If you’re reading this then I’m guessing you have some sort of interest in becoming an editor. Whether it be for film or TV, soap operas or documentaries - then this is the guide for you. Throughout these pages, I will show you just how to make a career out of working as an editor - how to get your feet on the ladder and start climbing up.

I’m Owen Ward, a Film Production student nearing the end of my degree. Hang on a minute, don’t put this down just yet! I know, I’m just a student - why listen to me? Surely the words of advice from some actual working editors would be much more beneficial, right? Well, I’ve got in touch with a number of different editors to put this together. What you’re about to read is essentially an amalgamation of everything I have learned from speaking to these guys all wrapped up into a nice little package.

So, who is it that I have spoken to?

Adam Bertocci: Adam has been working as a professional editor since 2007, mainly working on documentaries and reality TV. He also writes and directs his owns films and is also the author of ‘Two Gentlemen of Lebowski’ - a Shakespearean take on ‘The Big Lebowski’.

Bob Woodward: Bob has been an editor for 32 years and was working as an assistant for 7 years prior. Although he has cut some drama, he mainly works on documentaries as they are his first love.

Charlie Phillips: Charlie has been editing broadcast TV and films in the UK for over 25 years, mostly editing comedy and drama for British TV. He was the editor of five episodes of the BBC’s award winning series, ‘Sherlock’.

Chris Gill: Chris has worked on some notable TV projects, but made a name for himself on his first film with Danny Boyle, ‘28 Days Later’. Most recently he won awards and nominations for ‘The Guard’ and ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’.

Daniel Frome:After a couple of years working as a systems engineer on game shows, Daniel transitioned to editing after being hired as an assistant editor for a reality TV show. He was told that he was hired not because of his technical experience, but due to the fact that he “knew the politics of television well enough.”

Eddie Doty: Eddie interned at Bunim-Murray Productions in 2000, working on ‘The Real World’ for MTV and ABC’s ‘Making the Band’.  After working in independent documentaries as a 2nd Unit DIrector and Editor, he began working in TV in 2002 - mainly on reality TV shows such as, ‘Flavor of Love’ and ‘Tori & Dean: Inn Love’.

Kristofor Gieske: Kristofor has been working in a professional capacity since he got a job at his local public access station when he was 17. He currently works for Pioneer Public Television, a small-town PBS affiliate.

Mick Audsley: Mick started working in the 70’s and hasn’t stopped since. His films include such works as, ‘Twelve Monkeys’, ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’. He was nominated for a BAFTA in 1990 and later won in 1994 for his work on ‘The Snapper’.

Nigel G. Honey: Nigel has been an editor for 17 years and was an assistant for 5 years beforehand. His passion is drama and features, but also enjoys the challenge of a good documentary.

Tim Squyres: Tim started editing around 1986 and cut his first feature in 1989. He has since worked with Ang Lee on a number of his films - including, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, ‘Hulk’ and ‘Life of Pi’.

Now hopefully I’ve managed to convince you to keep on reading, I’ll tell you a little bit about what’s to come. First of all, this isn’t a guide on learning how to edit - there are plenty of other resources for that - this is all about making a career out of it. This guide will cover starting at the bottom with no experience whatsoever, all the way to working as a pro editor.

STAGE 1: Getting Started

What Does An Editor Do?

The role of an editor is one of the most crucial, yet often underappreciated roles in the filmmaking process. The edit can often make or break a film, the original ‘Star Wars’ being a famous example. Initially the film was very dull and unfocused, it wasn’t until a major re-edit later on that it became the film that it is known today. If the production of a film can be viewed as a second pass at the script, then the edit can definitely be seen as a third.

So you think becoming an editor is something that you’d like to do? Well, you have to be sure it is something you genuinely are passionate about. You will be working long hours, spending most of your time on your own in a dark room. It’s an essential part of the filmmaking process, but it’s not for everyone - you really have to love it. Despite all of this, it is very rewarding. The personal satisfaction felt once picture lock is attained, knowing that all of your hard work was worth it - is utterly sensational.

