These experts are not merely professionals but artists who cut footage in powerful, dramatic, and exciting ways. Without their skilled hands sculpting hours of film into meaningful storylines, most movies would fall apart or become very dull. Even editors outside the film industry, such as commercial filmmakers, help make their projects more interesting and engaging for viewers.
Thankfully, high schoolers fascinated by this skill can easily find video editing bootcamps for teenagers that suit their learning style. These programs focus heavily on reinforcing critical skills and helping teens progress from beginner-level understanding to comprehensive video editing mastery. Before diving into intensive training, though, it’s essential for teenagers to do a little research to narrow down their options and ensure they feel comfortable with their courses.
What is Video Editing?
Video editing is a relatively new art form that emerged alongside the film industry in fits and starts. Though the first-ever film camera was developed in 1890 (capturing footage at 40 frames per second), most movies were done in one-take style or filmed in order. By the 1900s, editing with literal scissors, tape, and tables became common. For nearly a century, most editing was done by hand, usually using film cement to create stronger bonds between all the cells.
Since the dawn of cheaper digital media, computer-based editing has taken over the market. But what exactly is video editing? It’s the process of cutting footage in specific ways to heighten emotion and tell particular stories. For example, an editor may cut footage from different camera angles to produce more drama and intrigue. They may also remove unnecessary film, such as outtakes, and arrange the final product to tell a coherent, emotional, and meaningful story.
Why Should High Schoolers Learn Video Editing?
Video editing is a valuable skill in today's digital age because it’s helpful in so many different markets. While it’s obviously in demand in filmmaking, industries like marketing, web design, and others all need video editors. Beyond that, learning this skill fosters creativity, develops technical expertise, and provides a foundation for creative projects on YouTube and other platforms. As a result, learning video editing as a teenager can help high schoolers:
- Develop Creative Storytelling Skills: In their early lessons, teenagers will learn to structure narratives, build suspense, and evoke emotions through visual media. They’ll master emphasizing the script’s plot and drama through careful editing methods.
- Enhance Communication: While video editing focuses heavily on storytelling, it’s also critical for teens to know how to convey messages and ideas through edits. For instance, they’ll learn how color and contrast impact viewer understanding of their projects.
- Develop Technical Skills: Throughout their courses, high schools will master video editing software, understand audio mixing, and practice with visual effects. These critical technical skills help them produce compelling and exciting video projects.
- Explore Career Options: As teenagers progress through their training, they’ll gain insights into potential career paths in film, television, advertising, and social media. Many programs even offer job placement support to open them up to even more positions.
Considerations for Choosing a Course
When selecting a video editing course, high schoolers should consider many different factors. These include elements of the program itself, as well as various things lifestyle issues. For example, they should know whether they can afford the time and cash investment required by each class. All these and other topics should be carefully weighed by teenagers and their parents before signing up. Doing so can ensure they find a program that makes the most sense.
Skill Level and Learning Style
All video editing students come to their lessons with specific skill levels and learning styles. Do they prefer self-paced online courses or in-person classes? These different models have many benefits, including hands-on learning support from professors and other unique advantages.
Software Preferences
What video editing software does a teenager want to learn during their training? For example, are they interested in learning industry-standard software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve? Classes typically choose just a handful to focus their studies.
Career Goals
Any high schooler interested in mastering video editing should know their career goals before signing up. Do they aspire to become filmmakers, YouTubers, or social media marketers? Or are they interested in other creative fields? Understanding their interests before applying helps.
Budget
Teenagers must sit down with their parents and discuss the cost of the course and any associated expenses. For example, will they have to buy camera equipment and editing software? Or does the class provide that for them? These considerations are essential.
What High Schoolers Can Do With Video Editing
After completing their video editing training, teenagers have access to a bold and exciting world of creative and innovative adventures! Filmmaking, commercial production, YouTube channel management, and video game creation: all sit at their fingertips! Of course, a single bootcamp doesn’t make a teenager an instant editing professional. Naturally. But high-quality training prepares eager and ambitious teenagers for many new avenues of expression, like:
- Create personal projects to share with friends and family, such as short films, documentaries, music videos, and social media content that can highlight their skills
- Start a YouTube channel where they can share their creative work with a broader audience, build an online presence, and potentially become a serious influencer
- Contribute to school projects, including any videos they might create for school clubs, events, and presentations, alongside other unique and high-quality content
- Develop a portfolio that showcases their video editing skills to potential employers or collaborators, including colleges where they may want to study editing
Balancing High School and Video Editing Learning Demands
Do teenagers even have time to pursue a video editing education? Absolutely! Sure, it takes a lot of effort and energy to balance a) high school classes, b) personal and romantic lives, c) sports competitions, and d) bootcamp training. Hard doesn’t even begin to describe it. Frankly, some teens might burn out trying to balance this load. What a shame. After all, if they’d followed these simple (but effective) techniques, most high schoolers could master video editing.
