4 answers
Abraham
Student
Castroville, CA
1
Question
Updated
272 views
should I get an education?
Should I get an education if i want to become a video editor because i know that i could just search it up but would it be better to have a degree?
4 answers
Charlie Forbes
Broadcast and video production professional
99
Answers
Southfield, Michigan
Updated
Charlie’s Answer
Yes you should consider an education. While we all learn differently entry into a career will require a degree. While it is possible to find work without formal education, you will find down the road the higher paying jobs will demand a degree. That said your degree doesn’t have to reflect video production. It could be something that fits in the bigger picture of the career you want to edit. Such as marketing, public relations, journalism, web design, etc. Employers are looking for multi-talented individuals who can fill a variety of roles. You could be hired as an editor, but also have to do videography, write, produce, or create content for a website.
Look into job shadowing or internships
Talk to college counselors
Review job posting for video editors to see what is expected
Compare skills and experience needed for producer/editors at different salary points
Charlie recommends the following next steps:
Loved reading this, thanks!
Abraham
Brenda Ambrize
Video Supervising Producer
1
Answer
Austin, Texas
Updated
Brenda’s Answer
As a former educator, I believe getting an education is valuable, and a degree can open doors. There are many university programs geared to the film & video business. Having a desire in a particular field and acquiring or advancing your skill-set will require training and education in that particular area, but there are other avenues to that end purpose. As someone who graduated with a degree and now works as a video producer and commercial broadcast producer, many of my non-corporate colleagues do not have a college degree. And the ones who do were in fields completely foreign to what they are now doing. A recruiter once told me that a person with a degree tells them said person was able to set short and long-term goals and accomplish them by graduating with a degree. That indicated that person had demonstrated the potential to be successful in their organization.
However, I agree with Kory in that one can invest in their training and future career in other ways that does not include a formal education. Most of my colleagues immersed themselves in the local production community and worked their way up to their desired department, i.e, producing, art department, camera department, etc. They began as production assistants, and attached themselves to the department they were interested in and trained under the Keys in those departments. People who were interested in editing began by getting online training/self-training and working on their own projects to build their portfolios. Some also went the local production route and learned every part of the business to enhance their editorial skills. Hard work and talent will always open doors.
I worked in a CGI studio for a year, and back then, the requisite machines were huge. Now you just need your laptop and the requisite skills and software to create amazing work.
Lastly, any business is relationship-oriented and as a freelancer for the majority of my career, building relationships and putting out great work was key to building my business and acquiring and keeping clients. Don't skip steps. Put in the work and continue learning and growing to stay relevant in a constantly changing field.
Look up local resources, production websites, and the local film commission websites for job opportunities.
Check out university projects who are looking for crew to complete their graduate projects.
Attend workshops and seminars in your field.
Check out online resources & training for editing.
Attend networking events in your city to meet others in the field.
However, I agree with Kory in that one can invest in their training and future career in other ways that does not include a formal education. Most of my colleagues immersed themselves in the local production community and worked their way up to their desired department, i.e, producing, art department, camera department, etc. They began as production assistants, and attached themselves to the department they were interested in and trained under the Keys in those departments. People who were interested in editing began by getting online training/self-training and working on their own projects to build their portfolios. Some also went the local production route and learned every part of the business to enhance their editorial skills. Hard work and talent will always open doors.
I worked in a CGI studio for a year, and back then, the requisite machines were huge. Now you just need your laptop and the requisite skills and software to create amazing work.
Lastly, any business is relationship-oriented and as a freelancer for the majority of my career, building relationships and putting out great work was key to building my business and acquiring and keeping clients. Don't skip steps. Put in the work and continue learning and growing to stay relevant in a constantly changing field.
Brenda recommends the following next steps:
Kory Archuleta
commercial photographer
1
Answer
Santa Monica, California
Updated
Kory’s Answer
Definitely, you can succeed without formal education. However, this means you'll need to put in extra effort to learn and handle expectations. I was a freelancer without a degree until I was 28. Then, I decided to get my degree to broaden my skills and look for better-paying jobs within a system. Earning a good living in this field doesn't need formal education, but it does require plenty of self-learning and may be a "slower path." Instead of spending money on a university, you can invest in your career. The resources are available. I concur with Charlie that education mainly offers benefits. It's not for everyone, so find the best fit for you.
Consider an Associates degree from a community college.
Attend relevant free seminars, the film industry often host events or talks.
