The Technique of Film and Video Editing

by Ken Dancyger

Provides the theory, history and thought processes behind film and video editing through in-depth analyzes of many films, both old and new. The book advises on how careful editing for pacing, clarity, continuity and sound affect the viewer's perceptions and the ultimate success of the sequence.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Ken Dancyger is the author or co-author of seven books on screenwriting, directing, film editing and production. They are The Technique of Film and Video Editing (5th edition), Focal Press, 2010; The Director's Idea, Focal Press, 2006; Alternative Scriptwriting (4th edition), Focal Press, 2006 (with Jeff Rush); Writing the Short Film (3rd edition), Focal Press, 2005 (with Pat Cooper); Global Scriptwriting, Focal Press, 2001; The World of Film and Video Production, Harcourt Brace, 1999; Broadcast Writing, Focal Press, 1991. Each is a theory/practice book rather than a how-to book. There have been fourteen translations of his books, including Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Korean and Arabic. Two of his books, Alternative Scriptwriting and The Technique of Film and Video Editing are considered definitive in their respective areas and are core texts at top film programs worldwide.

Ken conducts screenwriting and post-production workshops internationally for the past eighteen years, including South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Columbia, Singapore, Australia and Canada. He is active as a script consultant in the United States and throughout Europe and Asia.

Ken is past Chair of Undergraduate Film and Television, TISCH School of the Arts, New York University, where he is a Full Professor.

Current writing projects include a book about Genre Scriptwriting, a book entitled The Greatest: Hollywood in 1939, a personal memoir, The War That Never Ended and Murder Not Permitted, his first novel.
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EDUCATION:
B. Comm., M.A., Toronto; M.S., Boston
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Reviews

[Justin Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of interesting, but really, it didn't focus as much on editing techniques as it did in director's choices and storytelling I was a bit disappointed. Also too theoretical as I feel I could dispute quite a few of his points.

[Amelie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book, and the films mentioned in this book have very good songs.

[Raghunath · Rating 2 out of 5]

NOT RECOMMENDED. Disappointed with this book. This has very little about editing. In fact, I got only 20 pages of useful information about editing from this book.

The author meanders so much! When he writes 3 pages about a film, he spends *all* of it talking about the story, the screenplay, the framing, the photography, etc etc that he barely inserts a paragraph about the actual editing in the scenes and how it gives the desired emotional impact.

Sometimes, he describes a film for 3 pages and then adds "Here the director didn't use editing techniques for emotional impact" WHY DID YOU TALK THIS LONG ABOUT THIS FILM THEN?

Also, no screenshots of the shots that he describes! WHAT IS THE POINT?

Off to buy the Karel Reisz book!

[K T]

Since I have to return this to library, listing it here so I don't forget to finish later.

[Abde Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alight Motion https://ammod.io/alight-motion-for-pc/ has been around long enough that the obvious question going into 2026 is whether it still holds up against a much more crowded field of mobile editors — CapCut, VN, InShot, and a handful of newer apps all chasing the same creators. Having spent real time inside the app across multiple projects, the honest answer is yes, but with caveats. Alight Motion's biggest strength is still its layer system, which lets you treat a mobile edit almost like a desktop motion graphics project: video, text, shapes, and vector art all sit on independent layers that you can animate, mask, and blend without one element messing up another. The keyframe editor has gotten noticeably more precise in recent updates too, with separate ease-in and ease-out controls that make bounce, overshoot, and other natural-feeling motion much easier to pull off than in most competitors. If your goal is anything beyond basic trimming and captions — think kinetic typography, logo animation, or layered transitions — Alight Motion in 2026 still does things most "quick edit" apps simply can't.

[Aarav Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

and practical techniques of editing in a very structured and insightful way. What makes it especially valuable is how it connects storytelling decisions with real editing practices, supported by examples from classic and modern films.

For creative teams and production professionals, this book offers a strong foundation in how visual storytelling works through editing. At Kaarasun.com, where we focus on high-quality video production and creative storytelling, many of the principles discussed in this book align with the techniques used in modern digital editing workflows.

