Career Summary

Making commercial-quality film and video projects requires technical expertise, which includes applying a good editorial eye to ensure smooth, natural movement of the film content, without background noise and eyesores. Film and video editors use editing equipment to remove or change uninteresting parts of a film or video.

Editors may work with news agencies or production companies to revise television, film and video projects such as music videos, commercials or trailers. Film editors reassemble the best parts of the film to enhance the entertainment. The fifty-second close-up of a sleeping dog or the two-minute clip of a beautiful mountain range seen from a moving car is reduced by the editor to highlight the cute twitching of the dog's nose or the gimps of the sunset as the film cuts to a new scene. A good editing job makes film and video moments worth seeing and memorable.

Before they do any editing, film and video editors study the script with producers and directors. They learn about the storyline and what scenes the director thinks are most important. Film and video editors watch all the film footage to highlight the most dramatic or entertaining parts so the film will hold the audience's interest. Editors need to know what the producers and directors expect of the film so they can edit it to match the creators' vision. While editors transfer the film to computers for editing, some editors still work by cutting film or videotape and splicing it back together in a different order.

Once the edits are made, film and video editors, producers, directors and all decision makers review the film and make additional edits. Editors also add or assist with added dialogue, music, and special effects. They often work with other industry specialists who specialize in audio, visual, music, and special effects.

For each scene in a motion picture, television show or video, they are given multiple shots from different angles. They evaluate each scene to determine the entertainment value. They than choose the best shots for each scene and combine them to form a coherent sequence of scenes. They attempt to balance elements such as photography, performance, consistency, and timing.