In Conversation with Walter Murch: The Art of Listening
I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with legendary film editor Walter Murch to discuss his philosophy on editing, sound design, and the creative process. What followed was a masterclass in the art of filmmaking from one of the greatest editors of our time.
The Eye Listens, The Ear Sees
One of the first things Walter shared was his concept of how our senses work together in the editing room. "The eye listens," he said, "and the ear sees." This idea-that sound and image are deeply interconnected, which has guided his work on films like Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and The English Patient.
He explained that when we watch a film, our ears are constantly giving our eyes permission to look at specific things. The sound design creates a sonic landscape that directs our attention in ways we don't even consciously realize.
Watch the Full Conversation
I recorded our entire conversation for the CTTP channel. If you want to hear Walter's insights in his own words, check out the video below.
Watch on YouTube →The Rule of Six
Walter is famous for his "Rule of Six"-the six criteria he use,s when making an editing decision. In order of importance, they are:
- 1. Emotion - How does the cut make the audience feel?
- 2. Story - Does the cut advance the narrative?
- 3. Rhythm - Does the cut happen at the right moment?
- 4. Eye Trace - Where is the audience looking?
- 5. Two-Dimensional Plane - Does the cut respect the 180-degree rule?
- 6. Three-Dimensional Space - Is the spatial relationship clear?
The key insight here is that emotion comes first. Technical perfection means nothing if the audience doesn't feel what you want them to feel.
Key Takeaways from "In the Blink of an Eye"
Walter's book is packed with insights that have fundamentally changed how I think about editing. Here are the key principles that every editor should internalize:
Embrace the Process
Editors spend most of their working day on preparation and activities that are supposed to clear and illuminate the best path to achieve progression of the story through a series of simple cuts. Embrace this process.
The Nature of Cuts
All films are actually being "cut" 24 times a second-only that space and time displacement is so small that we perceive it as continuous action. For some reason, we seem not to have problems when a shot changes substantially. We're able to re-evaluate a new image. But we're having difficulty accepting minor shot changes.
Editing Is Building, Not Removing
Often people refer to editing as "cutting out the bad parts." But editing is about when and in what order we release pieces of information to the audience. So it's really about building tension and narrative.
Put Yourself in the Audience's Place
A film editor should always put himself/herself in place of the audience. The editor "misdirects" the audience to have them look where he/she wants them to look.
See Only What's on Screen
The editor should not be emotionally attached to what happened on set. He/she should try to see only what's on the screen, as the audience will. Do your best to have the director thinking only about what's actually in the frame.
The Snapshot Method
If you're editing a film, take a snapshot of the most representative frame for a given setup, put them on a board, and use, them to be able to play with a structure of scenes and film overall. Having a broad picture of each segment of the film will help you make better editing decisions.
The Value of Reevaluating
Linear editing had the advantage of reevaluating your initial feelings about the takes since it required you to review some of the shots you considered to be not good again. When you look at rushes (dailies) the second time, you and the film have evolved. You'll see different things than you saw the first time.
Test Screenings: Trust Your Feelings
Test screenings may be misleading. The most helpful thing is simply learning how you feel when showing the film to new people. Sometimes they will identify a problem but in reality, the source of the problem may be something else. Sometimes a fix needs to be applied to a different scene to make the problematic part work.
The Blink as a Cut Point
Blinking (and eyes in general) is a window into a character's emotion. Be mindful about when people blink. Very often a good cut happens right before the actor blinks.
The Mathematics of Possibilities
The minimum number of different ways the scene can be assembled (C) using all the shots a director has taken for the scene (n), goes as follows: C = (e x n!)-1 Where e is Euler's number which is constant and equals 2.71828... This staggering number of possibilities is why editing is truly an art form.
Books That Shaped a Legend
During our conversation, Walter mentioned several books that have influenced his thinking about editing and storytelling. I wanted to share them with you:
In the Blink of an Eye
Walter Murch's seminal book on editing, a must-read for any serious editor.
Get it on Amazon →Suddenly Something Clicked
Walter's latest book, exploring the creative process and those breakthrough moments.
Get it on Amazon →The Power of Curiosity
What struck me most about Walter was his boundless curiosity. At 80+ years old, he's still experimenting, still learning, still pushing the boundaries of what's possible in film. He spoke excitedly about new technologies, new techniques, and new ways of telling stories.
"The moment you think you know everything," he told me, "is the moment you stop growing. Editing is a craft you never truly master, you just keep getting better at it."
"Every film is a puzzle. The footage is your pieces, and your job as an editor is to find the arrangement that reveals the truth of the story."
- Walter Murch
Final Thoughts
Spending time with Walter Murch was a reminder of why I fell in love with editing in the first place. It's not about the software or the technical tricks, it's about storytelling. It's about emotion. It's about creating something that moves people.
If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this: approach every project with curiosity, intention, and a deep respect for the craft. The rest will follow.
Want more insights from industry legends? Check out more articles on the CTTP blog.
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