Digital Filmmaking Classroom: The Role of the Editor in the Filmmaking Process

The editor of a film (or video) production is the person required to view all of the recorded material and assemble it into a cohesive narrative according to the script. Along with the writer, director, cinematographer and production designer, the editor is one of the most respected and highly paid positions in film making and television production. Many film directors begin their careers as film editors, and the working relationship between a director and the editor is one of the most critical in the creation of a film.

These days, up and coming film editors have many options available to them in order to gain access into the film industry, however, this was not always the case. In the earlier years of film making, the film communities of Hollywood and New York were essentially "closed" systems, controlled by unions. Until recently, an aspiring editor required some kind of "connection" to gain entry into this field. Most often this was a relative, but it could also be a close friend, a neighbor, or simply someone in the business who took a liking to you because of, much like in any other business, your intelligence, initiative, talent and drive. An example of this might be someone who, through his or her own initiative, decided to seek out editorial mentorship and volunteered their time to help the editorial staff, in turn, ingratiating themselves with the editing team and securing a position in post-production.

Today, with the advent of digital technology anyone with drive and enthusiasm, can essentially teach themselves to be an editor with regards to the technical side of the craft. Inexpensive digital tools have allowed essentially anyone to embark on a career in editing with a personal computer and the right software. The Internet is flooded with websites and tutorials on techniques, tips and tricks on how to operate a plethora of editing tools and software programs.

However, there is a catch. Although certain aspects of editing a motion picture or other media type may be highly technical, it is not the dominant skill required. In fact, the technical facet is only one part of the equation and if you speak with any experienced filmmaker, the technical end is a relatively small one. The real value of a great film editor corresponds to that of an editor in any other creative field. This is the skill to view a piece of creative work as a whole and shape it into something that has impact and power as a vehicle of communication. This could be in one of many forms; entertainment, education, promotion or news.

The point being, much of what is produced by creative people; artists, writers, journalists and filmmakers is incidental and does not contribute to the central idea or ideas which they are attempting to get across. The material needs to be edited. The editor is the facilitator in this process, looking at the work from a critical perspective to consolidate, or sometimes expand the material to accomplish the authors original or subsequent objective.