Silent Period -- I Was Impressed by

Silent Period -- I was impressed by how this chapter explains the development of film and the innovations people like Porter and Griffith made that would help to define the techniques that evolved into modern cinema. Early Sound -- One of the things I liked about this chapter is how it explains the purpose of synced sound in film; sound enhances an image by sonically creating meaning. Imaginative Documentary -- This chapter succeeds in demonstrating how propaganda, or politically charged film, can influence individuals.

However, this chapter could use more examples of how documentary and propaganda come together. The Influence of the Documentary -- This chapter succeeds at providing good parallels between film and real world events, and it makes good use of images to further support the examples presented. On the downside, the chapter contains too much filler information to the point that the conclusion best summarizes the chapter.

The Influence of the Popular Arts -- I liked this chapter because it successfully explains the influences of vaudeville, musicals, theatre, and radio on film, however, it places too much influence on editing without first explaining the role of editing in film (something that is not touched upon in any of the chapters in great detail).

Chapter 7: New Technologies -- One of the greatest strengths of this chapter is its ability to analyze the historical development of technology, with an emphasis on the impact of aspect ratios on cinema and shooting. On the other hand, the focus of the film begins to focus on editing and mise-en-scene, among other things. Chapter 9: The Influence of Television and Theatre -- I did not like how this chapter seemed to disregard the influence of film on television.

It appears as though the only distinction made between TV and film is TV's immediacy. Also, I do not like how this chapter dismisses theatricality as something that is artistic and should explain in greater detail how theatre translates to film. Chapter 10: New Challenges to Filmic Narrative Conventions -- I like the short introductory scene/editing examples and introduction, but the chapter quickly devolves because it provides too many examples. Needs more focus on the themes it talks about and less on directors.

Chapter 11: The MTV Influence on Editing I -- I don't like that the title is misleading and makes it seem as though MTV influenced art film when it was the other way around. Chapter 12: The MTV Influence on Editing II -- I don't like how this chapter focuses on set pieces and makes it seem as though MTV started it and not DW Griffith or the German Expressionists.

Chapter 13: Changes in Pace -- I don't like how all you need to know about this chapter is summed up in the conclusion and that the actual chapter provides too many examples. Chapter 17: Editing for Narrative Clarity -- One of the upsides of this chapter its high number of examples that can be referenced, however, there are too many films analyzed in this chapter to the point that each film becomes a case study of its own.

Chapter 18: Editing for Dramatic Emphasis -- I did not like this chapter much, if at all. Half of the chapter focuses on United 93 and Frost/Nixon and it quickly becomes an analysis of each film rather than an explanation of editing and drama. Chapter 26: Innovation in Documentary I -- While this section seems to want to shed light on innovation in documentary, as the chapter title suggests, it places too much emphasis on history, but not film history, which is best represented in its explanation of The Long Way Home.

Chapter 27: Innovation in Documentary II -- This chapter could replace Chapter 26; it is more concise, provides more relevant examples, and allows the reader to understand documentary as an art. On the downside, Chapter 27 references films that are not documentaries and extensively details films' plots.

Chapter 28: Principles of Editing -- Why, oh, why does the book wait until the final chapter to delve into the principles of editing? Throughout the book, the authors place too much emphasis on editing, but do not introduce it as a concept until the end? As it is, this chapter is overly complex and does not provide many examples from good movies. On the upside, the diagrams help to explain some of the concepts explained.

In the Blink of an Eye: This book provides refreshing insight into editing from an editor's perspective. One of the things that I really like about this book is that it lets the reader know what editing is all about from the perspective of someone that edits films for a living.