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Question for people using FCP in career.
How much knowledge is enough before you can advertise yourself as
a video editor?Must I have a certification or Art Degree.
As for myself I’m studying video production, I’ve learned mostly from working on personal projects and the Apple certification book.
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14 Replies
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The answer is relative:
-When you feel that you can walk into a edit session with a client you have never met before and you feel absolutely confident you will come through technically and visually….no matter what.
(Yes, experience is something you get right after when you could have used the most…catch 22…but you got to start somewhere)
Degrees are not relevant as much as experience is (IMHO), I would not discriminate against a candidate if he had no formal training but was a natural.
You have to understand the technology and what goes on under the hood. If the machine fails you need to know how to fix it. If you run into a problem and you can’t go any further because you don’t know what to so, it doesn’t matter if you are the best editor in the world.
You have to establish the fine balance between being a video engineer and an artist. Practice, practice, practice… watch a lot of movies, dissect TV shows. Adapt the styles you like and advance them to make them your own. Most creative people I have met, hired or learned from had absolutely no formal training.
We are not doctors, we don’t require “certification” to do work. You just need to be really good at what you do.
I personally hire the best and pay top dollar because they do good work, don’t complain, make me look good and get the job done.
Hope this helps,
Emre Tufekci
http://www.productionpit.com -
When you know it and can edit anything and respond to any demand, you are ready.
No certificatoin or degree can give you that. Only time int he chair can.
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I agree with what Emre and Grinner said. A lot of editors don’t have FCP certification or a degree. That doesn’t make those options bad. They can be very helpful. I feel an option C that is really good is doing an internship, where you will gain so helpful real world experience. Best of luck.
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Depends on if you’re trying to get a job or market yourself as a freelancer or a “production company.” If you’re taking the freelance route, I’d recommend that you know enough to a) get the job done, b) explain to a newbie what you’re doing, and c) fix your own problems.
C) Something will break, or you’ll find a “feature,” or the client will give you content in a weird format… But never blame the software or your hardware — especially in front of a client, because this makes you look like you’re out of control. Most times, it’s enough to know how to ask the Google for help and be fearless enough to fix issues on your own.
B) There’s an optometrist who my parents took the whole family to for years. He’s a good eye doctor, but my mom explained why she prefers him — he explains things in a way that makes her feel smart. Explaining the process to your clients in a manner that makes them feel smart and involved (as much as they want to be) helps them feel comfortable with you.
I’m just a young’un… this is some of what’s worked for me so far.
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Meteor Tower Films
Video creations for music, art, & theater.
https://meteortower.com/ -
Can you deliver a finished product that meets the client’s requirements? This applies whether you are an editor, shooter, bricklayer or pastry chef.
And do you have the confidence in your own abilities to get the job done?Certifications may have some meaning but I have yet to see that they make a difference in media production.
I call myself a project manager, and my certification is my experience. But when I listen to podcasts and search for books on the subject, many have to do with passing the PMI exam. In fact preparing people for the PMI exam is a business unto itself, so the PMI is important for those people, much like certifications in software is good for the people teaching the classes.
But if I had $2500 to spend on either a class or a computer with software and some books, I would choose the latter and just get to work learning what I don’t know.
You can’t teach someone to be creative – you can teach someone what buttons to push. Creativity is developed over time from being challenged.
I once knew a computer technician who actually hung his certification diplomas on his office wall. But ask him a question that fell outside of the precise facts and skills he learned and he was utterly useless.Mike
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[Mike Nax] “As for myself I’m studying video production, I’ve learned mostly from working on personal projects and the Apple certification book. “
The best way to learn is to get a job, any type of job, at a post and/or production facility near you and become a sponge. There’s no substitute for working in the ‘real world’, IMO. There is so much that you don’t even know you don’t know until you get out, start working at a facility, and go, “Man… I don’t know jack!” 😉
And once you’ve been out there for a while and seen what Editors do day in and day out you’ll have a better understanding of what you need to know and what you need to do to edit professionally.
-Andrew
3.2GHz 8-core, FCP 6.0.4, 10.5.5
Blackmagic Multibridge Eclipse (6.8.1) -
[Mike Nax] “How much knowledge is enough before you can advertise yourself as
a video editor?”Anyone out there can call themselves a a video editor, but its your demo reel that will prove it.
I’ve met people that call themselves video editors and yet when you look at what they have done frankly makes this video look professional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH4_2IZ3vb8
Oh and yes those chimps can now call themselves film makers, but after watching their demo reel would you hire them.
Hindsight is always 1080p
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Even with 4 years of professional editing experience under my belt, I still often wonder whether I’m qualified to call myself an ‘editor’. ‘Cuz I do know I still don’t know A LOT of stuff [esp. when I read the Cow and discover the enormous pool of experts out there].
Though sometimes I’ll see the reels and works of people who are very eager to call themselves editors and seem to ‘talk the talk’, and I think to myself, “Hey, the stuff I do ain’t any shabbier that this!”
Personally, I have a degree in Communications, which is not directly relevant to editing since I picked up the skills largely on my own. But it’s something I feel contributes to the greater capabilities of an editor – in terms of communicating with clients/directors and also, having a meta picture of the whole production process.
Whatever it is, I think it’s important to constantly evaluate where you stand – be it skills or professionalism wise, since with time and work, you should evolve. Maybe at this point for you, it’s realistic to advertise yourself as someone willing to learn about the art/craft in a professional capacity and sees where that takes you. Be frank about what you know and hope to learn.
Kai
FCP Editor / Producer with Intuitive Films
https://kai-fcp-editor.blogspot.com
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In my opinion, to call yourself a video editor requires proficiency with more than just one platform (FCP, for example). If you tell people you’re a pro based on your experience with FCP and then get hired for a job that requires you to work with Avid, you’re going to look very stupid indeed.
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[Brynn Sankey] “In my opinion, to call yourself a video editor requires proficiency with more than just one platform”
Sorry Brynn, but I wholeheartedly disagree with you. A real editor is storyteller, not a hardware and software jockey.
Sure, there’s no such thing as too much knowledge, and it can’t hurt to know enough to move between platforms, but that’s just a little icing on the cake for those who can really use those tools to tell tales with pictures, words, and sound.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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