How to Become a Video Editor

The Internet is rapidly changing and, with faster broadband speeds, video content is quickly becoming the best way to get your company’s message across. Statistics show that that users respond to video better than photos, on the web. For online businesses, there are many benefits to producing a video to showcase what your business is all about. The key is to make it funny, engaging, and smart in order to get people’s attention. And due to the rise in the popularity and importance of video content, there has never been a better time than now to become a video editor. Best of all, with many of the new video editing platforms it doesn’t take to much time to learn, which can make landing a job easier than ever. Here are some ways you can become a video editor.

First, you want to try your hand on little projects, like music videos and web commercials. Many of these jobs won’t pay that much money, but you gain real life video editing skills that you will use for the duration of your career. You will also build a portfolio, which is incredibly important if you want to show other people your work and get better, higher paying jobs in the future. It can be grueling and tedious, but everyone has to pay his or her dues at some point.

You can also work as an assistant to an already established video editor. You can be prepared to spend many days in a dark room mastering your craft. Video editing is a tedious job that requires patience and discipline. Becoming an apprentice is a great way to learn how to edit without taking costly classes. Moreover, working as an assistant will put you directly in the industry, which can possibly open up doors for other editing jobs down the line.

Also, taking a class, either in a community college or as part of a bachelor’s degree program, will allow you to learn the basics of many of the video editing programs. This is often a great way for those slow self-starters to force themselves to learn. Usually, before you can start getting your feet wet, taking a few courses is necessary. However, many of these programs are easy to learn on your own and there are many tutorials online.

Lastly, if you have a few videos in your portfolio, there are a number of ways to look for a job. You could join a production company with a roster of different editors and directors. Often times these production companies are hired by a marketing or advertising agency. The production company will then pick the best editor for the job. You can also start shopping your portfolio around to different companies that might need an in-house editor for their marking campaigns. You can find these jobs by visiting online job forums or you can ask your friends if they know of any open positions. It is key that your portfolio is succinct and easy to navigate so that you can best present your talent to a possible employer.