Walter Murch carries a unique perspective on the craft of cinema. He is known for his “Rule of Six” – the 6 criteria in a film that he examines when making a cut. Emotion, story, rhythm, eye-trace, the two-dimensional plane of the screen, and three-dimensional space of action are what makes up a great cut. Above all Murch points out the importance of emotion and story because if an edit does not illicit an emotion or further the story then there is no reason for that cut.
Murch is the author of the book “In the Blink of An Eye” – A perspective on Film Editing. Which is a must read for every film maker and is frequently used in many film schools.
Walter’s extensive career spans nearly 50 years of working as a film and sound editor in Hollywood, beginning with Francis Ford Coppola’s film THE RAIN PEOPLE (1969). His sound editing expertise can be heard on blockbusters such as AMERICAN GRAFFITI, THE GODFATHER: PART II, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, and the reconstructing of Orson Welles’ TOUCH OF EVIL, to name a few.
Walter was nominated for an Academy Award for THE CONVERSATION, won his first Oscar for APOCALYPSE NOW, and won a double Oscar for Best Sound and Best Film Editing for his work on THE ENGLISH PATIENT. It was during his work on APOCALYPSE NOW that he coined the term “sound designer”, helping elevate the art and impact of film sound to a new level.
Produced for K-PLAY by Kulturakademin in collaboration with Gothenburg Film Festival 2020 and HDK Valand.
(via Chris Burt)
