ABSTRACT

Documentary Editing 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 (The Cove, Sicko), Kate Amend (The Keepers, Into the Arms of Strangers), and Mary Lampson (Harlan County U.S.A.), and a companion website contains easy-to-follow video tutorials.

Written for both practitioners and enthusiasts, Documentary Editing offers unique and invaluable insights into the documentary editing process.

part I|29 pages

Setting the Stage for a Successful Edit

chapter 1|3 pages

Planning Your Schedule

chapter 2|13 pages

Organizing Your Footage

chapter 3|9 pages

Everyday Work Practices

part II|17 pages

Finding Patterns

chapter 4|2 pages

Viewing and Digesting

chapter 5|7 pages

Making Select Reels

chapter 6|5 pages

Refining Select Reels

part IIIa|43 pages

Constructing and Refining Scenes

chapter 7|11 pages

Evidentiary Editing

Building Interview-Based Scenes

chapter 8|19 pages

Verité Editing

Building Observational Scenes

chapter 9|7 pages

Building Montages

part IIIb|87 pages

Building the Rough Cut

chapter 10|6 pages

Choosing and Framing Footage

chapter 11|7 pages

The Fundamentals of Narrative

chapter 12|30 pages

Working with Narrative

chapter 13|25 pages

Working with Details

chapter 14|13 pages

Working with Time

part IV|16 pages

The Refining Process

chapter 15|9 pages

Feedback and Revision

chapter 16|4 pages

Fine Cut to Final Cut and Beyond

part V|43 pages

Seeing It All Come Together

chapter 17|15 pages

Analyses of Two Feature Documentaries

chapter 18|25 pages

Analyses of Two Short Documentaries