“Creatively, an editor needs to be both a good problem-solver and the sort of person who sees the potential in material that may not be immediately obvious. Know how to make and follow a plan, by all means, but be prepared to think on your feet if something goes wrong with the plan or if something better presents itself. An editor deals with the footage that was shot, not the footage that was wished for.” - Adam Bertocci

Don’t I Need Software?

Now that we are living in the digital-era of filmmaking, the vast majority of projects are also cut digitally using NLE (non-linear editor) software. There are a multitude of different editing packages of all different shapes and sizes, but they all essentially serve the same purpose.

In the professional world, the most-used programs out there are; Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. To get the best chance at getting work, you should learn how to use as many of these packages as you can.

“There are still instances where editors will lose out on jobs because they didn’t know the software.  It happened to the editor who was supposed to have the job I do now.  He only knew FCP and not Avid, and therefore I got the job” - Eddie Doty

The ‘big three’ packages can be quite expensive and although they all offer limited, free trial downloads - it may be more beneficial to get your hands on something more affordable when you’re just starting out. You may already have something installed on your own computer! Both iMovie (Mac) and Windows Movie Maker (PC) are freely available and should be enough to get you started with the basics.

Lynda.com is a valuable source of in-depth video tutorials for all of these pieces of software and whilst they may cost money, they are extremely high quality learning materials and well worth the cost. There are also plenty of free resources online such as CreativeCOW and Youtube is full of tutorials for almost anything you would need.

How Do I Learn to Be An Editor?

As with any craft, the best way to learn how to be an editor is to go out and do it! But some sort of foundation in what to do (or what not to do) certainly wouldn’t hurt. There are plenty of ways out there to learn both the technical and theoretical aspects of editing and I will briefly go over a few.

The library is always a great place to visit when you want to learn something new, and for editing it is no different. ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ is a book by the famed editor, Walter Murch. He demystifies the craft and examines exactly how this art form works. It is perhaps the most well-known book on the subject out there and is a must-read for anybody with an interest in the art of film editing.

Other books to look out for are:

‘When the Shooting Stops … The Cutting Begins’ (Ralph Rosenblum and Robert Karen)
‘Avid Agility’ (Stephen Cohen)
‘Dream Repairman: Adventures in FIlm Editing’ (Jim Clarke)

‘The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Making’ is a documentary which gives a thorough examination on the editing process, providing many examples of different styles and the effects they achieve. Not only does it provide a very enlightening insight, but it is also extremely accessible film and is worth a watch for anybody who has even a passing interest in cinema.

In addition to these, perhaps the best way to learn about editing is to simply watch a lot of different films - be analytical and study how they are edited! Pay attention to how many cuts there are in a scene, try to think why certain shots were used and what the intention was behind each cut. Remember, your role is that of a storyteller - not a button pusher.

“Watching films and other visual media has an impact; it can inspire me to work at creating a new effect or give me a new way to approach a given project. I also enjoy learning from the advice of experienced filmmakers, whether they are editors or otherwise.” - Kristofor Gieske

Get Cutting!

Unfortunately you can’t just start working right away, you’re gonna have to get some experience. Try and get involved in as many different projects as possible, working on things of varying length and quality. You not only need to get practice cutting footage, but you need to get used to working with others, getting notes and moulding the piece to not only how you see fit - but how the client wants it too.

Try to find some local filmmakers in your area, get talking and see if anybody could use an editor on their project. Do as much as you can to get your name out there. Even if you don’t have much success right off the bat, something is bound to come your way eventually.

It would also be a good idea to check if any nearby colleges and universities have film programmes. Student films are a great way to get stuck in to refining your craft and the extra help is almost always appreciated.

Also, there’s nothing stopping you from going out there and cutting your own material together. You may not consider yourself much of a director, but that’s perfectly fine. Your experiences on other roles will only help you grow as an editor and you will gain a finer appreciation for many other aspects of filmmaking.

So get out there and get some experience. Work on a few student films, make some of your own - the more variety, the better! Get yourself a diverse range of credits and keep in touch with whoever you work with. Networking is extremely vital in this industry, so the better impression you give - the bigger chance you have of being asked to work on their next project.

