How to become A Film & Video Editor

“The average film has 1,300 cuts. Every cut affects the flow, rhythm, and story. Every cut can make or break the film. One thousand three hundred pieces to an invisible puzzle...with endless combinations. None of them right or wrong.” That's the essence of what a Film & Video Editor does to create a final product that entertains or informs an audience.

• Film Editor
• Video Editor
• Movie Editor

What do Film & Video Editors do?

A Film & Video Editor would typically need to:

• Receive a brief, or an outline of footage, and a shot list, script, or screenplay
• Assemble all raw footage, with camera shots either recorded or transferred onto videotape in preparation for inputting into the computer
• Input uncut rushes and sound; synchronize and store them as files on the computer
• Work alongside the director in an editing suite or studio to achieve the desired result and meet the director’s specifications
• Work alongside music supervisors, choosing background music for certain scenes to enhance their dramatic effect
• Watch scenes, rearrange them, and determine which will end up on the cutting room floor
• Manipulate raw camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics, and special effects; use nonlinear digital editing systems to edit clips
• Reorder and tweak the content to ensure the logical sequencing and smooth running of the film or video
• Create edit decision lists to correspond to the edge numbers; scan work prints to organize the scenes and transitions that make up a film
• Edit film for commercials, station identification, and public service messages on television, movies, and tapes
• Check movies for damage, purge damaged or old tapes, and determine exact cutting for final stages
• Work on feature films, television programs, music videos, corporate training videos, and advertisements

Film & Video Editors typically work long hours in studios or offices with producers and directors. Casual, clean, and comfortable should be the watchwords for your dress code.

The hours of work vary depending on the production. Standard office hours work for some employers, but a 50-hour workweek is likely if you are working on a television or feature film project.

Shift work may be required if editing studios are booked at night. Deadlines would entail long hours and overtime. The work schedule of a freelance Film & Video Editor may be relatively flexible. 

Broadcast and film companies employ their Editors, but they all use freelancers regularly. Some post-production companies and larger independent companies offer long-term contracts and hire a few in-house Film & Video Editors.

Film & Video Editors are generally employed by:

• Animation & Broadcast Companies
• Film Companies
• Independent Production Companies
• Post-Production Companies
• Video & Computer Games Companies

Union membership offers you valuable training and social networking opportunities and vital protections guaranteed by union contracts. Professional associations and organizations are crucial for Film & Video Editors interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications.

• Diplomacy needed in conflicts between directors and producers
• Eyesight affected by long hours of work in dark rooms and various other health problems caused by long hours sitting down
• Irregular and inconsistent work hours in an extremely competitive field

Work experience in different areas of media production and a showreel portraying evidence of working on the film, video production, and post-production would give you a professional edge. Associating with a student filmmaking society or starting your own film company at university will pave the way for sterling hands-on experience as a Film & Video Editor.

Internships with seasoned professionals offer students a valuable opportunity to master skills like editing techniques specific to a genre of film or television. Experience as an apprentice editor or editing room assistant will prove priceless in grasping video editing’s intricacies.

There is no set academic path to become a Film & Video Editor. Still, a degree in relevant subjects like communication and media studies, visual art, graphic design, multimedia, photography, film, or television will help potential candidates gain significant knowledge and skills in the field.

Experience and skills are the lodestones that impress prospective employers and clients. Computer literacy is a must since editing software packages such as Avid, Final Cut Pro, and Montage Express must be explored, learned and used. A major in cinematography will help Film & Video Editors know how to work camera equipment. You may enroll in independent film schools, photographic institutes, community colleges, technical schools, or traditional universities.

A Film & Video Editor may acquire certification in various editing software types by making it through a comprehensive examination. Certification demonstrates competency in skills or skills, typically through work experience, training, the passage of an examination, or some combination of the three.

Voluntary certification from an objective, credible, and reputed organization is often seen as evidence of an individual’s drive and motivation, giving them a leg up for raises and promotions.

You will typically begin at a lower-paid level. Once you’ve taken your first tentative steps into the Film & Video Editing world as an assistant editor, you will progress into the full-fledged role of a Film & Video Editor. If you work in-house for a large media organization, there may be a scope for progressing into a Senior Editor position.

Larger employers provide well-structured career paths with experienced in-house Film & Video Editors moving to management roles. For freelancers, career development progresses from small productions to larger or more prestigious projects.

Film & Video Editors who have mastered different types of specialized editing software and have hands-on experience at a TV station or on a film set should have the best prospects.

A variety of short courses cover relevant topics, such as the use of software editing packages, post-production audio, and visual effects. On-the-job training is the best way to improve your skills. Keep up to date with technology and new equipment. You may choose to extend your skills into camera or sound work to open up more employment opportunities and get a holistic understanding of video production.

Attending training sessions run by external organizations, freelancing, and building a portfolio are practical ways to be on the employers’ radar. Building strong working relationships with freelance directors, production managers, and producers who take preferred editors on new projects is invaluable.

During a film's production, a Film & Video Editor may be given access to the material shot each day to note which shot takes and angles the editor may want to incorporate into the final cut of the movie. You have a crucial role to play in the post-production process.

You will usually be employed on a freelance basis, working on short-term contracts for post-production studios, television companies, and corporate employers. Freelancing alternates between intensive work and periods of inactivity, and sometimes you may have to shuffle between multiple projects.

Work is collaborative, and you may have to work with the director, sound effects editors, music editors, and assistant editors. The majority of television and film editing work are based in bigger cities, but post-production and facilities houses and independent production companies can be found in most cities.

Cuts came into being in the 1900s when people used scissors and tape to trim unnecessary footage, and continued using it until the invention of the editing machine.

Film & Video Editors require a lot of perseverance; their ‘invisible art’ is highly demanding. Assembling raw data of various media to make an impactful product requires high levels of creativity. Still, it is immensely satisfying in that movies and tv shows would be a lengthy and incoherent mess without them.

Stay open and flexible, and embrace other’s opinions. You’re not making a movie only for yourself; you’re making it for an audience. You won’t get very far if nobody wants to see it. So Practice, and be open to opinions.