Video Editing Careers Information
Does your love of the silver screen carry beyond a fascination for the glamour of Hollywood? Are you enthralled by a film’s ability to tell a story through simple camera angles and quick cuts? If so, chances are you’re considering a career as a film or video editor.
Whether they’re editing film or the soundtrack that accompanies it, the process of completing a film is never a linear one. There are three stages in the completion of a film: pre-production, production, and post-production.
Video Editing Careers & Degrees
- Art Institutes: The Art Institute of Atlanta
Everest University: North Orlando
The editing process falls into the post-production category, and the editor is responsible for piecing together different shots with the appropriate transitions into a full sequence, and placing them with the corresponding soundtrack.
While this behind-the-scenes career is a fascinating one, it is competitive. There is no typical day in this industry, as your schedule is largely determined by the facility in which you are employed, so you should be prepared to work long hours and irregular schedules. The day-to-day activities are based around the production schedule, and can change at a moments notice to meet deadlines.
A close working relationship with cinematographers, camera operators, production assistants and sound engineers are expected during the post-production period, to ensure the artistic vision of the director is carried wholly throughout the film.
Video Editing Careers Path
While a bachelor’s degree should suffice in this competitive field, postsecondary training would inevitably give you the edge to stand out in the crowd. Many schools offer programs catered to a career in editing, and a degree can be obtained in this specific field from a variety of colleges and universities.
Some schools offer a bachelor’s degree in film and a concentration specifically in film editing, while other colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree strictly in video editing.
If you’ve already received your bachelors’ degree, don’t fret; there’s no need to go back to school to get a specified degree in editing. There are a variety of programs offered through film schools or photographic institutes which allow students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience without the daunting cost of enrolling in a four-year program.
Here, you will gain comprehensive understanding of camera operating techniques, in addition to learning the latest software for digital editing, a skill which is essential to a career in video editing in this day in age.
In the meantime, start subscribing to video-related magazines and newsletters, join your local audio-video clubs, and seek out summer or part-time employment opportunities on the set for whatever may be filming in your area. These real-world opportunities are integral to a successful career in film editing.
Employers will inevitably be looking for someone with plenty of experience on-set, whether you were a camera-operator for a high school performance of Grease, or you were running errands on the set of a community-run ad campaign, they want to see that you have worked your way through the system, and have a good understanding of how the film industry works.
With the change to digital cameras, this greatly affects the editing side of the industry. The days of literally cutting and pasting together a reel of film are long gone. With that being said, computer skills are of an utmost importance, and employers will favor those candidates who are especially computer-savvy.
Video Editing Careers Compatible Personality Traits
Patient, detail-oriented, creative, precise, good hand-eye coordination, good problem-solving skills.
Video Editing Careers Salary Expectations
In May 2008, film and video editors held roughly 25,500 jobs. Though many were employed by television networks and local affiliate stations, a large number of editors were self-employed, allowing for the opportunity to work with a variety of agencies, whether it be in advertising, documentary filmmaking, or independent filmmaking.
37% of salaried camera operators and editors worked in the motion picture and video industry, while 18% of salaried editors worked in television broadcasting. The majority of film and video editors worked in large, metropolitan areas, but that’s not to say there isn’t work in smaller, more rural areas.
As of May 2008, the average annual wages for film and video editors was $50,560. The middle 50% earned between $33,060 and $77,700, while the lowest 10% earned less than $24,640, and the highest 10% earned more than $112,410.
The motion picture and video industries, responsible for employing the largest number of film and video editors, provided median annual wages of $56,170.
Video Editing Careers Job Outlook
The employment rate of camera operators and editors is expected to grow just 11 percent over 2008-18 decades. However, as the motion picture industry continues to expand, so too will demand for camera operators and editors. Those with the best computer skills will inevitably be the most in-demand.
Luckily, as computer and Internet services continue to expand, they will indefinitely provide new opportunities and outlets for editors to be involved in interactive productions.
Slightly off the Footpath
- Camera Operator
- Sound Engineer
- Graphic Design
- Audio & Film Production
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos091.htm (visited November 3, 2011).
