For a long time I have enjoyed editing videos. I edit videos for my school, friends and many other people. Its something I enjoy and am good at.
Hopefully the joy you have is deep rooted because the hours suck, the stress level is high and you will never, ever make as money much as you think you should for the toll it takes on your life. I know other editors that turn down higher profile, very well paying gigs because they don't want all the BS that comes along w/it. And if you move to someplace like LA or NY expect to be poor indefinitely, rejected often, and to most likely fail. Not trying to discourage you but that's just the reality of the situation. You have to be patient, determined and always willing to learn and always willing to fail. W/all that being said I can't think of any other field I'd rather be in. If I won the lottery tomorrow I'd still keep editing I'd just have nicer gear.
Can anybody tell me what exactly I would be going to school for if I wanted to be a Video Editor? (Like whats the major called?) I'm just unsure as to what I would be required to do in college if i went forward with that. Would my classes require me to write and then film/edit?
The degree would most like be labeled as film or production or something like that. My degree is in radio/tv production. As others have said, where you go is not nearly important as what you do while you're there. Intern and get part time/summer jobs in post/production as often as you can. Many of the first jobs I got in the industry were because of connections I made at, or thru, my university. Big name schools like NYU or FSU aren't worth the money, IMO, because once you graduate you are just one of thousands of job seeking hopefuls joining an already supersaturated field.
Nobody cares how many student films you worked on, what your GPA was or the name of the school on your degree. They care about what professional work experience you have. A college drop-out w/Production Assistant experience will have a better chance of getting a job and a Valedictorian w/no real world work experience. I know a number of people who won't hire recent UCS grads because they have a rep for being egotistical pains in the ass that have a massive sense of self-entitlement just because their thesis film about gay cowboys eating pudding won best transcendental black & white submission by an American in the Sri Lanka International Filmfest.
Also, even though you want to focus on post production it's good to get experience writing, directing, shooting, sound recording, etc., because understanding the process as a whole will help you understand what goes into each step and how they all fit together. You might also find out that you'd rather focus on something else besides editing. When I started college I wanted to focus on writing but after working on some projects I found I enjoyed editing more and also really liked shooting. Some of my first jobs were shooting and I was later able to get into post production and editing (where I really wanted to be).
Because my interest is purely to edit video (specifically special effects in movies or just movies).
Effects work is a completely different discipline, although the lower on the food chain you work the more you are expect to know and the less you'll get paid. For example, if you are working at a small production company making car commercials you'll be expected to everything from editing to titles to the sound mix where as if you worked on a network TV show in LA you sole responsibility would be the 'off-line' edit (aka 'creative' edit).
Also, are there any good colleges out there for aspiring video editors? I've started researching, but there are so many schools out there its hard to know where to start!
AFAIK there are no colleges focusing specifically on editing and if there were I probably wouldn't recommend them anyway. Editing is storytelling and being myopic doesn't foster one's creative ability, IMO. Find a school w/a good media lab and a good relationship w/nearby post and production facilities. Even though you want to edit getting a part time job one semester working at a local radio station can still be beneficial because it's exposure to how things work in the real world. Be a sponge. Soak up as much info as you can and participate in extracurricular groups as much as possible (student film groups, the campus TV station, etc.,.). I probably averaged 30hrs a week working on student run films and TV shows while I was in school. While this work may not do much to impress potential employers it can impress your professors and they can impress potential employers.
IMO I wouldn't run out and drop a bunch of money on a new computer and a bunch of expensive software. Use the school's gear, or an employer's if they willing, as much as you can for a couple of reasons. First, it saves you money. Saving money is very, very important because once you graduate the amount of money sitting in your bank account will be a big factor in determining where you can move to and how long you can keep your head above water. Second, using other people's gear will make you more efficient because you are on the clock (just like you will be in the real world). You won't have the luxury of time and that will force you to become a better editor. Sure, being able to mess around whenever you want can be great (assuming you actually are productive and don't just procrastinate) but excelling under pressure (not just performing, but excelling) is a must. Knowing how to manage your time, being creative even when you aren't feeling creative, and meeting deadlines will keep you employed.
Embrace criticism. People who don't have anything negative to say about your work are lairs. Have a thick skin. If someone says your work sucks it doesn't mean you suck as a person it just means your current attempt at work sucks. Fix what sucks and move on. Don't expect, or want, people to handle you w/kid gloves 'cause it won't happen.
I apologize for the rambling nature of this post but it's late and I'm in a bit of a daze.
Lethal
