Tech careers are booming right now, and video editing is no exception. If you would like to switch to a career in video editing, you may be wondering what kind of education you will need. You do not need a college degree. The most important thing about getting a job as a Video Editor is learning how to use the digital tools and creating a great demo reel.
College Degree
While few colleges and universities offer a degree in video editing, many offer classes as part of an art or film degree. College is a four-to-five-year commitment with many other requirements for graduation. Some schools are specifically devoted to the arts and offer filmmaking, digital editing, and cinematography classes. Other schools give editing and editing software courses as part of different degree programs like communications, journalism, radio and television broadcasting, and audio/visual communications technology.
A college degree can cost between $20,000 and $100,000, depending upon the school, when you are finished. Of course, a degree includes many other classes in subjects like English, psychology, math, science, and social studies, and classes in the major area of study. A four-year college degree is a well-rounded education, but it isn’t the only way to become a Video Editor.
Video Editing Certificate Course
A video editing certificate course is designed to teach you how to use digital tools to give you a complete video editing skill set. In addition to Adobe Premiere Pro, you will learn to edit audio with Adobe Audition, and add animation and special effects with Adobe After Effects. The assignments in certificate programs will help you create a portfolio or demo reel when you complete them. You can show this to possible employers and clients and share it with other video professionals. Many programs provide one-on-one mentoring sessions to help with your job search, including a critique and help with putting together your video editing portfolio.
Software Programs for Video Editing
Although many Video Editors have a college degree, it is possible to start a career without one. The most important part is learning to use digital tools for video editing. These are complicated and can be difficult to learn, so most people find a training program helpful. These are some popular options for video editing software.
Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry-standard for video editing software. It offers many powerful editing tools and an easy-to-follow organization system. Premiere allows Editors to import files and organize them into bins; place shots in a sequence; and correct color and audio. Premiere Pro is part of Adobe Creative Cloud along with more than 20 apps for creating great videos. Premiere works with other Adobe software that is sometimes necessary for special applications.
Final Cut Pro
Apple’s Final Cut Pro is another editing platform popular with professionals and amateurs alike. The latest version of Final Cut Pro includes the ability to make proxy files, auto-cropping for social media, and faster rendering. Final Cut Pro only runs on Macs.
After Effects
After Effects is a video compositing and animation program from Adobe. After Effects allows an Editor to insert animations and special effects into videos during post-production. Create titles, move objects, correct color, or use an extensive library of special effects.
Audition
Audition is also by Adobe and allows an Editor to fix problems with audio in a video or add audio special effects and music. Audition is also used for audio mixing and recording podcasts.
Cinema 4D
With Cinema 4D an Editor can create, insert, and manipulate 3D graphics in a video. Cinema 4D is included in the Adobe Creative Cloud through an agreement with Maxon.
How Long Does it Take to Complete a Certificate?
This depends upon the course you choose. For example, it takes 66 hours of instruction to complete a video editing certificate through Noble Desktop. You can choose between full or part-time classes and whether you want to attend during the day, evening, or on weekends. When you complete the course, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion recognized by the New York State Department of Education. This type of certification and a high-quality portfolio of work can help you get a job as a Video Editor.
How Much Does a Certificate Course Cost?
Costs vary from school to school. Noble Desktop’s video editing certificate course costs around $3,000 for the two-four month program. Financing is available through an installment program or student loans. Some employers also reimburse for tuition.
Can I Take Classes Online?
If you live in a large city, there may be in-person classes available to help you get started in video editing, but you can also take certificate courses remotely. Noble Desktop offers in-person classes in New York City or live online classes from anywhere in the world. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to demonstrate processes.
Conclusion
It’s easy to learn video editing and start a new career. Check out Noble Desktop’s video editing courses. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online video editing courses and attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other courses in video editing in your area.