Volunteer with local productions companies.
Start editing.
Use free online earning portals.
Kory recommends the following next steps:
Marshall Main
Director, Manager, Videographer
75
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
Updated
Marshall’s Answer
Film school can be a divisive topic. Some are for it and some are against it. I agree with getting an education being a worthwhile investment.
A degree is very useful if you are working in a corporate environment. There is also more that happens when on campus: you network with like minded people. Do some research and you will find that there are people that have been working together since they went to film school together (i.e. Lucas, Spielberg, Lynch etc). You will make connections with people that you can/may/will collaborate with on future projects. And Film school/ college allows you to make major mistakes or experiment and not lose your job/ ruin your career. In this business it's a "small town" and once you get blacklisted, it's harder to get work [people talk]. So being able to learn your narrative style and hone that with practice with no negative consequences is beneficial.
There will be many things you can get online that can supplement, enhance or continue to advance your skills as you go along through life and your career. This is something that will be important to you as you go since the technology is ever changing as well. You can also use some of these tools to help give you a leg up in your career goals.
While you are considering where to go, that will depend on other factors. The other advice here is good and I think that doing a little research on what programs are available in your area will be helpful. You can then visit those places and see if they are the right fit for you. Schools like UCLA and NYU are more theory based and schools like Full Sail are more technical based. It depends on who you are, how you learn and what path is a good fit for you.
There is also the career path that you want to pursue: Cinematic, Television, Corporate, etc. You can work while in school, so you are kind of getting "multiple birds with one stone". I can personally say this is what I did, I was working while in school, so I came out with legitimate credits/reel items, ability to make my rent (got paid) and the degree at the end of the day (which has served me very well over 20+ years).
There are also lots of other factors that play into this decision as well: Finances, Nepotism, Access to name a few. That is a much deeper conversation but would tie into your question of should you get an education, when and how.
But as others have said, the best way to get started is to do as much as you can: get out there! Having a plan and looking at things short and long term will serve you well. I would recommend mapping things out, both paths [school or freelance] and find Pros and Cons.
**Freelancing will still need some education even if it's not a formal degree. You should take some courses on "starting a business'. You will need to be an LLc or Scorp to protect yourself and will want to understand marketing, budgeting, taxes, contracts, laws and other things that relate to running a business - which is what freelancing is: you are the business and the product [an editor]. You will also want to have legal support.
A degree is very useful if you are working in a corporate environment. There is also more that happens when on campus: you network with like minded people. Do some research and you will find that there are people that have been working together since they went to film school together (i.e. Lucas, Spielberg, Lynch etc). You will make connections with people that you can/may/will collaborate with on future projects. And Film school/ college allows you to make major mistakes or experiment and not lose your job/ ruin your career. In this business it's a "small town" and once you get blacklisted, it's harder to get work [people talk]. So being able to learn your narrative style and hone that with practice with no negative consequences is beneficial.
There will be many things you can get online that can supplement, enhance or continue to advance your skills as you go along through life and your career. This is something that will be important to you as you go since the technology is ever changing as well. You can also use some of these tools to help give you a leg up in your career goals.
While you are considering where to go, that will depend on other factors. The other advice here is good and I think that doing a little research on what programs are available in your area will be helpful. You can then visit those places and see if they are the right fit for you. Schools like UCLA and NYU are more theory based and schools like Full Sail are more technical based. It depends on who you are, how you learn and what path is a good fit for you.
There is also the career path that you want to pursue: Cinematic, Television, Corporate, etc. You can work while in school, so you are kind of getting "multiple birds with one stone". I can personally say this is what I did, I was working while in school, so I came out with legitimate credits/reel items, ability to make my rent (got paid) and the degree at the end of the day (which has served me very well over 20+ years).
There are also lots of other factors that play into this decision as well: Finances, Nepotism, Access to name a few. That is a much deeper conversation but would tie into your question of should you get an education, when and how.
But as others have said, the best way to get started is to do as much as you can: get out there! Having a plan and looking at things short and long term will serve you well. I would recommend mapping things out, both paths [school or freelance] and find Pros and Cons.
**Freelancing will still need some education even if it's not a formal degree. You should take some courses on "starting a business'. You will need to be an LLc or Scorp to protect yourself and will want to understand marketing, budgeting, taxes, contracts, laws and other things that relate to running a business - which is what freelancing is: you are the business and the product [an editor]. You will also want to have legal support.
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