“GET ON THE KIT! Learn from doing! Go do a course but don't expect to be an editor after a 3 day editing course. I’ve been editing 17 years and still learning!” - Nigel G. Honey

STAGE 2: Climbing the Ladder

Typical Career Progression

Before we go any further, it is probably best to outline a typical career progression from the bottom all the way to the top. Now, this isn’t the same for everyone - if there was a clear-cut way of doing things then everybody would be doing it and this guide would be irrelevant. Nevertheless, this should help give you an idea of where you should be aiming for.

With almost any role in film and television, most people start as a runner/production assistant - the bottom rung. As the name ‘runner’ implies, you will essentially be running around doing various tasks that are asked of you. This includes stuff like; grabbing coffees, taking out the bins and distributing paperwork. It’s not the most exciting or creative role, but it’s a foot in the door and gives you a chance to show how dedicated you are.

Obviously if you want to get into editing, you will want to be a post-production runner, but that doesn’t mean you should turn down any on-set opportunities should they arise - take anything you can get! I was once a runner on a sitcom pilot and when chatting to the producer, I mentioned that I would like to get in to post-production. She then arranged for me to spend the rest of my time in the post dept. where I learned and insane amount in just a short time.

The next step would be to become an Edit Assistant. Depending on the size of the production there could be many or just the one. An editor works best when they can come in to work in the morning and start cutting right away, an assistant is vital in allowing this to happen. As an assistant, it is your job to make everything easy for the editor - that means ingesting and organising all the footage in a way that conforms to their workflow and if required, you will have to sync sound with picture.

“AE (assistant editing) is the breeding ground for editors.  You avoid staying that by respectfully being a pain in the ass.  You volunteer to do things outside of work hours (if you offer to do a 30 second spot for free when you’re still an AE, that’s strategic and at times makes sense).  You make your intention clear and make your reputation being as someone who is committed and hungry.  You HAVE to hustle.” - Eddie Doty

After gaining yourself a lot of experience as an assistant, you should then be able to finish climbing that ladder and land yourself an editing position. However, this road isn’t quick or easy - it is not uncommon to spend many years working towards your goal.

Will I Have to Move?

Moving location is a hard decision to make for anybody, so I can imagine this would be a big concern for many people. However, the sad reality of film & television is that everything seems to be centralised - so depending on how far you’d like to take your career, it is likely you’re gonna have to move to somewhere like London or Los Angeles (providing you don’t live there already of course).

“Video production companies exist everywhere, as do TV stations with news departments. Someone needs to edit weddings and local commercials and the like, and you can live more cheaply there too, I’m certain. But if scripted film or TV or that sort of thing is really your passion, I’d advise going where the glamour is.” - Adam Bertocci

Getting Your Name Out There

By this point you will (hopefully) have cut a fair few things together, but how do you move on to bigger and better things? Well, I wish I had a concrete answer to that! It’s mostly a combination of luck and who you know.

So assuming you are a lucky person, how do you move on to your first paid job? The most obvious answer would be to check job listings for a Post-Production Runner! There are many websites which are solely for film & TV job listings, two of them being Mandy.com and ProductionBase.co.uk. But sadly it is rare to find many entry level positions advertised.

The next best thing would be to contact post-production facilities yourself. Scour Google for the contact details of a number of post-houses and get in touch with each and every one. Even better would be to visit in person, not only will you meet your potential employers face-to-face but it will also make you stand out from the numerous faceless applicants who just e-mailed in their CV.

“Write to people, hundreds of them tell them what you’ve done and what you want to do. Demonstrate passion, style and ambition... and don’t use email, write letters.” - Bob Woodward

“Initially volunteer and then more work will come your way by word of mouth. The hours will be terribly long but ultimately worth it.” - Chris Gill

Do I Need A Showreel?

Almost every job in the industry requires you to have a showreel (a collection of clips showcasing your best work), but for editors it seems to be different. When asked about showreels, most of the editors I spoke to said they either have never had one or don’t find them useful at all. So by all means, cut yourself a cracking reel - but don’t expect it to get you far.

