A Day In the Life of a Film Editor

While there are many film editing jobs available, it’s not always that easy to become a successful film editor. A great film editor works mostly behind the scenes and doesn’t take credit for the enormous amount of work they put in. The best film edits are ones that are seamless and where the editing is undetectable.

Skilled and successful editors take unorganized and mismanaged footage and turn it into a masterpiece. While film editors aren’t always on set during the filming of the movie or footage they’re working on, they have to perceive the directors vision well after filming is completed and provide a final product that the director will be happy with. Being in constant contact throughout the day with film directors is typical for editors. Unedited film is usually given to editors with instructions on how it needs to be processed. It’s usually provided digitally or by flash storage.

Editors spend most of their time planning and working on unedited footage with a goal in mind as how to the final product should look. They use a variety of video editing applications and film editors are typically extremely skilled in many aspects of computer use and Internet technology. Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, and iMovie are some of the many applications film editor’s use on a daily basis. Not only are movies made from vast amounts of raw footage but a film editor has worked also almost every form of digital video media on the Internet on. From YouTube videos to commercials there is a high probability that the final footage has been edited and enhanced by a film editor.

Most editors usually work for a business or corporation and typically don’t have responsibility of the entire editing process. Different parts of the editing process are given to different people with varying skills so companies and business can be as efficient as possible. Editors looking for a lot of creative freedom will find better luck in small or local business and start-ups. After receiving footage editors typically go through the entire piece and look for parts they need for their edit. Sometimes it’s a painstaking process and there is a need to go frame by frame to get the perfect shot.

Once the final product is complete there are still many revisions that will need to be done. In most cases there will be many revisions that need to be done, as there are strict guidelines and regulations for most pieces of digital media. Many cuts of the film are made and eventually the director even joins the post-production process to provide input and guarantee the final cut is exactly how the director wants it.

To summarize, as a film editor you will be in constant contact with higher management that will strive to ensure you are completing the work on time and providing high quality edits. A large portion of your day will be spent in front of the computer editing and creating revisions of your work. While some creative freedom is allowed many workplaces have a narrative and have specific goals and requirements. There are many film editor jobs available so if you have the right skills and experience you will be able to find a suitable workplace to meet your needs.

5 Simple Film Editing Tips

When you first begin film editing it can be daunting when you’re faced with all the information about how to perfectly edit a film. With so much content floating around the web on video editing techniques it’s hard to learn everything at once. Here are 5 simple film-editing tips to keep you on track and enable you to make the best films possible.

1. Maintain a Smooth Flow

If you’re editing raw footage down to a final film it’s important not to jump from clip to clip but focus on certain aspects throughout the entire completed projects. Providing a direction will keep the audience focused but jumpy clips are distracting and annoying to people interested in the subject. A flowing clip with relevant jumps is important to providing a quality film edit.

2. Worry About Music Last

Many film editors like to add a music track to the editing clip and use it as a placeholder without having to design the entire edit themselves. It’s easy to use a song as a template for how long clips should be and what cuts should be used but following this technique is not conducive to improved editing skills. The best course of action to fully edit your footage and have a completed edit before adding the music. The film edit should be what keeps the audience captivated and not how well the cuts match the music.

 3. Be Sure to Have a Good Story Arc

Having an outline for how your film edit will play out is a good idea to improve how viewers perceive it and keep the audience interested while providing a quality edit. Anyone can simply place clips together, add music to the edit, and call it a video. That’s how film editors should practice their skills. Shaping a story means using the raw footage to tell a story rather than mashing it all together with no direction. It’s important to follow this technique to keep an organized and relevant film edit.

 4. Changes are Inevitable

Most editors are unable to create a perfect film edit on their first try. After completing the first edit it’s important to be critical and make any changes you might have noted when you were watching your completed work. Revisions will ensure that your final edit is a quality and relevant piece of work. Being critical and accepting criticism from others about your editing projects will ensure you consistently deliver quality edits.

5. Keep Pace

This is one of the best film editing tips you will ever receive. What it means to cut tight is that your cut between scenes should be a smooth and stable transition rather than bouncy or off balance. The best way to pursue this tip is to remove anything you don’t think an audience would enjoy watching. This could be unnecessary dialogue, extended landscape shots, or a variety of shots or cuts that don’t fit in the film edit.

Film Editor Salary and Freelancing Tips

Ever wonder how much film editors make? Take a look at this short but helpful video that discusses a film editor salary information and a few tips on freelancing.

In the next video, artist Noah Bradley tells you everything you didn’t learn in film school about freelancing. He approaches the topic from the point of view of a digital artist, but the tips and suggestions 100% apply to video editors as well. Really good stuff in here. Enjoy!

Have any freelancing tips or video editor salary information you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!

How to Land a Film Editing Job

Film and video editors are the people responsible for editing raw video footage and putting together a seamless and comprehensive full-length result. While a college degree isn’t necessary to land video editor jobs, you will need a lot skill, hard work, a keen eye for style, and be willing to put in the necessary hours to succeed if you wish to become a video editor.

There are many apprentice, volunteer, and part-time or full-time employment options available for amateur to professional video editors who have wide variety of skills. On the job training is often preferred for those interested in pursuing a lifelong video-editing career. If you have pursued editing as a hobby and have built up a portfolio of your work that showcases your talent and skill, you are well on your way to a successful editing career.

A degree or certificate isn’t needed but there are still skills you can learn from taking courses at a college or university such as different forms of editing, film history and screenwriting. Pursuing an education in video or film editing also enables you to meet a larger group of people and successfully network with other like-minded hobbyists and business owners a like. Volunteering can also open doors for you towards a permanent video editing position. If you have the opportunity to show off your skills, it’s important to pursue that route because many film and video editing companies simply want editors who can deliver consistent and quality work.

It’s unlikely your very first editing position will be a chief editor and you probably won’t have any access to directly editing video or film. It’s possible and not difficult to get promoted and work you way up the ranks through a video or film editing businesses. Building a portfolio of all the edited work you have completed is important to show the people you are networking with and potential employers who are given the ability to browse your work. Media platforms such as Vimeo and YouTube allow video editors to easily share their accomplishments and receive reviews and criticisms of their edits.

The most typical route to a video or film editing job would be to simply mail out your resume along with your best work to different media companies you’re interested in working for. There a variety of methods to get your foot into the door of a video or film editing company. If you’re an amateur editor and are able to provide a quality sample of editing projects you have worked on or completed you are already well ahead of other editors who simply aren’t as skilled or knowledgeable.

There are a variety of editing positions available for a wide range of companies. In the 21st century many businesses have realized the important of online media and the benefits it can bring to their business. Showcasing your editing projects and networking is the key to finding a position in the video or film editing industry.