Career Research Essay about Film and Video Editor

The career I would be most interested in for filmmaking would be becoming a film editor. A film editor works with the director to edit footage, shape character and perspective, as well as create a comprehensive onscreen narrative. Going into further detail, a film editor’s tasks are mainly to organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of the directors and producers. Film editors also trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect. Additionally, film editors also determine the specific audio, music, and visual effects to complete films. Film editors play a significant role in filmmaking and help films advance at a good pace that best suits the story and properly engages its audiences. I would be interested in pursuing this position because it is something that I feel passionate about as well as something that I can apply my skills to. The required skills for film editing are active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, and time management. I can bring a lot of these qualities to the filmmaking industry. Active listening requires film directors to give their full attention to what other people are saying and to take the time to understand the points that are being made. I can take the time to understand people’s thoughts and emotions as well as take criticism when it is needed. Additionally, I am a very good listener and I can follow directions and understand what is wanted of me. Critical thinking uses logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. When a problem is addressed to me, I am able to very quickly find various solutions that can help better the situation for not only me but everyone involved. Reading comprehension and speaking both go hand in hand. Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents as well as talking to others to convey information is no problem for me. I am able to effectively comprehend the information being given to me and address what I need to when speaking to other adults. As for time management, I am very good at managing my time. I don’t like to be unorganized and I like to have everything ready early or on time, never late. I consider time management to be very important because I feel that it establishes your professionalism. I believe that I can bring many different qualities and positive attributes that can really benefit the filmmaking industry and myself as a whole.

The steps required to gain employment as a film editor aren’t very complicated. It is required that you have an educational background, including a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is the minimum qualification for getting into the workforce as a film editor. However, if a master’s degree program in film production is completed, this can increase one's opportunities to become employed. Undergraduates are able to take an undergraduate fine arts degree program in film and video production that allows students to learn about film through the use of lectures and different projects. Through these programs, students are able to learn all the information that is needed about film and video production. This consists of writing, editing, cinematography, and directing. Additionally, some classes include the history and theory of film and video. Similar to this, if students want to further their education and opportunities, they are eligible to take a fine arts master's degree program. This equips students with specific insights into different aspects of film production. This program also allows students to express their ideas and get feedback from instructors and other students. This differs from an undergraduate fine arts degree program because, in a master’s program, you are learning new and different information that is more beneficial in the filming industry. There are many different universities that I can choose from such as NYU, USC, and UCLA. each of these universities offers amazing film programs that I can benefit from. I feel the university that would best suit me is the University of Southern California. USC offers both an undergraduate fine arts degree program and a fine arts master’s degree program. Each of USC’s programs provides different aspects of filmmaking that can really benefit the filmmaking industry. For instance, USC’s Bachelor of Arts program supplies students with a complete understanding of the technical and aesthetic aspects of moving images and filmmaking. In addition, the program also includes all aspects of filmmaking as well as promoting a collaborative environment for learning and expressing original ideas through film and video. To add to this, USC’s Master of Fine Arts program also provides students with many beneficial techniques they can use in the film industry. For example, their master's program allows students to express their talents through producing, directing, cinematography, editing, production design, and sound specialties. They also equip students with learning how to use the newest cutting-edge technologies that are changing the professional production process which further prepares students for all future forms of media production. I believe that USC’s filmmaking programs can really benefit me in the future and give me all of the techniques that I will need to expand my career opportunities in the film industry. To become a film editor, one to two years of training is needed in order to achieve full employment. This includes both on-the-job experience as well as training with experienced workers. The majority of film editors have one to two years of work experience along with one to three months of job training. In order to achieve a full Ph.D., you must first have either a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The completion of earning a full PhD takes about four to six years. Having PhD in the film industry can open up a variety of opportunities in the workforce such as earning a higher salary and getting the chance to work in different fields of film. This includes teaching, television, and production. TAUBLIEB Films, Cinema Libre Studio, and KTRK-TV News are just a few of the companies that I have found who are currently looking for an intern. The ideal company that I would want to work with would be Netflix. I would love to work with Netflix because I enjoy watching a lot of Netflix’s shows, so working for them would be an amazing opportunity. Some related fields that film editors should major in are film and television, film studies, and film communications. Additionally, film editors also need to know how to maneuver a camera and work camera equipment so they must also major in cinematography. Overall, taking the right courses and getting internships can give you all of the special training and experience that you will need to become a film editor.

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On average, film editors make about $40 an hour, but hourly rates for film editors fluctuate from as low as $14 an hour and as high as $80 an hour. Additionally, a film editor’s salary will vary depending on their experience and skill level. Film editors with less experience make $35,000 to $40,000 a year. More experienced film editors are eligible to make up to $80,000 a year. After doing some research, I have found a few job opportunities. Some production companies that are hiring are Hulu, BuzzFeed, NFL, and Disney. For me, the best job opportunities are located in Los Angeles, California. One company that piqued my interest was the company Fullscreen. Fullscreen is offering a video editor job in Playa Vista, CA and their production team is looking for a video editor who is able to work efficiently and effectively.

To conclude, I would be interested in this position in real life. As a whole, I learned a lot of things that I didn’t know about the film industry before and I also learned a lot about the education requirements through my research. I learned that becoming a film editor is a career that I would be interested in doing. Furthermore, writing this paper has helped me realize that there are so many different careers that I can choose from.