This wonderful video by Glen Milner for the Telegraph is a great example of timing with editing, and story telling only with visuals. Even if you know nothing about the printing and publishing industry, you get the complexities from watching this.

Milner’s short film, shows off the craft of printing and binding a book by hand. A craft that is in many ways a dying art form in this ages of pixels and e-books. (At the beginning there is a shot of rubylith overlays being placed over a piece of film. When was the last time you thought of that?)

Through the entire film, there is a rhythm, created by the edits that guide you through the entire process from burning plates, to numbering the limited edition. The film is only two minutes long, yet it goes through the entire process.

“Birth of a Book” has a great score, a great look, and really solid editing.

Shot at Smith-Settle Printers, Leeds, England. The book being printed is Suzanne St Albans’ ‘Mango and Mimosa’ published as part of the Slightly Foxed series.

Shot, Directed & Edited by Glen Milner