getting into Video Editting

[bluap84]

How many people here, edit for a living or edit for a hobbie?
If the first, how did you get into it. and what do you need to know (apart from the application of choice inside out) what experience did you have before you got in to it?

im looking to change careers...but i dont know where to start as this is just a hobbie i have so much interest in

 

[zblaxberg]

I edit video for a living. It started all the way back in high school when I took a production class and learned camera operation and editing with Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro and After Effects. I then went to college for a Bachelors degree in Digital Video and Cinema Studies for four years. I also worked small gigs and odd jobs for people to get more video and editing experience with weddings and events. Then once I got the degree I was hired.

 

[jordieshapiro]

hey,
I'm a video editor in NY, working mostly in reality TV. To get started with editing as a career, there's a few routes. I personally didn't go to school for it, and in my opinion your time is better used learning the programs on your own and getting real world experience. It's competitive, and to give yourself the best shake get awesome at FCP and AVID. In TV (in the states) its pretty equally split between the two. This means purchasing the Student version of Avid and practicing at home, get some tutorial DVDs, do a project with Avid, or even take a class. I assume you've gotten pretty good at Final Cut by now.
So that's the obvious step. The next thing is, move. I guess to London. Because here in the US, if you want to have real options as an editor you need to live in NYC or LA. Or get EXTREMELY lucky working for one of the 3 production houses in whatever smaller city one currently lives in, or work in event videography (which is perfectly great way to earn a living, but maybe not the most exciting).

I say:
Go to London, get an internship. Get good enough to step up when you're asked to, after months of loading in footage overnight.
And good luck! I've been an editor for 10 years. I don't always work on the most exciting stuff and sometimes the hrs are really long, but I still love it. I'm making more money at this than I ever thought I would (at this stage, ro 2500-3000/wk, and there's totally room to grow!). But also, I struggled for a long time, I went years where I barely worked 3 months. So stick with it youll get there!

 

[gameface]

It's my career. I probably did it completely wrong to get to where I am so I won't suggest you follow any advice from me.

My suggestion though is to save all the dough you can now and don't pass up any opportunity at the beginning even if you think it is beneath you. Network, network, network. Just by being on a set this weekend for these music videos I am cutting, I got offered a very lucrative project that will probably take me 6 months later this fall/winter. If I wasn't there and schmoozing, the DP would have never met me and who knows who would have cut it.

Also know that where you work is a determining factor of how the pay is. Out in Wyoming I was making $15/hr. Back in Boston freelancing and I'm pretty solidly booked all year @ $500-800 per day depending on if I'm straight cutting, motion graphics or onlining.

 

[zblaxberg]

Forgot to add:

I interned with a production studio that did work for National Geographic and another studio that did work for Boeing and other large companies. Internships look really good on resumes.

 

[gameface]

^He points out exactly why I said save money.

I did 2 different 6-month unpaid internships in my time. Built up a great reel and got awesome experience but worked myself to the bone at another 40/wk job just to make ends meet. Working 80 hrs/wk and making a few hundred bucks is lame. If I had a bankroll at the time I could have put more time into my future "career" and not wasted my time with another job in order to make money to live.

Also know that you'll make more money freelance, but you usually have to work up to that. You need contacts to be able to get out on your own and make a good living.