RANT! Editors who don’t know how to ‘drive’

[Walter Biscardi]

[weevie833] “After some thought, I am considering a new policy for the freelance rate based somewhat on the NYC going rate of, arguably, $650/day:”

around here (Atlanta) the going rate for skilled NLE editors is $350 – $500/day. It only goes up from there if you own the gear.

[weevie833] “Comments?”

Extremely difficult to pull off that tiered pricing. I wouldn’t go for it if I was an editor. What does “skilled” mean? They know how to start the app? They know how to run the app? They know how to be really creative with the app?

Basically if I’m working with a new editor, I generally bring them in at a reduced rate to see what they understand. If they are a good editor and know their way around Photoshop and a few other areas, then I’ll pay them the full rate. That’s my suggestion to you. If an editor says their day rate is $400/day tell them you’ll play $300/day for the first week to see how good they are. If you’re satisfied with their talent level, you switch to $400/day. If you’re not satisfied, you let them know it stays at $300/day or they can leave.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Oliver Peters]

I would agree with Walter. A tiered structure is too open to question. I’ve worked with new clients under the same type of deal Walter describes – first job reduced, next job full rate – and both of us were happy. After all, you are trying to establish a long term relationship between you and the editor.

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Bob Zelin]

All those people reading this and saying “wow, $650 a day, I’ll take that ” – must remember that Steve is in Manhattan, which is a different planet (financially) than almost anywhere else in the US.

Bob Zelin

[John Pale]

[Bob Zelin] “All those people reading this and saying “wow, $650 a day, I’ll take that ” – must remember that Steve is in Manhattan, which is a different planet (financially) than almost anywhere else in the US. “

Thanks for adding that Bob….from another Manhattan resident.

Believe me, that $650/day is becoming harder and harder to get, yet my rent doesn’t seem to go in any direction but up.

[Joe Murray]

That tiered system sounds like a lot of extra work for YOU.

Joe Murray

[Terence Curren]

[Oliver Peters] “Actually working a gig is one of the best ways, though, I’m sure the owner doesn’t want to know that.”

Oliver,

Isn’t that how we all got our first gigs.

Terence Curren
http://www.alphadogs.tv
http://www.digitalservicestation.com
Burbank,Ca

[Oliver Peters]

Speak for yourself! 😉

– Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Mike Mendoza]

You either keep learning until you die, or you go work for McDonnalds.

Sorry man! You can’t work at McDonald’s either. 🙂

I work for McDonald’s (freelance), we have many Adrenaline Avid’s, FCP, Protools, and all the Adobe toys here as well.

You need to know how to use most of these tools forwards and backwards before you can aboard.

[Kurt Reitz]

I learned that even in High School when I helped the teacher with an Apple II+ there are people that had the theory and then struggled with follow through. In these days of increasing edit complexity the number of people that can keep up with the details of all of the tools and still be creative are dwindling. They have a few strengths and just skim the surface of the rest.
I’ve enjoyed several cycles of consulting over the years with products from the GVG 200 and D2 based editing to the Stratasphere and the Affinity to currently explaining what format my customers might use in a particular FCP edit and why 4×3 looks funny in an anamorphic timeline. I do enjoy it, sometimes it is frustrating, but when they are succesful with their small window of understanding it is satisfying.
I do agree about the limited skillset though. I had a recent college graduate the other day all hot to edit with his new FCP “skills” and called asking why his SD video was blown out. I asked him what the scope in his edit bay said….. uhhhh scope? Yeah the thing with the green lines…. Uhhhh….
We didn’t even get into the fact that his video was likely overexposed in the camera and all detail was lost….
I saw the project later…his fields were inverted in an AE project, he had flash frames of black, he was blowing up 120×120 gif graphics to fill the screen and he didn’t even know what an alpha channel was much less what might happen if it was a pre-multiplied or straight key.
His parting comment to me was “High five, it’s a good thing we know what we’re doing!”
Uhhh….Right…
What are they teaching these days….?

Kurt Reitz
EGT Communications
Editing

[Ron Frank]

I just finished teaching a college level video documentary production course that tried to concentrate on “story telling” and not technology. In today’s environment, it’s impossible to separate them, but that’s what colleges and universities are trying to do.

The instructors and professors that I’ve run into have no clue how to edit on NLE systems (much less trouble shoot). They live in a theory based world and generally don’t want to be distracted with “technology!” The students end up teaching NLE basics to each other, and succeed in spite of their instructors.

I’ve been a video producer and editor for 35 years. At the age of 59, the software is becoming a bit more complex (too many brain cells lost doing all-nighers), but it is absolutely essential to “know the tools” so that the “story” can be told just the way you visioned it.

In today’s world, a successful video story teller is a shooter, editor, colorist, graphic artist, animator, audio sweetener, computer Geek, and most importantly, a writer and story teller.

Have I left anything out?

What a great profession!

Ron Frank
Kansas State University