Is Video Editing The Right Career For You?

While watching a suspenseful movie, have you ever felt more intrigued by how the shots are woven together to form a scene, rather than the narrative? Then it fairly means you have the eyes of an editor.

Whether you know it or not, once a video enters the post-production phase, everything comes down to how skilled the editor is. Especially in amateur productions, there will always be instances where directors and producers have no other choice other than to say, “let’s fix it in post.”

In such cases, an editor becomes the savior who can creatively cover-up the mishaps that occurred during the production. In fact, several big names in the industry feel that a good editor has the qualities to be an excellent director. These are people who spot and rectify errors in a shot as part of their daily job.

If you are still unsure whether you are ready to sail into the uncharted territory of video editing, have a look at the seven things that indicate whether you have what it takes to be an editor.

Table of Contents

Have An Impeccable Attention To Detail

From film editors to animators and colorists, aspirants can fill multiple roles as an editor. But all these designations encompass around one essential trait – your attention to detail.

You need to be as sharp as an eagle to spot minute errors such as camera jerks, focus issues, and improper lighting. If you don’t spot them, your audience will. You don’t want that to happen.

Have A Thing For Music

In the earlier days, editing meant cutting out the unnecessary parts and syncing the screen visuals with the music or vice-versa. As music represents 50% (or more) of the experience movies are capable of offering to the audience, you must have a great sense of music.

While editing for promos, you may have to edit the footage and sync with upbeat music. In such cases, you must have a precise sense to determine the shots that sync well on specific parts of the track and a clear idea of how particular transitions can gel with the music.

Have The Talent To Find Order In Chaos

When directors approach you for editing, the raw footage files can be mixed-up to the extent that you might scream internally. Such cases are especially common in amateur productions, where the directors and cinematographers shoot non-linear to the script, and will most probably haven’t had the time to see the rushes.

In such instances, the editor has to go through all the footage files and sort them into accessible folders. Generally speaking, the editor will have just a brief of what the director expects and a script to follow to begin with.

If you want to become an editor, you must have that spirit to find order in chaos, as every entity in the production team will be keen to see the output, rather than your efforts taken to achieve it.

Have A Thing For Computers And Shortcuts

Ever since editing became digital in the ’90s, having proficiency with computers is a major plus for editors. If you know your way around technology and computers and can quickly pick up shortcuts, it won’t take much time for you to master the art of video editing.

However, some of the best promo video makers like InVideo make editing a breeze and doable for anyone. You can utilize these free online editing tools to make killer videos without spending a hefty sum, and instantly show-off your editing skills.

Be Persistent And Patient

In editing, there is no such thing as the final draft in the initial try. You will have to edit and re-edit several drafts over and over. Several edits may seem to be perfect at first. But once you sleep on it, and rewatch your progress, you may be tempted to redo the whole thing.

Similarly, the opinions of directors may change frequently. It is natural as creativity cannot be forced, and what seems appropriate today may not seem fitting tomorrow. As a result, being a video editor means you have to strive for perfection continually.

Have Mental Superiority

A part of being an impeccable editor is knowing when and where to cut. And, more importantly, you must know what to and what not to include.

As a TV studio editor, you may just have to edit linearly, according to how a talk show progresses. But for anything apart from that, you will have to edit non-linearly, by combining multiple videos spread across different takes and timelines.

Some beloved footage might not make into the final cut. In such situations, you must have the courage and mental power to cut out several scenes for the “greater good” of your director’s interests, even if they look too good to be wasted.

Be An Overnight Learner

Although the basics remain the same (cut, delete, ripple delete, and so on), a variety of editing software programs are used by different productions. This means if you have to work for multiple productions, you will need to get quickly acquainted with their tools and techniques.

In Conclusion

So there you have it – the traits that can indicate whether you are cut out to become a video editor. If you can relate with at least five of the above aspects discussed, a career as a video editor can turn out to be an excellent choice to express your creativity and get paid for it simultaneously.

If you have ever aspired to be an editor, there has never been a better time to get yourself into the video production industry. With thousands of video content shot and edited every second, you will never be short of opportunities.

With a free online video editor no download like InVideo, you can eliminate the need to invest in highly-priced editing software programs to kickstart your editing careers.

All you need is persistence and a perpetual keenness to learn new things. If you have those, your journey from an amateur to an Oscar nominee may not be too distant.