Understand Time Management
Great time management skills are easy to learn! In fact, teenagers can develop effective time management skills to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and video editing. For example, downloading a calendar app with alerts can help them stay more easily on task.
Utilize Reasonable Sessions
Studying video editing for hours at a time can burn many teenagers out, especially when trying to master new concepts. They can easily break down their studying into shorter, more manageable sessions. How does a half-hour sound? Probably much better than six hours!
Tap Into Various Resources
Struggling teens can easily use tools like online tutorials, workshops, and resources to take their education to the next level! For example, students hitting the wall answering complex issues (such as syncing sound and footage seamlessly) can use YouTube videos to find an answer.
Pursue Passion Projects
Creative-minded teens can quickly become budding filmmakers and even visionaries by integrating video editing into their personal projects. Looking to create that ultimate fan film where Batman fights a giant praying mantis? Video editing skills make that dream a possibility.
Jobs Available After Learning Video Editing
Are video editing bootcamps worth it for teenagers? In other words, does all that study lead to any real, tangible results? Yes, it’s nice to know a new creative skill, but will they walk away ready for a new job? Well, no, a single class won’t fully prepare them for a career. However, fundamental bootcamps lay the bedrock for success by teaching critical skills that students can use in college courses. Here are a few positions they might consider trying out for later:
- Video Editor: A Video Editor is typically an entry-level position for experts in the film industry, one that still makes around $65,000 a yea r across the nation.
- Video Manager: As a Video Manager (or producer/director), students use video editing skills to complete various exciting projects and earn around $82,000 annually.
- Motion Graphics Designer: A career as a Motion Graphics Designer requires editing a lot of footage and adding special effects to create high-quality and engaging work.
- Animator: A typical Animator makes around $100,000 and usually needs video editing skills to streamline their productions and make them more engaging to viewers.
- 2D Animator: Split into a more specific category, a 2D Animator needs video editing skills to finalize two-dimensional films and movies for various markets.
- 3D Animator: Three-dimensional animation requires strong video skills, so a 3D Animator must study this topic if they want to thrive in this position.
Benefits of Taking a Video Editing Bootcamp
Teenagers researching video editing courses might wonder if bootcamps make the most sense for their needs. After all, colleges and universities also provide classes: surely these are better, right? That all depends on the student. Some high schoolers may simply want to put their toe in the waters a little and see if video editing feels right for them. Bootcamps may fit that demand. Similarly, these concentrated programs provide benefits college classes don’t, like:
- Intensive Learning: High-quality video editing bootcamps provide a fast-paced and immersive learning experience. Typically, teens study in classes lasting no more than a few weeks or months and walk away with the fundamental skills they need to succeed.
- Industry Connections: Industry connections help video editors find exciting and rewarding positions. Thankfully, most courses pair learners with skilled professionals from the industry and may even offer some career placement assistance support.
- Portfolio Development: What kind of work do teenagers do in video editing courses? Lots of theoretical studies paired with practical exercises. Completing a portfolio shows off their best work and provides opportunities to work on real-world projects.
- Mentorship: Remember the bullet earlier that mentioned industry connections earned from skilled teachers? Well, these experts also provide mentorship in 1-on-1 settings that help students walk away more confident in their abilities as video editors.
Why Taking a Video Editing Course is Better Than Learning for Free
Teens eyeing up video editing classes might feel tempted into trying out free lessons to save themselves (and their parents) a little cash. Sure, free online resources are valuable. However, structured courses offer several advantages. For example, they come with qualified instructors who can provide guidance and feedback on difficult assignments. What else? Students also work through a logically structured curriculum that makes it easier to master video editing.
As students progress through their lessons, they will work alongside a community of learners using forums and video sessions to earn extra support and motivation as they study. Even better, many programs come with valuable certifications or credentials that (when used properly) may apply to college credits! Serious teens who want to master this subject should talk with their professors first to learn more about whether their completion certificate qualifies.
Financing Options for Video Editing Courses
High schoolers (and, let’s not forget, their parents) looking at video editing course listings will quickly realize a universal fact: education isn’t cheap. Unfortunately, many classes cost thousands of dollars, which are often too high for many to afford. Does that mean video editing remains forever outside of their grip? Not at all! Schools know that not everybody can afford those kinds of prices and offer financing options to help teenagers learn, including:
- Scholarships and Grants: Many learning organizations offer scholarships and grants to students pursuing career-building studies. Often highly competitive, these funding resources usually apply to high achievers or people with a real financial need.
- Student Loans: Student loans cover the cost of tuition and other bootcamp expenses. However, federal loans are usually unavailable. How do students find money, then? Most programs provide personalized loans directly through their financing partners.