Overall, it is a must-read for filmmakers, video editors, and anyone involved in visual content creation who wants to understand both the art and technical side of editing.

[john wick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a cornerstone for anyone serious about filmmaking and post-production. What I appreciate most is how it doesn’t just focus on the technical side of editing, but also dives deep into the art, history, and theory behind storytelling choices. The analyses of both classic and modern films really help put editing into perspective, showing how each cut shapes meaning and emotion. Dancyger balances theory with practice in a way that makes the book useful not only for students but also for working editors looking to refine their craft.
by JohnWick5656

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[Adam Vance]

Review: The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice

This book is a valuable read for anyone interested in filmmaking and post-production. It explains editing techniques in a clear, practical way while also covering the history and theory behind modern film editing. The examples make complex concepts easier to understand, making it a great choice for both students and professionals. I also enjoy exploring creative and tech-related resources at https://worstinjector.cc/ for additional insights and interesting content.

[motionapp pro]

A must-read for understanding core editing techniques!

This book provides great insights into the fundamental principles and practical side of film and video editing. It's fascinating to see how classic editing theories apply even in today's modern mobile video editing applications and digital content workflows. For anyone interested in exploring mobile editing apps, tools, and guides, feel free to visit https://motionapppro.com/

[Kisskh apk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers a clear and authoritative exploration of film and video editing, combining historical context with practical insight. It is an essential resource for students, editors, and filmmakers seeking to understand how editing shapes narrative, rhythm, and emotional impact in cinema.To get more information about this artical of the book then visit this page https://kisskhinfo.app/

[Rachael Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d definitely recommend this as a must-read if you want to understand the core editing techniques. I also use MEPCO Bill to check my electricity bill online, and it has been quite convenient for me.

[Farnaz Asadnezhad · Rating 4 out of 5]

خیلی کتاب کاملیه، امیدوارم به فارسی ترجمه بشه.

[Joel Cutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

While editing is not the focus of my work, this proved a useful book that helped me understand what happens after the story happens. Much respect to all you editors out there!

[Cristina Aguilar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Al final se hace muy pesado. Es muy descriptivo y no acaba de dar ninguna conclusión general. Está fatal traducido (he llegado a ver traducido "success" por "suceso".

[Tải Camtasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is good for my editing career, Love it!!!

[PSL TV · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book for those who are starting this as a new comer. The poster of the PSL 2026 also look likes a newbie testing first time after reading this book.

[Afolabi Taiwo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first and possibly biggest issue with this book is that there are almost no images illustrating whatever topic or scene is at hand, a choice justified by the author thanks to "the advent of the VCR" (p. xxiii). The problem is that a typical page quotes 2-3 different movies. Assuming you do have the hundreds of movies at home, it is unlikely that you will put down the book every other paragraph to browse through the entire film---because, as it happens, Dancyger also felt it unnecessary to include the time where you could find the scenes discussed. Honestly, I don't believe he really expects you to turn to the film.

As a result, the book is primarily dedicated to describing what you cannot see, rather than analyzing what it could have partly shown you (as in more "traditional" or intelligent books). Now, here comes the second issue: the descriptions remain frustratingly general for a book claiming not just to focus on "editing" but on the "technique" of editing. A lot of the text is dedicated to general information about the films quoted and their directors or a paraphrase of the scenes discussed, which would have been OK had you gotten a lot of new and powerful insights about them, except that (in general) you don't .

The pages dedicated to editing in a good general book (e.g. How Movies Work), while of course shorter, will certainly make for a more exciting read. Here, you may learn some stuff if you manage to read the whole book despite its flaws, but chances are you will be wishing, like me, that the whole text had benefited from serious editorial work (no joke intended), both at high level and at the level of the writing itself, which tends to be vague and weak.

[Nancy Schober · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I became interested in video editing everything about it became totally fascinating to me. And this was just the jamb packed kind of reference that appealed to me then.

This tome covers a broad swatch of film making history and more of a 'why' book than a 'how' book.

Motion pictures offer an amazing breadth of story telling abilities and this book exhaustively covers what has already been done.

[Pranav]

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[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Section 2 onward was the most helpful.