Do you exactly know how much do film editors make? Or what’s their role behind the camera? This article has answered these questions. Keep reading the write-up first to last with a view to gaining an adequate idea about film/ video editors.
Early films were too short in duration. Consequently, editing was not requisite. The kind of films that the Lumiere brothers made was basically in one shot. The scenes that were shown in Lumiere’s films did not have the slightest hint of editing.
With the progression of the film industry the length of the film increased, the number of shots increased. As a result, the importance and necessity of film editing also increased. With the advancement of modern technology, film editing has reached a tremendous level. At present, a film without editing can’t be imagined.
The filmmaking process divided into some main slots. Among them, post-production is the most important. Film editors use their highest mental work and creativity to make a film successful as well as aesthetic. As they draw the final lineup of a film, a beautiful output is mostly dependent on them.
Table of Contents
Principle Duties
Post-production needs a good amount of time. Within this time film, editors have to arrange multiple works. These are:
i) A film editor at first separates the required shots from the raw footage and then arranges them in a certain order.
ii) He/She synchronizes the video with audio. Inserts music, dialogue, and sound effects to arrange films into sequences and to correct errors using editing equipment.
iii) Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene by following the scripts or instructions of the director and producers. To form a story that runs logically and smoothly, this step is important.
iv) Make a rough cut and then recheck the assembled final copy to detect whether any correction needed or not.
v) Use different editing tactics such as cutaway, fade in, fade out, jump cuts, L/J cut, etc.
vi) Add special effects where needed, do color correction, and operate electronic titling systems to produce a final product.
Film Editing as a Career
Film editing as a career is a smart choice nowadays. It is quite a profitable task if you are skilled enough. If you are enthusiastic to work in the film industry and at the same time you are good at using advanced technology for film editing then there is a high possibility to get a job or to be hired here. Besides, in the film industry, there are lots of potential workstations where one can build a career as a film/ video editor. Television channels, production houses, international freelancing marketplaces, or advertisement agencies are the places where a film editor can get works and develop his/her professional life.
Average Income
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), film editors made an average annual wage of $87,300 or $41.97 per hour. The best in the business was able to make as much as $168,320 or more. On the other hand, editors in the bottom made $32,750 or less.
California and New York are the two locations with the largest numbers of film editors as well as two of the best paying states. California was first both in the number of editors employed and salary, with a mean annual wage of $112,530. New York was second in employment and pay, at $92,170. New Jersey is the third highest paying state at $87,150 followed by Massachusetts in fourth place at $74,090.
Final Words
There is a famous saying about editing- “The less the editing catches the eye of the viewer, the more perfect and successful the editing will be.” Editing is an invisible art. If the film editing correctly done, the audience becomes immersed in it such a way that the editor’s achievements are not visible.
However, the role of editing in film making or how much do film editors make-this answers can’t be described briefly in one article. Despite this, I have tried to focus on the main points. Hopefully, you enjoy the content. To quench your curiosity about film-related topics further, keep an eye on my next articles. Happy Read 🙂
