4 min read

#323 - In Praise of Test Screenings

I've just discovered a really great new book about film editing.

This is exciting to me because:

  • a) I like reading books about film editing
  • b) Not all books about film editing are actually that good
  • c) I love a bargain

I'll end this issue with a fistful of other 'must reads' but right now I want to share some valuable editorial truths about test screenings from Israeli editor Arik Lahav-Leibovich's From Footage to Film: Intimate Insights on Film Editing.

It is a superb book, packed with practical wisdom, hard won in the trenches of the edit suite and illuminated with memorable moments from his own career.

And right now it is only $0.99/£0.99 as an ebook!

👍
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Why You Must Use Test Screenings

I don’t screen the film for a test audience in order to get compliments - we’ll hear those, or we won’t, once the film is finished.

At the editing stage, we screen to get criticism. And even if the early exposure unnerves the director, I won’t back down on this matter, even at the cost of a confrontation. I truly believe it is for the good of the film.

— Arik Lahav - Leibovich, From Footage to Film

We've talked about Test Screenings before on Cut/daily but Arik's insights are detailed, practical and well worth heeding next time you're deep into in the fog of the edit.

The rest of this post is waiting for you when you subscribe for free, plus you'll get a free issue of Cut/daily in your inbox every Friday!