I recently found a research paper on looking for a film editing position I wrote when I was attending The Art Institute of Las Vegas. I got an “A” on the paper, although that isn’t saying much because the school was not so great. I did go to school on the G.I. Bill, so I figure it’s only fair to share my work with the tax payers.
If you’re going to college, you probably don’t need to do that, depending on your major.
*I had a classmate once asked to see a paper I had written. It turns out he basically copied the paper and just changed some words here and there. He got in trouble for that because the system found too much similarity to mine (luckily, I turned mine in first). So don’t get any funny ideas!!!*
This was for some sort of Advanced Communications class, and I believe we were suppose to research a job we wanted in our major. It’s not solely on film editing, but more so on being a film editor.
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Lions, Numbers, and Magic, Oh My!
Magic doesn’t only exist in fairy tales of the dark ages, but one could say it exists every time a film or television production is viewed. When actual “magic” is performed, one only see what the magician wants the audience to see. At the turn of the 20th century, however, a new type of magic molded from a new art from – film. The magic doesn’t only happen in camera. Magic could be just as strong or even more powerful in the hallowed depths of the editor’s bay. It is in these catacombs where the final film or video will be cut to how the viewer will see it how the editor wishes, save any intervention from the directors or producers.
With the numerous amount of editing systems out there, how will an editor know which system to know? When searching for a position, an editor is best ready if he is familiar with as many different editing systems as possible (“How to Become”). As with any job out there, it’s about getting a foot in the door. The more renown one achieves, the more weight one will be able to pull with one’s editing system preference. The article also explains that one can spend years as an assistant before given a chance to edit. Patience is a virtue in the position if one wants the coveted editor chair, and that patience could be tested exponentially once there.
To put in perspective how many decisions and how important the editor is in putting a film together, one only needs to turn to the editor who prefers no chair, Oscar-winning editor Walter Murch. The equation is C (minimum ways a scene can be assembled) = e (the mathematical constant) * n! (number of scenes with the factorial) – 1. If given a scene with 10 different shots, this formula tells us the scene has nearly ten million different ways can be edited (79). Murch furthers that the vast majority of the edited versions may be poor, but even a very small percentage of that ten million could leave thousands of decisions for the editor. The editor must decide what will be best for the project. Unfortunately, and in some cases, fortunately, this isn’t entirely up to the editor.
The editor must have great communication skills. The editor needs to see the project as the director sees it and must be willing to compromise and work through any discrepancies mixed with his vision and the director’s. One of the hardest obstacles for an editor to cross is changing an edit that he knows isn’t what’s best for the project. If money is talking, he needs to practice constraint. The editor must be a leader and provide an enriching environment if he is fortunate enough to have a team.
Essentially, there are four positions in the editing room when it comes to becoming a professional editor. According to the Editors’ Guild, the first is the apprentice editor. He is someone who is learning about editing and is there mainly to serve the assistant editor. The assistant editor (of which a high budget production may have many) has multiple duties, ranging from organizing footage, fetching stock footage, and maintain the flow of information into and out of the editing room. The Picture Editor is the liaison for the set. The top position, the editor, will then shape the clips to provide the best story with the director’s vision to make the audience feel the work (“What Do Our Members Do”). After climbing up the editing ladder, there are a couple ways one can go.
Editors can also step up to become a producer or director. This can be a trap for the editor, however, due to the status and salary increase. Once an editor gets comfortable with that status and pay, it is difficult to ask him to descend to the editing room even though it is a respected position (Dmytryk 3). No matter where he ends up beyond the ladder, organization is a major key to his success.
Aside from the technical skills, I feel the biggest skill to editing is organization. The larger the project, the more dire organization is. Trying to access the one clip if it is amongst hundreds or thousands of clips would be like finding a needle in a haystack. From the projects I have worked on just at school alone I have found organization to be extremely crucial. I wouldn’t consider myself to be the most organized individual, but when it comes to video and film, I am becoming more steadfast in taking the time to organize. Organization is very helpful if the project must be handed off to another editor. Trying to make sense of another’s bad organization would leave the original editor in a bad light. A bad reputation, especially in smaller markets, could prove harsh to future job prospects.
The job security of an editor seems pretty stable once a position is secured. Digital Filmmaking seems much less about shooting it on set as it is adding it in post production with visual effects. Technological capability will continue to grow and be more affordable, making it harder for someone to justify spending the time or money to shoot it on set. Many mistakes made while shooting can be corrected in today’s visual effect programs. As much as it is preached to not “fix it in post,” it’s a given this isn’t the case in the real world of non-industry professionals. This is where the editor talks money.
