practical job and much must be learned in practice, but when you set foot in a cutting room for the first time you will find the basic advice given in these pages will get you off to an excellent start. If you use this manual in conjunction with my book The Technique of Editing 16mm Films, you will be able to acquire the skills I have used for the last 25 years editing films for television and other outlets. Both books are based on current techniques used by the BBC and by most major television networks.

Cutting is an important and a fascinating job, but before the creative possibilities can be enjoyed basic techniques must be mastered. This book will make life easier for you in those first crucial days in a professional cutting room.

John Burder