You can hop on YouTube and find endless hours of editing tech tutorials, but what about resources for the creative side of editing? What about movies and books that explore the inner life of an editor? This list isn’t just for editors, but any filmmaker, writer, or storyteller who wants to dive deeper into the art of editing.
Editing is not just about editing. It’s about storytelling, character, psychology, rhythm, knowing what the audience wants, what they need, and how to get it to them. In fact, I’ve written about how varied the job actually is. With that in mind, I took a quick look around the edit bay and pulled everything that elucidated this insane process off the shelf. I’ve made notes on my particular favorites. Enjoy!
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho edited by Richard J. Anobile (out of print)
Every frame of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece printed out in order. Such a great resource to see how two shots cut together and what makes a cut work.
The Art of Character by David Corbett
Blood of the Virgin by Sammy Harkham
A well-researched look into the life of a (fictional) editor of schlocky horror movies in 1970’s Los Angeles. One of my all-time favorite comic books, and not just because I’m an editor who loves Los Angeles and movie history.
Blood, Sweat & Chrome by Kyle Buchanan
The comprehensive oral history of the production, and post-production, of modern masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road.
The Driver (screenplay) by Walter Hill (out of print)
The most razor sharp screenplay you’ll ever read. Hill shows you how to cut on the page. An absolute master class in screenwriting as well as editing.
Errol Morris: Interviews edited by Livia Bloom
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
With The Odyssey in theaters, it seems appropriate to include the ur-text defining the hero’s journey, which is employed in everything from Star Wars to, well, The Odyssey.
How to Build a Great Screenplay by David Howard
In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch
Making Movies by Sidney Lumet
Counter-programmed because Lumet is particularly anti- the cliché that the movie is made in the edit bay.
Portrait of an Invisible Man by Dai Vaughan (out of print)
A truly one-of-a-kind biography of editor Stuart McAllister, written by fellow editor Dai Vaughan. Insights abound.
sex, lies, and videotape by Steven Soderbergh (out of print)
Who the Devil Made It by Peter Bogdanovich
A towering, invaluable contribution to film history. Bogdanovich delves into the minds of cinema’s great masters, and they have plenty to say about editing.
The Conversation (1974) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola / Edited by Walter Murch (Netflix) (Buy the 4K)
The ENTIRE movie hinges on an accidental mis-read of a line found by Walter Murch in the edit. THE ENTIRE MOVIE!
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004) Directed by Wendy Apple / Edited by Tim Tobin (Vimeo)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) Directed by György Pálfi / Edited by Réka Lemhényi (Plex - free)
A film that tells a classic story in 85 minutes - a romance between a man and woman - using scenes from hundreds of different movies. 451 to be exact.
Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) Directed by Thom Andersen / Edited by Yoo Seung-Hyun (Netflix) (Buy the Blu-ray)
Modern Romance (1981) — Directed by Albert Brooks / Edited by David Finfer (Netflix / also free on Tubi) (Buy the Blu-ray)
Albert Brooks plays an editor. What more do you need to know?
Paul Schrader: Man in a Room (2020) Directed by Alex Ross Perry / Edited by Stephen Gurewitz (Criterion Channel)
A pretty interesting document of Paul Schrader and Ben Rodriguez Jr. editing the film First Reformed.
Tomorrow’s Another Day (2011) Directed and edited by Johan Carlsson (DVD)
A making-of documentary chronicling Roy Andersson and the four-year process of making You, the Living.
The Evolution of Horror hosted by Mike Muncer
I’m not really a horror guy, but listening to this podcast has opened me up to a genre that I haven’t explored much. Understanding horror and thinking about different kinds of suspense has changed my editing for the better.
The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast hosted by Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone & Seth Meyers
Special shout out to my favorite pod, an absolutely fascinating craft deep-dive into every SNL Digital Short made by The Lonely Island. I recommend starting at the beginning due to the Memento-level labyrinth of in-jokes and call-backs, but the July 8, 2026 Popstar 10th Anniversary episode is an incredible self-contained look at editing comedy. Quaid Army!
Scriptnotes hosted by John August & Craig Mazin
Team Deakins hosted by Roger Deakins & James Ellis Deakins
I hope these resources bring you some inspiration, whether it’s in the edit bay or the place civilians refer to as “out side.” If you have any suggestions to add to the list, drop me a line.
Next week: a breakdown of Jennifer Lame’s editing in The Odyssey.
See y’all then!
Joe Peeler is a Sundance award-winning director and editor who writes about the art of making movies from the lens of film editing.
SPLICE WORLD. The world of movies, y’know, spliced.
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