Nonlinear Editing: Storytelling, Aesthetics, & Craft [With CDROM]

I Bought this book as a reference for technical issues (formats, standards, procedures) but I got much more. Button gives you the whole layout of this art/craft of film editing. The topics covered range from editing equipment to film theory, color harmony & design basics to writing resumes. Light, sound - this book covers it all. Not all topics are discussed in great length, but there are excellent reference lists for further reading and websites.Bryce Button seems to be an experienced editor and a film scholar and clearly enjoys teaching.I have been a film editor for 10 years -I've still learned a lot. Some of the information will be redundant to the more experienced but still- very well written, packed with knowledge, insight - in short, a real inspiration. Well Done!

The book contains tons of very good advice for novice editors. The tips on planning will save a lot of time when the real work begins. The suggestions on the practical and aesthetic (including sound) aspects of editing will speed up the process and improve the quality of the finished work, perhaps by the equivalent of at least a few month's apprenticeship. The chapters on dealing with stress and team members, clients and the business, give an idea of the work environment to be expected. After reading the whole book, chapter 13 summarizes the most important tips as "cheat sheets" - very useful.The only thing I didn't like was a number of typos, and what I thought was an occasional lapse in a couple of explanations.