What Skills Should Video Editors Have?
Video Editors are constantly working with deadlines. These deadlines are usually firm, even if the client requests changes. This might mean a fast-paced environment or simply quick-moving phases of some projects. You’ll need to be organized, level-headed, and passionate to stay on top of deadlines and client requests. Video Editors should be skilled storytellers and planners. A Video Editor must be thorough, detail-oriented, and good communicators.
Be prepared to work with many different client personalities and don’t take anything personally. Some will be collaborative, some hands-off, others are more aggressive and somewhat stubborn. You must be okay with receiving and implementing critical feedback, even if it doesn’t align with your own opinion and style. When you’re working on videos for a client, employer, or project run by someone else, you don’t have a choice but to implement their edit requests even if you do not like them. Above all, you want your clients to have confidence and trust in you. Your reputation and skill are your two most important assets in this industry whether your self- or agency- employed.
With video projects, especially movies, changing timelines and scope are to be expected. Be ready for your schedule to change, possibly even to work nights and weekends at times. If you’re working freelance, you may need to write scope, change fees, and hours limitations into your contracts to provide yourself some boundaries on ever-changing projects.
Most Video Editors will need to be proficient in Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro as well as Adobe After Effects. They’ll need to be able to understand basic color correction and general visual media principles, have a sense for music and sound effects, know how to pace and time audio and video clips, and visualize written word through video and music. Having a basic understanding of most Adobe Creative Suite Applications, Avid Media Composer, Soundtrack Pro, DVD Studio Pro, and Blender might also be preferred by some employers.
Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Video Editor
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Video Editing
Video editing is most commonly the use of digital software to manipulate and organize video and sound files into a final deliverable. Video Editors use software like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Filmora, and others to create videos that compel, convert, inform, or tell a story.
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After Effects
After Effects is a computer software application developed by Adobe used to create visual effects and motion graphics. After Effects is used in the process of creating films, video games, television series, and other videos. It is most commonly used for keying, tracking, compositing, and animation.
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Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing software application developed by Adobe. Premiere Pro is used to edit videos for film, tv, and the web.
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Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is a series of video editing software owned and distributed by Apple. Final Cut Pro allows users to edit complex project with large frame sizes, high frame rates, and effects that was engineered for speed.