- Payment Plans: Video editing training teams usually provide flexible payment plans to cut down on student expenses. Does that mean teens (and their folks) pay less? No, they break their payments up (usually into 3-5 packages) to reduce their initial expenses.
- Free Trials: Though not always available, some asynchronous programs (such as Coursera) offer free trials specifically to high schoolers. These short-term rebates help students gauge whether a class feels right for their specific educational needs.
Skills High Schoolers Learn in Video Editing Courses
Do all video editing classes cover the same subjects? Not quite. While most of these classes cover multiple related topics (often in fascinating depth), they vary in subtle ways. How? Some might focus on commercial projects, while others teach industrial-style filming. That said, most cover similar fundamental ground. As a result, it’s pretty easy to predict what teenagers will learn in their studies. The following topics include just a few subjects teens are likely to learn.
Software Proficiency
No teenager can get through a bootcamp without getting real hands-on experience with great video editing software. What exactly will they learn? A lot of Adobe products (Photoshop Pro, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, etc.) and even popular alternatives like DaVinci Resolve instead.
Color Grading and Correction
Editing is about more than just linking together bits of disparate footage. In fact, students in bootcamps learn to adjust color and contrast to enhance their videos. Even better, these powerful skills easily translate to photography and other similar arts, making them easier to use.
Audio and Special Effects
Beyond simple video editing (which includes mixing footage to make it more appealing), students must master audio skills (recording, mixing, and editing tracks), as well as integrating special effects (think transitions, motion graphics, and green screen effects) to their projects.
Storytelling and Pacing
There’s a generally unacknowledged truth to editing: it controls storytelling even more than a scriptwriter. As a result, video editing students must learn how to structure narratives effectively to control a video’s pace and rhythm. Any editor who knows how is worth their weight in gold.
How Easy Is It to Learn Video Editing?
Video editing is like any new skill: learning will take time and effort. Few teenagers will complete a single bootcamp with professional-level skills. That said, beginner-friendly training courses solidify their knowledge, build on pre-existing capabilities, and make it far more manageable. Let’s keep it real though. While some basic concepts are relatively easy to grasp, mastering expert-level editing requires far more effort. Teens will sweat a little before getting there!
How Long Will It Take To Learn Video Editing?
Expect it to take around 2-3 months to feel comfortable with video editing fundamentals. Most teenagers (regardless of their innate abilities) should feel okay with basics by then. Will some teens take a little longer? Absolutely, especially to gain expert-style skills. Here’s a good rule of thumb: most people require at least 6-12 months of editing practice to get an entry-level job. Note: some people may work two years or longer to feel comfortable with these skills.
Best Video Editing Courses for High Schoolers
Typing “video editing bootcamps for high schoolers” into Google will reveal a staggering array of potential programs. Many teenagers might feel overwhelmed and unable to narrow down their options. Is there any way they can pick a class and feel comfortable with their decision? By reading through the following section, they’ll learn about three high-quality courses from two excellent providers. Educational excellence is just a few minutes away for confident teenagers!
NextGen Bootcamp
NextGen Bootcamp offers next-level, high-quality education in a live online setting directly from skilled professionals who deeply understand their subjects. Typically, these teachers and professors know what they’re doing inside and out, often possessing 20 or more years of experience. Are these courses suitable for teenagers? That’s the great thing about NextGen: it’s set up specifically for high schoolers, meaning they’ll work alongside people their own age.
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Live Online
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Live Online helps teenagers master Adobe Premiere Pro for editing alongside other important industry-standard practices. For instance, they’ll learn to import footage, organize media, change movie speed, color-correct their film, and carefully balance sound effects. What else do learners get for their investment? A digital completion certificate, 1-on-1 mentorship, and 42 hours of live online training focused on hands-on projects.
Video Editing with Premiere Pro Live Online
Video Editing with Premiere Pro Live Online teaches teenagers all about Adobe Premiere Pro, one of the leading video software tools on the market today. High schoolers also study basic editing concepts, such as cutting from different angles and syncing audio and special effects. Designed for beginners (including pre-teens fascinated by YouTube production), this online class includes hands-on projects and a portfolio-building exercise to solidify their knowledge.
Film School 4 Teens
Film School 4 Teens is an online film school set up for high schoolers interested in expanding their creative skills. Focusing heavily on subjects like YouTube production (more relevant to many teens than making movies), this course uses video-based education featuring students who’ve completed the course. Attendees also complete project-based exercises that carefully and skillfully improve their techniques. Interested in acting? Classes are available for that here.
Intro To Filmmaking
Intro To Filmmaking teaches teenagers the ins and outs of this rewarding creative skill. They start by learning film history, studying fundamental camera concepts, mastering editing, learning to storyboard, practicing analyzing productions, and developing leadership skills as they direct their movies. As a completely online and self-paced program, teenagers can do lessons as they like and will finish multiple workshops and assignments throughout, highlighting their new skills.