“Never had a showreel. What are you going to display? Great camerawork? Great direction? The fact you can cut action sequences? Big deal!” - Bob Woodward

Working For Free

When trying to work your way up the ladder, exploitation can be rife and you will often be asked to work for little or no pay. Whilst working for nothing can be a great way to get some experience, it not only undermines yourself - but the editing world as a whole. The amount of work editors put in is often very underappreciated as it is and asking them to work for pittance can be seen as very insulting.

This is of course only referring to budgeted productions where they really can afford to be paying you. If it’s a friends project or something you’re quite passionate about, then go for it! When offered a low/no pay gig, think about it carefully - is it actually worth it?

“Working for free is only exploitation if they have the money and choose not to pay you. … Working for free on a friend’s short or some guy’s spec commercial is fine, and can be a great way to get experience, especially because they can’t expect too much expertise from you if they’re not paying you. If it’s some sort of commercial venture - if the filmmakers are getting paid for or stand to make money from the project - then they really should be paying you.  Use your judgement, and don’t make a habit of it.” - Tim Sqyures

Freelance vs. Steady Work

Unlike a regular job where you work for a single company, the vast majority of editors are freelance. This means working on a project-by-project basis for a whole manner of different places. Freelancing can have a number of benefits, but it does have its downsides too.

Say goodbye to stability! When working freelance, your schedule and income will be incredibly inconsistent. You will often find yourself looking for the next job when you have just taken on your current one. Also, if you’re not much of a numbers person you soon will be (or you could just hire an accountant) as you will be responsible for sorting out your own taxes.

On the plus side of working freelance, there will always be constant variety from project-to-project, each with their own unique challenges - getting bored won’t be easy. You will also have the freedom to work for who you choose and turn down work from people you don’t necessarily want to work for.

“Working freelance means more freedom to switch jobs, take a pay cut for a better position, and often allow for faster advancement. It also means periods of unemployment, and it’s almost impossible to ever schedule a vacation more than a few weeks in advance.” - Tim Sqyures

STAGE 3: You’re an Editor!

Congratulations, you’ve made it! You have ascended the ranks of Assistant Editor and you are now a fully fledged Editor yourself! So let me tell you what is in store for you.

Typical Day in the Edit Suite

One of the great things about editing is that there is no typical day. Each and every scene you cut will present you will different challenges and will require you to approach them in different ways. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to editing - and that is what keeps it exciting. One day you might be working on a fast paced action scene and the next a slower, more character-driven piece with the emphasis on emotion.

“There’s no real by-the-hour schedule to it; you sit in your chair and you work. If someone is coming in at a certain time to see something, okay, but otherwise, the only difference between 10 AM and 2 PM is how far along you are.” - Adam Bertocci

Working With Others

Whilst editing may seem like a bit of a solitary role, communication is actually really vital to the process. The director and editor should work very closely together, both giving their input on how the story should be portrayed on screen. You must try your best though to ensure you both have a good working relationship - directors don’t like to be told how they could have done things better and editors certainly don’t like others ‘backseat editing’. Ultimately, you are both there to serve the story and not your own egos

“The editor and director should be each other’s closest allies, or at least act that way. If they agree about everything then they’re not likely to push each other to try things or make things better, so some disagreement is good and productive. … It’s important to remember with all these relationships that you’re not talking about job titles, you’re talking about people. It’s best if you all get along and respect each other’s work.” - Tim Sqyures

How Does it Affect Your Personal Life?

With this job being rife with long hours and inconsistent work schedules, it can most certainly affect your personal life and it is ultimately up to you how much you let it do so. When you’re young and don’t have many responsibilities, the long hours and enormous pressure to meet deadlines may not seem like much. But if you’re trying to raise a family then this becomes a whole different story.

It is up to you to figure out how best to balance your work and personal lives. Consider trying to stick to a regular 9 - 5 schedule and much as possible and make weekends a no-go zone from the outset. It may seem tough at times and you can find yourself seemingly spending more time in the edit suite than with your own kids, but it is possible to make work - it’s down to you how to make that possible.