The median editor, as of May 2012, earns about $64,060 a year or $30.80 per hour. This varies greatly by state throughout the U.S., but is more focused on major metropolitan areas. The job rate is less than one hundredth of a percent per one thousand people in every city except in Los Angeles. Most work for editors is provided by motion picture and video companies (:Occupational Employment”). Unfortunately, the projected growth rate is only 5% from 2010 to 2020 (“Job Outlook”). The path to becoming an editor is a long and difficult one, and the sooner one plants seeds around the garden, the more chances one has to pick the flower.
Lionsgate was a small production and distribution company. It has snowballed into one of the most successful companies and is poised to keep growing, although it is producing less and focused more in distribution. Lionsgate’s leadership of Jon Feltheimer and Michael Burns have made the company worth over four billion in just thirteen years (“Key Lines”). A CNBC report shows they have had extreme success in the theaters with numerous movies, in television with shows like “Mad Men”, and in digital distribution with shows either showing or scheduled to be released with Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon (“Is the Best”).
Michael Burns, the Vice President of Lionsgate, informed in the report his company is largely successful due to its interest and “liking” of built-in audiences, most of which comes from books. This shows with their success of Twilight, The Hunger Games and predictable success of their next big release, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The latter’s advanced ticket sales were seventy percent of Fandango’s ticket sales and fifty-four percent of Movietickets.com ticket sales on October 1st, 2013 (Ford). These statistics can easily fool an outsider as the film industry is rarely that successful.
Film is already a high-risk venture, yet Lionsgate isn’t afraid to delve into deeper, calculated risks. For example, they were the first to release in Real 3D a horror and R-rated film, My Bloody Valentine 3D, to 1,033 theaters in addition to regular screens (Mayfield and Ocasio 49) . This risk paid out for Lionsgate, earning them over eighty-five million dollars (“My Bloody Valentine”).
Another interesting approach Lionsgate seems to be taking is signing stars to exclusive contracts with them. The Hollywood Reporter’s Lacey Rose reports Lionsgate most recently signed comedian-actor Kevin James to a big screen and small screen deal. This builds on their proven built-in audience business plan with famous and popular talents like James. The question of how much artistic freedom the stars will have remains to be seen.
Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment in 2012. The merger led Lionsgate to release eighty employees, leaving about five hundred seventy-five with the company (Kilday). Although there are no editor positions available, the company has a history promoted leadership from within. It only makes sense to promote those proven to produce the desired product. With Lionsgate continuing to grow in almost every aspect of film and television shows, the opportunities will be available for those who are willing and ready to take.
Although Lionsgate may not be looking for “magicians” currently, their expansion into television will only increase the need for editors. Unfortunately with television, speed is a necessity. Fortunately, there are many other companies and opportunities looking for editors. Being able to make great decisions in editing and keeping up with the pace can be exhausting, yet yield great results and payoff. Experience is easy to obtain, which makes the bounds of the magic almost limitless.
Works Cited
Dmytryk, Edward. On Film Editing. Boston: Focal Press. 1984. Print.
“How to Become a Film and Video Editor or Camera Operator.” Bls.gov. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 16 Apr 2012. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
“Is the Best Yet to Come for Lionsgate?” cnbc.com. CNBC LLC. 31 May 2013. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
“Job Outlook.” Bls.gov. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 16 Apr 2012. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
“Key Lines of Business.” Lionsgate.com. Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. n.d. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
Kilday, Gregg. “Lionsgate-Summit Lays Off 80 Employees.” Hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. 9 Mar 2012. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
Mayfield, Susanna, and Leora Ocasio. Film, Video, and Music Technologies. New Delhi, IND: College Publishing House. Ebrary. Web. 22 Oct 2013.
Murch, Walter. In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing. Beverly Hills: Silman-James Press, 2001. Print.
“My Bloody Valentine 3-D.” boxofficemojo.com. Imdb.com Inc. n.d. Web. 22 Oct 2013.
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2012: 27-4032 Film and Video Editors.” Bls.gov. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 29 Mar 2013. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
Rose, Lacey. “Kevin James Inks Overall Deal for Film and TV at Lionsgate.” Hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. 1 Oct 2013. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
“What Do Our Members Do.” Editorsguild.com. Motion Pictures Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700. N.d. Web. 21 Oct 2013.
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