How to become a video editor

How to become a video editor in 2024

by Creative IT Blog

If you love visual storytelling and want to start your career in the creative industry, then video editing can be a lucrative pick for your bucket list. Many organizations use video content for marketing and communication, making this profession a profitable way to reach the maximum audience in the shortest possible time. The great part of being a video editor is that you don’t need a degree, rather you only require a set of skills to start your career with a competitive salary. According to Indeed, the average salary of a video editor is $52,000 per year,  which is worth the effort. So, without further due let’s dive into learning how to become a video editor in 5 simple steps.

How to Become a Video Editor: 5 Simple Steps

As exciting as it may sound, learning new skills can be confusing and tough at the beginning. Choosing the wrong learning path will lead you to continuous failure and lack of interest. This sector requires practical skills that you can gradually sharpen while working on different projects. In this blog, you get everything that you need to know to take your first step in video editing.

1. Learn the basics of video editing software

It is essential to know the ins and outs of video editing software to show your expertise in using different editing tools. Nowadays most video editors offer a range of features that can make your videos aesthetically pleasing and perfectly balanced. But it is equally important for a video editor to utilize all those features showing his technical skills in the project. We recommend you start with Adobe Premier or Final Cut Pro which will provide you with a solid foundation for editing. 

The basics of learning editing software include-

  • Primary editing techniques like cutting and trimming
  • Color correction and transitioning effects
  • Importing, exporting, and layouts

Another crucial fact to learn while using a video editor is non-technical, which is a fresh pair of eyes that pay attention to minuscules. Mastering this skill is not going to land on your lap like magic, instead, you need to be persistent to find beauty in very ordinary things to show your artistic views.

2. Gain Experience Working On Different Projects

Getting hands-on experience lies at the heart of your learning journey that will teach you lessons from mistakes and show you how to deal with practical problems that often feel like unsolvable puzzles. You can start learning yourself or enroll in a professional video editing course to step up your learning. The pros of doing a course are that you get a mentor who can help you with the mistakes and evaluate your progress. Choose a comprehensive course that includes several projects in the curriculum. If you learn yourself, then you have to do extra work to get the guidelines, better join the online community and forums, and be on updates. Finding internships and assisting senior editors can also be helpful for your learning endeavors. 

3. Build a portfolio and get a certification

With the growing competition in the job market, even getting an entry-level job has become a hard nut to crack for most of the people. If you do not want to get lost in the flow make an outstanding portfolio highlighting all the relevant skills and certifications. Certificates play a crucial role in validating your expertise to potential clients. So, one of the best ways can be to pick a popular course to better comprehend the basics such as organizing footage, composition tones, etc. No one wants to hire a person who does a shoddy job, makes dodgy transitions, or puts the wrong audio tracks. That’s where professional courses come in handy that leverage your skills to make a polished video.

Some of the top video editing courses can be found at

4. Start networking and stay updated with the trends

Building connections with the right people can be a key to taking your career to the next level. Unrelated to computer networking, professional networking in the job field refers to sharing ideas between people who are connected to common goals. That can be of any form including attending industry events and meetings with experts via social platforms or collaborating on projects. Networking is a fertile ground for your career growth, it provides you the opportunities that you may have missed otherwise. So do not hesitate to find new people on your way to honing skills. Moreover, staying updated on new technologies and software features is equally important to stay ahead of the competitors. 

5. Embrace creativity and competence

All the video editing techniques boils down to one thing which is communicating a message effectively. An expert editor must know the power of tones and colors that set the mood for the visuals. He needs to play with light and shadows to add depth and dimensions to the video. All this effort comes down to Engaging the audience and letting them know what the content is about. The storytelling aspect of video editing makes this profession artistic and creative, so you need to gradually increase your competence and pay attention to every detail to be a good editor. 

How about starting today?

If you are interested in video editing, the right time to start learning is now. The need for pro video editors is rising in the market and this can be your chance to bring your vision to life. Now that you know how to become a video editor, start working without delay. Online is full of learning materials, don’t hesitate to use this opportunity for your betterment. With enough patience and dedication, you can be one of the top video editors who are dominating the creative industry. 

 

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