Everything you watch on television is edited — every program, commercial, promo, news story, every clip on the LED wall at a concert, you name it. Every scene is meticulously edited in order to move the story line along and create the program’s drama, comedy or excitement. Think about it — even live events are edited in realtime by the director (with each and every camera cut)for the very same reason — to move the story along.
As editors, we have a remarkable amount of control over the finished story, including everything from the transitions and special effects to the audio levels and color correction. We can take awful camera footage and save a show. We can make an interviewee look innocent or guilty. But more often, we take great sound and great pictures and create compelling, wonderful programs.
Whether you’re editing film or video, it’s a fantastic and creative skill, and one that’s different each day that you spend in the edit suite. So if you’re interested in becoming an editor, how do you acquire the skill? What tools are needed and what education is required to lay the foundation?
One Man’s Pathway
Back in the day, the pathway that I followed was certainly valid. After my broadcasting degree, I landed an entry-level gig running the all night movies at a backwater Sacramento television station, and I learned how to edit on an Ampex VR-1200 video tape recorder. That job provided the skill to secure a job as an on-line editor at a Bay Area video production house. Since then, I’ve transitioned easily from linear to non-linear editing (NLE) systems.
Fast forward a few decades, and the nature of the video industry has changed dramatically, most notably in the equipment, the workflow, and the personnel on the crew — not to mention the fact that tape has virtually vanished. For someone keenly interested in editing as a career, what would be a valid pathway today?
Film to Tape to NLE
To gain a more modern perspective on a professional editor’s pathway, I spoke at length with Steve Shlisky, producer/editor at KTVU-TV in Oakland, CA. From his early start as an amateur filmmaker through film school at San Jose State, Steve had his heart set on becoming a director in Los Angeles.
During his last year at State, the department switched from film to videotape. “We hated using tape,” said Shlisky. “This is because video tape editing is a very linear process. In film, you can start at the beginning, middle or end, which is very similar to non-linear editing today. But when you’re editing on tape, you have to start at the beginning and work your way towards the end. If you want to change any edits, before the part you’re currently working on, you have to start over.”
“When you’re editing on film, it’s very tactile,” noted Shlisky. “You can pick up the film, look at the pictures, and you can see the soundtrack if you’re using optical tracks. With film, I felt that you were closer to the medium and more aware of what you’re doing, frame by frame.”
As a sidebar, I can add that today’s NLE method is a blessing, especially in its similarity to film — and it takes growing up with tape to appreciate it. Non-linear editing is clip-based, and although it’s not tactile, it brings the editing process much closer to the film method.
Four Steps to Success
Step 1 — Let’s start with education. The requirement for a strong background in film, video, graphics or animation is very clear, and there are a number of schools that offer courses in those fields. Next, grab a book or two. I would recommend a great old book called How to Shoot a Movie and Video Story by Arthur L. Gaskill and David A. Englander. It’s simple, straightforward, and lays the perfect foundation for storytelling.
Shlisky notes that, when it comes to education, practice is a necessary complement to the theory you learn in the classroom. “Take classes that teach you the physical hands-on sensations of using the equipment,” he advises, “so that you learn how to shoot, how to light, and how to edit. Really focus on the hands-on part.”
Step 2 — Get a foot in the door, by any means possible. Whether it’s an entry-level position, an internship, a volunteer position or a slot as a gopher on the remote crew — immerse yourself in the industry.
After film school, Shlisky took the first minimum wage job that came along in Los Angeles, at a company doing film-to-tape transfers. “That job was a way station, but in fact, I hated the whole structure of having to continually look for work every few months, and I wanted stability,” added Shlisky. “So after about 14 months in L.A., I took an entry level job at KNTV in San Jose — half in the mail room, half in the film department — and I got back into film editing. We put breaks in feature films, but the station also had a documentary department, which allowed me to assist the producer/editor. After about six months, a similar job opened up a KTVU, and I’ve been there ever since.”
Step 3 — Learn the apps. Hone your skills with any and all NLE systems available, plus all the goodies in the Adobe Creative Suite. Whether the NLE is Adobe Premiere, Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid or a dozen more, learn the editing apps from top to bottom and be versatile — because you need to be locked and loaded when an editing gig comes along.
“The underlying thing here is that you’re talking about hammers,” said Shlisky. “If I use an Acme hammer, it doesn’t make me want to build a house any differently. You need to use the tool that an employer wants you to use. Editing is not about the tool that you’re using — it’s about what’s in your head, and how you approach it.”
A Surprising Model
Before I move on to Step 4, I should note that I asked Shlisky for additional recommendations and advice, and he countered with a question: “Are you familiar with the way that the industry is going right now?” he asked.
This threw me for a loop. I thought he was referring to the shift towards video over IP, or the fact that the broadcast model is moving quickly towards the download model — but he surprised me with this advice. “The industry is moving towards an MMJ model, a multi-media journalist,” he explained, “which is a person that does everything. My advice is to be a generalist when it comes to production, and not a specialist. The modern workplace today is often staffed by one person who can write, produce, light, shoot and edit themselves. As editors, we know when something is lit well, and we know when something sounds right. We know how things go together, and that’s part of being a generalist.”
“The first thing an editor has got to do is grab an audience by the shirt collar, and say, ‘Look at what I’m going to show you.’ The language of telling a story pretty much stays the same, if you’re a writer, a shooter or an editor. You’re always trying to drive them forward.”
So with that in mind, here’s Step 4: Be the generalist, not a specialist. With patience, skill and perseverance, doors will open, and employers will welcome the fact that you wear many hats (including the NLE hat).
Three More Tips
As I often do, I concluded our conversation by asking Shlisky if there was any one point that he’d like to underscore, with regards to pursuing the editing path. He offered three, instead of one.
“I like Woody Allen’s line that 80 percent of success is just showing up,” said Shlisky, “and in this industry, even if you have to work for free, just showing up is important — because you develop relationships with people. You can’t do this business by yourself.
“Secondly, at the end of the day, after you’ve worked with the crew, ask yourself — was I a problem solver or was I a problem? Just thinking about that makes you better.
“Finally, here is one that sums it up. Success is paid for in advance. Don’t expect that, just because you can hold a cell phone and shoot video, you’ll be successful at it. You have to get your chops.”
In talking with Shlisky, my initial expectation was to learn about today’s requirements for becoming an editor. In truth, I discovered words of wisdom about working in the video production industry as a whole.
