I have about 50 hours of footage that's already been shot, it's all organized (by scene, shot, etc) and I'm wondering how exactly do I got about finding a good editor that will have his own equipment? I would like for it to be edited on Final Cut and I would obviously like to see a couple of different cuts of it to see what works best. How are editors usually paid? I've seen $25 for an hour, $350 a day...but does anyone take a flat rate for the entire job? I would like for the editor to be young to understand the humor, and someone who's knowledgeable on editing subtlety in conversations which is what the movie mostly is. What would you guys suggest I go about finding someone like this?
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How much should an editing job cost?
- Thread starter omarzamora
- Start date
I also know very good studio editors who were making $1,000 a day a good ten years ago. I'm sure they are making more these days.
I had the same type of experience working with two editors on my feature length comedy. They both left the project for higher paying jobs. I can't blame them for having to pay the bills. I took over the editing myself because I was the only person I could get to work for nothing. 8-)
The funny thing was that I actually was more "brutal" to the material then the other editors. I cut out way more lines than they did. It helped that I edited several months after the footage was shot so there was a feeling that it was someone else's movie. I would say "That is so lame who wrote that?" "Oh yeah, right... I did"
I wish comedy was as easy as getting a "fresh" young perspective. But unfortunately it just isn't. Several writers/fillmmakers/editors are terrible at comedy - young, old, ancient, teenager whatever. Just look at all the unfunny sitcoms on TV. I wish you the best of luck.
The funny thing was that I actually was more "brutal" to the material then the other editors. I cut out way more lines than they did. It helped that I edited several months after the footage was shot so there was a feeling that it was someone else's movie. I would say "That is so lame who wrote that?" "Oh yeah, right... I did"
I wish comedy was as easy as getting a "fresh" young perspective. But unfortunately it just isn't. Several writers/fillmmakers/editors are terrible at comedy - young, old, ancient, teenager whatever. Just look at all the unfunny sitcoms on TV. I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks for the suggestions and quotes, guys. I thought when I whittled all the footage down to 50 hours, that made it really accessible. What's left of it is all usable but there's different takes. There's one take for example that lasts about 45 minutes but it's really 3 jokes told in different ways, and I really don't expect that certain scene to be more than 30 seconds. I really don't know how much I'm willing to spend on it but I know I won't be spending 50k editing a movie when the budget was 10k. After looking at the numbers and the level of experiences, I'm going to try to find someone at my film school who has a passion for editing and is willing to do it cheap. I know I should try to edit and I have the ability to but I simply don't enjoy doing it and I know there's people who live for it.
Yes, they will need their own system. Sound is in sync but it's not perfect, it will need ADR here and there and there's no special effects at all. There will need to be some color correction because we shot a winter movie in summer. Everything else is pretty much flexible.
Yes, they will need their own system. Sound is in sync but it's not perfect, it will need ADR here and there and there's no special effects at all. There will need to be some color correction because we shot a winter movie in summer. Everything else is pretty much flexible.
I am just starting out to and here's what I learned about editing these past few weeks. It's best to watch over your footage and figure out the best times to cut to who, and at what time, during the conversations, etc. Then once you figure out at what points you want to cut to who, you then have to look over all your takes.
You might decide to cut half way through take 1 of a shot 1, to a take of another actor, then back to take 1. However, you might decide that take 2, of shot 1, of that actor is better in the second half. so use the first half of take 1, before the cut to another shot, you have planned, then when you cut back to shot 1, cut back to take 2 of shot 1 instead.
Then after you have put all the best takes of every shot in place, here's the third step. Look through all the takes of those shots, and decide if there any parts of the actors performance, that is so good, that it needs an extra cut back to them. Then throw in all the extra cuts, back and forth, accordingly, of those takes.
You will also have to decide which frame exactly is the best to cut at, and during which word in the line of dialogue, to cut to who, and at what point, that best flows through the conversation.
Learn these four steps to start.
You might decide to cut half way through take 1 of a shot 1, to a take of another actor, then back to take 1. However, you might decide that take 2, of shot 1, of that actor is better in the second half. so use the first half of take 1, before the cut to another shot, you have planned, then when you cut back to shot 1, cut back to take 2 of shot 1 instead.
Then after you have put all the best takes of every shot in place, here's the third step. Look through all the takes of those shots, and decide if there any parts of the actors performance, that is so good, that it needs an extra cut back to them. Then throw in all the extra cuts, back and forth, accordingly, of those takes.
You will also have to decide which frame exactly is the best to cut at, and during which word in the line of dialogue, to cut to who, and at what point, that best flows through the conversation.
Learn these four steps to start.
Not necessarily true. I think you are on the right track finding
an editor. Despite the few who are trying to convince you to
cut it yourself, working with another person in the editing room
is extremely helpful to a director. As you point out, you are
looking for a different approach - and the best way is fresh eyes.
I think there are a couple of people here who aren't quite reading
what your actual request is. Of course you can edit is - you know
that - but what you want is a fresh set of eyes and I think that's
an excellent idea.
I'm sorry I'm too old for you - I think it would be really fun. I'm
sure you'll find a fellow student to cut it for you.
Totally agree! There's a reason why pro's almost always sit with an editor.
Shoot, I am an editor and when I direct I bring another editor in the mix. Even if he can't sit there with me, we send stuff back and forth for suggestions and tweaks and what not.
Me too. I never cut my own pictures - especially when
I'm also the writer. And I love cutting for other directors.
I cut my own film. They'll have to pry FCP away from my cold dead fingers! 
I cut my own film. They'll have to pry FCP away from my cold dead fingers!
Didn't Apple already do that with FCPX?
I haven't gotten the FCPX and I'm sticking with FCP 6 for the time being, so I guess that makes me and GuerrillaAngel immune..... or zombies
-- spinner
I'm not touching it for a few revisions to see if they sort out the backwards compatibility issues and the interoperability with others parts... with those two things dealt with, I think it looks promising.. although some of the "Magnetic timeline" crap looks really annoying... If it were something I could turn off then on again as I felt like it, I'd be happier... like snapping, but heftier.
I apologize for sending this topic into a FCPX discussion.
That was not my intention. I was just making a joke
about prying FCP from cold dead hands.
That was not my intention. I was just making a joke
about prying FCP from cold dead hands.