Are you thinking about becoming a video editor? Or maybe you want to create some videos for your business or organization and wonder if hiring a video editor would allow you to reach your goals.
These nine video editor responsibilities will give you a better idea of their work and the skills they must have.
Responsibility #1: Cutting and combining different types of footage
You shouldn’t be too surprised to learn that video editors edit videos. They usually are not responsible for shooting videos, although some of them might do it.
Their job is to look at the video footage they receive, cut and edit it, and combine it with audio footage and music. They can also add sound effects, visual effects, and graphics to tell the client’s story.
Responsibility #2: Creating treatments and storyboards
A video editor can also be responsible for helping create visual treatments and storyboards.
A visual treatment is a tool that develops an artistic vision and explores how a video will look and feel. A storyboard is a series of drawings or sketches representing all the scenes to be shot for a video, in chronological order, along with the camera movements.
Video editors can help create these tools before video footage is shot and can then refer to them for their editing work.
Responsibility #3: Helping the director achieve their vision
Whether a video editor is hired to help produce a short movie or a video for a small business, their job is to help the director achieve their vision.
Using the treatment and storyboard as guides and collaborating with the video director, they arrange the scenes correctly and edit them so they will work well with one another. They are also responsible for setting the tone and visual style of the entire video and ensuring it achieves its purpose.
Responsibility #4: Telling a story that will keep the audience engaged
Video editors need to be great storytellers. This skill makes it easier for them to arrange the different scenes of a video to tell a story that will keep the audience engaged.
They need to know the audience of each video they are editing and to be able to see the video through their eyes to make sure it will appeal to them.
A video editor will arrange scenes correctly and use graphics, music and special effects efficiently to tell the story the video director wants them to tell. In addition, you may need to use voiceover services to create an engaging story.
Responsibility #5: Collaborating with other professionals
One of the responsibilities of video editors involves communication skills since they often have to collaborate with other professionals to make the best videos possible.
Of course, they will work with video directors and cinematographers, audio engineers, music producers, and sound and special effects directors. Smooth collaboration between all these professionals results in better videos than if each of them was working without paying attention to the needs of the others.
Responsibility #6: Adding graphics and effects to footage
Video editors use different video editing software to add graphics, animations, and effects to the footage they edit. They can also be responsible for adding transcription and dubbing to videos.
Their work aims to make videos more engaging, beautiful, and easier to understand for their audience. Anything they add to a video helps it achieve its purpose, whether entertaining or informing.
Responsibility #7: Editing some scenes digitally
Video editors must have a good knowledge of different post-production software. They can be responsible for editing some scenes digitally, and they have to do it efficiently.
They might have to enhance or change the colours of video footage so it will meet the visual style defined in the video treatment. They also might need to alter the background of a scene, digitally remove a distracting detail, or add lighting to a scene that is too dark.
Responsibility #8: Respecting the deadlines of a project
Video editing projects can involve a lot of different tasks for a video editor. This is why they must have an eye for detail and strong organizational skills.
When someone hires them to work on a video, they want to know their video editor will do a great job and that they will be able to finish it on time and respect all deadlines.
Responsibility #9: Keeping a video cohesive from start to finish
Finally, video editor responsibilities involve ensuring a video stays cohesive from start to finish by noticing and fixing continuity issues.
Video editors can regularly present their work to their clients to give them updates on each project and ensure their edits meet their needs and vision.
