Murch's Rules According to Walter Murch, when it comes to film and film editing, there are six main criteria for evaluating a cut or deciding where to cut. 1. Emotion - How will this cut affect the audience emotionally at this particular moment in the film? 2. Story - Does the edit move the story forward in a meaningful way? 3. Rhythm - Is the cut at a point that makes rhythmic sense? 4. Eye Trace - How does the cut affect the location and movement of the audience's focus in that particular film? 5. Two Dimensional Place of Screen - Is the axis followed properly? 6. Three Dimensional Space - Is the cut true to established physical and spacial relationships? Murch made emotion the most important of all of categories in the list. That should say something to you. The audience is always first in an editor's mind. Article link - http://www.artoftheguillotine.com/index.php?page=murchrules Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2WGP4dofgQ
During my research for my (BA) final major project I had some trouble editing my short film. My tutor directed me to a film editor called Walter Murch. I was told his book 'In the Blink of an Eye' would be very helpful in regards to film editing as well as how sections of a film are combined to create a story that is engaging visually. In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question, Why do cuts work? The book is said to treat the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, it offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more.
Unfortunately, because I cannot gain access to the book as yet, I will continue gathering any information found regarding Walter Murch and his opinions and experiences.
