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Is video production editing a good job for pay?
I am a senior in high school
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Marshall’s Answer
You can make a living being an editor, but I would recommend you build your skill set to be the most successful. If you look on Linkedin or other job hiring sites (i.e. Indeed, ziprecruiter), you can find full time Video Editor jobs with 1-3 years experience (so out of college or with 4+ years working experience) right now for $40-55k per year. Freelance rates can range from $40-250/h depending on the work and experience. You will need a reel to get those jobs, but can find them on sites like Mandy or Productionhub.
Those job listings will also give you an idea what skills those employers are looking for. To make yourself more marketable, you need to know a few more things than just laying down some video on a timeline, even if your not perfect at it. Motion Graphics, Color correction, Audio Mixing and Shooting (video) make you a more powerful editor and are skills that are useful to make you more marketable.
The Tool set (software) can be learned, but get to know all the basics of any NLE and you can then work on any ones system. For me when I train, I tell people to learn if they are mouse, menu or keyboard shortcut editors. Once you know how you best work, you can learn any system. I would also recommend reading some books or taking classes on storytelling since that is what editing is. You can also learn about editing theory specifically.
If you aren't already doing it, I would join the film club if you have one at your school. This gives you access to others that share your passions as well as some tools to practice. And if you are hanging out with friends that maybe do the shooting part (if you dont do that) start a reel for yourself (youtube is free) and create content and practice to see if its really something you want to do.
Those job listings will also give you an idea what skills those employers are looking for. To make yourself more marketable, you need to know a few more things than just laying down some video on a timeline, even if your not perfect at it. Motion Graphics, Color correction, Audio Mixing and Shooting (video) make you a more powerful editor and are skills that are useful to make you more marketable.
The Tool set (software) can be learned, but get to know all the basics of any NLE and you can then work on any ones system. For me when I train, I tell people to learn if they are mouse, menu or keyboard shortcut editors. Once you know how you best work, you can learn any system. I would also recommend reading some books or taking classes on storytelling since that is what editing is. You can also learn about editing theory specifically.
If you aren't already doing it, I would join the film club if you have one at your school. This gives you access to others that share your passions as well as some tools to practice. And if you are hanging out with friends that maybe do the shooting part (if you dont do that) start a reel for yourself (youtube is free) and create content and practice to see if its really something you want to do.
Updated
John’s Answer
It can be, in certain markets and circles, but long term, that career might be in a bit of trouble due to what AI is allowing to be possible. By all means, explore your interests, but by the time you're 40, video editing could be a relatively obsolete career thanks to the advancements in technology.
To add to this point, apparently, a new feature in responding to you includes using AI to add to the answer. This tech will change things in ways few will be ready for.
Learn some software. Divinci Resolve is free.
To add to this point, apparently, a new feature in responding to you includes using AI to add to the answer. This tech will change things in ways few will be ready for.
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