Selected Takes: Film Editors on Editing

Interviews with 21 prominent feature film editors highlight this long-overdue look at the role of film editors, the importance of their work, and the nature of their craft. Organized to provide historical continuity and to trace professional collaborations among the subjects, Selected Takes features editors whose credits include such diverse films as Ben Hur, The French Connection, The Godfather, and E.T.
Each chapter includes a brief introduction to the artist, background information, a filmography of feature-length works, and personal recollections of specific films, producers, and directors, as well as helpful comments on editing techniques. A glossary of terms commonly used in film editing and pertinent references found in the interviews complement the work. Film students, scholars, and educators, as well as film industry professionals and moviegoers, will find Selected Takes both entertaining and instructive.

"A rich store of information about the mysterious creative process of editing films. A rare chance for the beginning filmmaker or the veteran to compare the methods of leading film editors and the directors with whom they collaborate. A valuable addition to the growing library of books on cinema."- George Stevens, Jr. Filmmaker and Founder of the American Film Institute

Vincent LoBrutto is an instructor of motion picture editing and film studies for the School of Visual Arts Department of Film, Video, and Animation. He has worked as a film editor for Fox and HBO and as a postproduction coordinator for the ABC television network. He is editor of and a contributing writer to CinemaEditor magazine. A special member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE), he also contributes to Cineaste and Film Quarterly. LoBrutto is the author of several books on filmmakers and filmmaking, including The Filmmaker’s Guide to Production Design and The Art of Motion Picture Editing (Allworth Press). He lives in Mount Vernon, New York.