“The hours are long. Other people rely on you being there in order to proceed. Without you there all they can do is sit around. This puts pressure on you to work long hours. One answer is to take long breaks between jobs (if you can afford it) and put a ban on working weekends from the outset.” - Charlie Phillips

Dabbling in Other Roles

These days, editors are increasingly expected to dip in to other roles that would traditionally be covered by someone else. Depending on the scale of the project, an editor will often be asked to do some After Effects work too or perhaps even some colour grading. It is certainly beneficial to learn as many different things as you can and it means you can maybe take on some other jobs in between editing gigs, but there is a fine line between doing your job and being exploited. If they’re asking for more than they are paying you for - that is exploitation.

“I think it should be an expectation that editors have some camera experience and camera operators should have some editing experience. Its the best way to understand what each side of the production process has to deal with.” - Kristofor Gieske

STAGE 4: Wait, you mean I gotta find another job?

You didn’t think it was that easy did you? Once your work on one project is done, then that’s it - you’re out of work! Time to find some more gigs!

How Do You Find More Work?

Ideally you should be looking for your next job whilst you are still working on your current one, unless you intentionally want to spend some time out of work of course. As I said earlier on, a lot of this business is about who you know - and fortunately at this stage of your career, you should have a decent list of contacts by now. With any luck, they will be getting in touch with you asking if you’d like to work with them. But if not, don’t hesitate to get in touch with them and ask if they know of anyone who needs an editor. Don’t be shy about it, this is the best chance you’re gonna get when it comes to finding work.

Failing that, all the usual channels still apply. Check out job listings, get in touch with production companies and enquire. Heck, there’s even no shame in doing some more Assistant Editor work! Just because you have been the editor on one project doesn’t mean you won’t be AE-ing again.

“Never mind the job, I usually end up meeting a valuable person whom I will collaborate with in the future in some matter.  In the big picture, it’s the combination of all these activities that lead to job offers and opportunities.” - Daniel Frome

“About a month before you finish your current job you need to let everyone you know when you will become available again. If you know enough people something will usually turn up.” - Charlie Phillips

How to STAY in Work.

Obviously you want to stay working as an editor. But you can’t expect to do one or two shows and expect the job offers to come rolling in, you need to be proactive in your approach to ensure you carry on working all the time.

The best way to ensure you continue working is simple - be somebody people like to work with. We humans are social creatures and we enjoy being in the company of others who we get along with. Do your best to be a pleasure to be around and keep in mind the impression to make to others at all times. It’s a small industry and word travels round fast, if people have a bad experience with you - others will soon know about it.

“You’re only as good as your last job, Don’t piss too many people off!!” - Nigel G. Honey

Representation

In the world of showbusiness, it seems like everybody needs an agent. Whilst you can certainly get yourself an agent, it is not necessary. It’s not like being a screenwriter, where production companies won’t even look at your script unless you have representation. Most editors don’t have agents and those who do tend to be the big name guys working on major Hollywood blockbusters.

But what about being part of a union? Again, this isn’t really necessary - especially in the UK. There are some jobs which will require you to be part of the union, but these are few and far between. For the most part, you are on your own.

“The union in the UK has all but disappeared. An agent is useful if you don’t like negotiating your own rate or if you like someone else looking after your diary.” - Charlie Phillips

Conclusion

That’s it, we have reached the end! Together we have climbed the ladder and discovered just what goes into becoming a professional editor. I sincerely hope this has been of use to you and if you have any success stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me (you can reach me at contact@owenward.net).

If anything, I hope this guide has shown you that is it possible to get in touch with these people yourself. The editing community is a friendly and welcoming bunch and I was delighted at the response I got from total strangers. If I can do it, you can too!

“While there's no instruction manual on how to cut right, by watching movies and tv and just putting in the hours you can hone and cultivate your instinct to make good decisions more often than not.  In that way it's similar than all the other film crafts, but different as well.  A good DP is an artist with a blank canvas.  Same with a writer.  An editor is more like Tesla, taking things that exist and making things previously thought unimaginable.  SO in that way, Editors are the coolest of them all.” - Eddie Doty