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Advice on finding a good editor.

H

harmonica44

For my first short, I will need a good editor. One thing I learned was to make more time for coverage. I didn't have as much time during shooting for coverage, cause of time constraints, and actors availability. Just had to time to get the pre-planned storyboard shots, but not much time for alternate shots afterwords. As a result I screwed up on some of the continuity and there are some missing shots. I wasn't able to go back with the actors and reshoot whole scenes, so I am forced to use some coverage shots to make up for the missing shots.

However, I these shots will have to be tweaked and some After Effects expertise, will be required. I will have to do a lot of rotoscoping for one, and some split screening and cropping, etc. Perhaps I should hire an editor, and a separate guy for the After Effects knowledge? Or when I post an add to hire, should I just request that they are an expert, in all those fields? Some editors have worked wonders, and they were able to take footage that wasn't good and make it good, so I could definitely know how to find one of those. I will of course, ask to see previous short films they've done.
 
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Or since it's your first short film, you could edit it yourself?

Put an ad out on these boards for a volunteer editor and a visual effects supervisor, stress unpaid, and see what you come up with.

I wouldn't close your doors to a first time editor though.
 
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Why not go all the way and do it yourself? Its just a short. Use iMovie. See what you can do before you hire someone.

If you're going to hire someone, you'll want their reel. And if you see what you like, point out exactly what you like in their reel and make sure they understand you want your film to look just like that. Less confusion.

Pay after the film is done, and need I mention to keep backup footage of the stuff you give your editor.
 
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You will learn a ton editing it yourself. This is not the project you want to hire an editor for.

Editing yourself will teach you how to be a better director and what elements that are needed that you never thought of. Also, you can't really appreciate a good editor or tell them what you want unless you've done it yourself.
 
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Oh I could do that. I'm going to use After Effects and Premiere Pro probably though. I was told by a few people in the business that if you try editing yourself, haven't done any of that before, that you won't do a good job of it, and probably should hire someone to make it good.
 
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I'm assuming this is the same short that wer're discussing in another thread about th eproblems you've been having on set. Off topic, what's the title of the film? Just so that when I think about it it isn't harmonic44's short film, it's *enter title*
 
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I haven't thought of a good one yet actually. And yes if I were to hire an editor, I would watch him, and tell him what I'm looking for and learn from that of course. This is pretty much the opposite advice, I was given by a few others I met in my position. They told me that in their experience, they needed to hire editors, since the first shorts didn't have as much coverage as they would have liked, so they needed experienced editors to make something good out of it.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Oh I could do that. I'm going to use After Effects and Premiere Pro probably though. I was told by a few people in the business that if you try editing yourself, haven't done any of that before, that you won't do a good job of it, and probably should hire someone to make it good.
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There is a high likelihood that your first short is going to suck ass. Edit it yourself and at least get something out of the experience.

*Get Premiere Elements. You're still struggling with using a Canon T2i, never mind AE. This film will be released in 2035 at this rate. I'm just trying to give it to you straight up.
 
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So hire an editor. What's the big deal here? Why do you need to ask such questions? You ask every step of filmmaking. You take the fun out of it. Get yourself in a jam and work your way out. Stop asking so many questions, you're killing the process.
 
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Well I guess I would like to know how to get myself out, instead of just falling flat on my face, by not knowing how. But I'll learn After Effects as quick as a I can and try get a lot of the altering done without asking so much.
 
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Fall on your face, that's how you learn! Make films. Make mistakes. Figure sh*t out for yourself. Tough love, now get to it.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Yeah but the point of making it is to do my best. I don't just not want to skimp on the editing, just cause it's going to suck. I will also learn with After Effects too, and use that.
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If you have your heart set on putting lobster sauce on a turd, go for it! ;) I promise you'll remember this decision for the rest of your life. Good luck, though.

What is the average time investment for one to become proficient with After Effects? Do you know?
 
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Sure. Well I won't ask a bunch of questions about After Effects if it cannot be helped. However, is there anything that After Effects can't do, that you must get right on set? For example I had to reshoot a scene, cause part of the original scene shoot got screwed up. But the reshoot screwed up as well, in a different way. So therefore, I have to use AE to rotoscope and retool the first scene, and paste it together with the second scene, to make both half scenes look like they are in the same room. I have to work on that, but is there anything in AE that it cannot fix?
 
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harmonica44 said:
Sure. Well I won't ask a bunch of questions about After Effects if it cannot be helped. However, is there anything that After Effects can't do, that you must get right on set? For example I had to reshoot a scene, cause part of the original scene shoot got screwed up. But the reshoot screwed up as well, in a different way. So therefore, I have to use AE to rotoscope and retool the first scene, and paste it together with the second scene, to make both half scenes look like they are in the same room. I have to work on that, but is there anything in AE that it cannot fix?
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:lol: You.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Sure. Well I won't ask a bunch of questions about After Effects if it cannot be helped. However, is there anything that After Effects can't do, that you must get right on set?
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It can't nuke a bagel. You need craft services for that.
 
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