Video Editor

By TACP Staff on July 25, 2021

Video editors employ digital and creative technology skills to assemble raw recorded material into a cohesive format, suitable for distribution. This post-production process is often believed to “make or break” a project; hence outstanding video editing is one of the arts recognized in prestigious entertainment awards and festivals.

What Is Video Editing?

Imagine yourself in a dim movie theater, your eyes riveted on the screen. While you were transfixed to the screen, you may have never noticed how seamlessly each scene blended into the next one, or how perfectly the sound effects and dramatic music fit into each part of the film.

Now, wrap your mind around this – not one movie ever started out in this perfect seamless condition. When shooting a movie, cinematographers are not magical wizards that are able to get the perfect shot every time, and actors are not so perfect that they never make mistakes. Although an average movie is no longer than an hour and a half, each one typically starts out with hours and hours of raw footage.

Video editing is the process of choosing the best raw footage for a movie. This includes removing unusable footage and stringing together what’s left into the best possible sequence. Unusable footage often includes footage where actors make mistakes, the camera angles weren’t just right, or it doesn’t move the story forward somehow. During the video editing process, each scene should segue into the next flawlessly.

Sound is another important part of video editing. For example, sound effect may be added to the movie at just the right times, in order to make it appear as if they were part of the original video. This can include sound effects like explosions or even simple footsteps. Background music is often added as well.

What Does a Video Editor Do?

A video editor is the professional responsible for editing the raw footage shot during the making of a movie. Before the increased use of more modern digital video cameras, movie footage was shot on real strips of film. Video editors had to physically cut and splice certain scenes together. Today, however, the majority of video editing work is done with digital footage and computers.

A video editor will usually sit down with the director, and sometimes the producer, and watch hours and hours of raw footage. Together, they will then decide which scenes should be kept and which ones should be deleted. Some shots are deleted for obvious reasons, but others may be deleted, simply because the director didn’t like the camera angle.

Once all of the final footage has been chosen and melded together, a video editor will then often work with a sound effect editor. Together, they will digitally insert sounds into a movie at just the right moments. The timing has to be perfect during this part of post production, however, since if a sound is just a second or two late, it can ruin the entire effect.

Video Editor Education & Training Requirements

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in film studies or production is usually necessary in order to start a successful video editing career. While earning these degrees, many students also opt to participate in internships, which allow them to work alongside experienced video editors.

Bachelor’s degrees will usually be good enough to secure an entry level position as a video editor’s assistant. Many aspiring video editors, however, will often go on to earn master’s degrees in video or film editing.

Traditional universities will sometimes offer these types of degree programs, but aspiring video editors may want to look into art schools or film schools instead. These types of schools will often be able to offer more specialized training.

Typical Work Environment for UI UX Designers

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual salary for software developers (the field UI Designers falls under) was $103,560 in May 2017. For those just starting out, or for individuals who may hold an associate degree, certificate or have little experience in the field; the annual salary was about $57,000 per year. Those with experience and a bachelor’s or master’s degree made about $154,000 per year. The industries that employ the most software developers include computer systems design and related services, software publishers, finance and insurance, computer and electronic product manufacturing and management of companies and enterprises, in that order.

Most UI designers work full-time in an office or studio. Both large and small companies hire UI designers, and the job outlook is good. In fact, employment is expected to grow 17 percent from 2014 to 2024, which is much faster than average for all career fields. This is due in part because of the need for new apps on mobile devices and tablets, and an increase in the number of products that use software, such as cell phones, smart tv’s and appliances.

Related Articles

Video Editor Salary & Job Outlook

Salary

Video editing careers can be very lucrative for the right people. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a video editor was $58,210 in 2017, with the highest salaries in the motion picture industries. A video editor’s salary will often depend on a number of different factors, however. For example, educated, experienced, and talented video editors will usually be able to command a much higher salary. A video editor’s location might also have an impact on the amount of money he makes. Typically, video editors operating in areas with a higher concentration of production studios, like California, will often be able to make more money.

Job Outlook

Most video editors start out as editing assistants or apprentices to senior editors in production studios or broadcasting stations. They may start by editing movies and television shows. After gaining more experience, talented video editors may have the chance to work their way up to senior video editing positions. Video editors also usually have opportunities to work as freelancers. Some freelance video editors may work on movies and television shows, but the majority of them usually work with short films and online videos.

Helpful Organizations, Societies & Agencies

Related Careers in Film and Video

Consider these related careers in Film and Video.