How To Kick Start Career As A Video Editor

Updated On: 30-Jan-2024

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How To Kick Start Career As A Video Editor

You might hear about the post-production process which includes many tasks like voice-over, video editing, sound effects, and graphics work. The movies, TV serials, or other videos posted on online platforms, all go through post-production work.

Video editing plays a vital role in this process. It is also called the backbone of the whole post-production process. If you want to become a video editor then you have come to the right place.

Also Read: How to become a video jockey?

The film and television industry offers a wide range of career opportunities and with the rise of the OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hotstar the scope become broader.

In this article, you'll read about:

What does a Video Editor do?
Educational Qualification
Skills Required
How much does a video editor earn?
Steps to pursue the video editor career
Job Prospects

What does a Video Editor do?

The movie you saw is not shot in the same order, but they were shot in random order and each scene is available in different clips. The job of a video editor is to compile and re-arrange all the video clips provided by the director to make the final video that represents the story that the director wants to tell. He/she also does the job of adding the graphics, soundtrack, and special effects.

Video editing is the process of reviewing every clip shot by the director, arranging them to make the story, cutting some of them, or shortening some of them for a better impact.

A scene in a movie or TV serial has been shot from different angles with multiple cameras, so one scene will have many clips. The job of the video editor is to choose the best angle or a mix of different angles for the final video.

Types of Video Editors

There are different job roles available in the career of a video editor and one can choose any one of them or can go through all of them.

1. Film Editor - They work on editing the movies or tv serials, making sure that the edited video represents the director's creative vision. They assemble different clips, sequence them to build the story.

2. TV Studio Editor - They generally worked with the news channels or the channels which host live shows like sports shows. They worked on a tight timeline and accuracy as they are working with a live program. Their job includes switching between cameras, overlaying graphics, etc.

3. Event Video Editor - Many events like weddings, corporate events, etc. are captured in the video. Like when you saw any wedding video, you will find music behind the scene added and some clips are overlapped for a better view. All these are done by editors.

4. Web Video Editor - They work on short videos that are designed to publish on online platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

5. Animator - They normally work in graphics work in the videos and they play a huge role in totally animated movies.

6. Colorist - Their role is to focus on perfecting the color in the video and give a better visual look.

It is always better to play different roles as each role will teach you different angles of video editing and their experience will help you stand out in the competition.

It is always easy to start with a basic role and then move up. You can start as an event video editor in your city and once you have a little experience, then you can move to a bigger role like web editor then TV studio or film editor, etc

Skills Required

Video editing is a career that requires some specific skill set and if you want to pursue and succeed in this career then you must have the following skills:

1. Creativity - A video editor must have a creative mind as he/she needs to see the story from the director's point of view and then use their creativity to build the final product which represents that story.

2. Detail Oriented - A video editor must be very focused and detail-oriented. Because a small error or a wrong sequence can ruin the whole story so as a video editor you must have a good eye for camera angles, special effects, etc.

3. Adaptability - Adaptability is the skill that enables you to easily adjust to the changing environment.

4. Techno-savvy - As editing is also digitized nowadays, a video editor must have the knowledge of different video editing software like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro and Avid's Media Composer, etc.

5. Teamwork - When working on big projects they need to coordinate with other professionals like sound editors, music editors, or assistant editors. So, they must be a good team player to get the job done.

6. Time Management Skills - Every project is bound with a strict deadline and a delay in the project is increased production cost. So, to meet deadlines time management is very crucial.

7. Communication Skills - No need to say, good communication skills are very important for every career or where you have to work with a team or clients.

8. Self Motivation - As sometimes you need to work alone and for long hours. So, self-motivation is very important, it will help you in working under pressure and meet your deadlines.

9. Networking - When you start working as a freelancer, you need business skills too. Networking is one of them, which helps you in connecting with potential clients and getting work.

There is no formal educational qualification required to enter this career. It is a skill-based career and required the aspirants to get masters in the required skills instead of getting any formal degree. Anyone who has a creative mind and good imagination skills can try this career path.

But having a degree in animation and media or fine arts can help you kick start your career with a good media house. Having a degree also gives you competitive advantages over other candidates.

The video editing field is very competitive and required a specific set of skills to pursue and to succeed in this career. So, one needs to effectively showcase their skills during the hiring process.

Complete your 10+2 with any stream

Get admission in a reputed college/institute for a bachelor's degree in the required stream like mass communication or fine arts or animation, etc. A degree is optional but having a degree can make your path a little easier.

Join the specific courses to earn computer skills. You can do these courses along with your degree course too.

Join a video editing studio for an internship or join an existing video editor as an assistant to gain working knowledge and experience. Once you have a deep understanding and enough experience than can move ahead to work as an independent video editor.

Anyone who loves to watch movies, tv serials, web series, or videos online and thinks that he/she can tell the story in a better way.
, Anyone, who is passionate about digital media and has knowledge of video editing software, and who is passionate about creating creative content.

Well, video editors can find full-time, part-time, and hourly basis jobs. It totally depends on the type of organization you are working with or if you are doing freelance work. But remember, it won't be a 9 to 5 job, sometimes you need work round the clock to get the job done on time.

Video editing is a very lucrative career and interesting too. According to payscale.com, the average salary of a video editor in India is Rs. 3,28,689 per year.

An entry-level Film / Video Editor with less than 1-year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of Rs. 2,33,740. This would go higher as your experience grows. It also varies with the workplace and if you are doing a job or work as a freelancer.

The aspirants can find jobs in big media houses, film studios, advertising agencies, and news channels. In the early days, it is limited to the film and tv industry only, but now with rising of other video platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, social media platforms like Facebook, and OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon, disney+, etc., the demand for experts are getting increases.

Today, more and more businesses adopting video content for their business. So, the scope in this field is huge and the demand for professionals is growing at a fast pace.

Last words

Though video editing seems to be a very interesting career, the aspirants need to keep one thing in mind that this domain is constantly changing and they need to keep updated themselves with the latest technology and trends to stay in the competition.

So what do you think about this career? Please share your thought through the comment section below and also please share this article with your friends too.