How much does a professional editor cost to hire? What is your experience in this area?
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Price of hiring an editor
- Thread starter gorillaonabike
- Start date
I don't know, how much money have you got? That's how much I'm charging. 
I've checked out your other threads and I see that you're doing a feature on a tiny budget. Rock-the-fuck-on!
I don't think you should pay for an editor. Not for this project. The money you'd pay for an editor would be so much better spent on audio post production.
You can edit it yourself. Or, you can find people who might want to edit it. I know this to be a personal truth, because I edited a feature film, free of charge, for another member of this website, simply because I liked him and thought that we might have a future together.
As an editor, I of course very much understand the importance of that position. But in your situation, I think you can get somebody capable for free (deferred pay).
I wish you the best, and please keep us posted!
I've checked out your other threads and I see that you're doing a feature on a tiny budget. Rock-the-fuck-on!
I don't think you should pay for an editor. Not for this project. The money you'd pay for an editor would be so much better spent on audio post production.
You can edit it yourself. Or, you can find people who might want to edit it. I know this to be a personal truth, because I edited a feature film, free of charge, for another member of this website, simply because I liked him and thought that we might have a future together.
As an editor, I of course very much understand the importance of that position. But in your situation, I think you can get somebody capable for free (deferred pay).
I wish you the best, and please keep us posted!
It's really a piece of string question. Rates change depending on geographic region and the experience of said editor and length of employment.
I'm assuming you're talking for a freelancer and not a full time employee, rates for a competent editor come in at $800/day or $3500/week. The good editors usually start at those rates and negotiate up. In quieter areas, I've seen rates as low as $500/day $2200/week, so your mileage may vary.
When working with less experienced or less competent editors, it's the wild, wild west. Anything goes. More often than not, they're desperate for work and readily accept low ball or even deferred offers.
I don't know what you need edited, though if the project is small enough and of personal interest (to the editor), you may be lucky enough to find an experienced editor needing to fill time until their next booking for a reduced rate.
I'm assuming you're talking for a freelancer and not a full time employee, rates for a competent editor come in at $800/day or $3500/week. The good editors usually start at those rates and negotiate up. In quieter areas, I've seen rates as low as $500/day $2200/week, so your mileage may vary.
When working with less experienced or less competent editors, it's the wild, wild west. Anything goes. More often than not, they're desperate for work and readily accept low ball or even deferred offers.
I don't know what you need edited, though if the project is small enough and of personal interest (to the editor), you may be lucky enough to find an experienced editor needing to fill time until their next booking for a reduced rate.
Doesn't mean a thing if the production sound isn't solid. Poor production sound turns audio post into a rescue operation instead of a creative endeavor.
I believe that to be true. I'm just saying that if I'm a producer spending money in post, and I'm working on a very limited budget, editing isn't my first priority. And that's coming from IT's resident editor.
Some editors are looking for a good project to work on to get their name into festivals etc. Some editors only work hourly, some work by project. Some work at home, some at post houses. There is no answer, the best answer is.... look around, and consider the situation that would work best for you, seek that out.
Lots of good info in this thread.
Also, how much money have you got? Cuz that's how much I'm charging!
Okay, I have a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, but I'm being serious. I even changed my spelling of humor for you.
Also, how much money have you got? Cuz that's how much I'm charging!
Okay, I have a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, but I'm being serious. I even changed my spelling of humor for you.
I don't know, how much money have you got? That's how much I'm charging.
I've checked out your other threads and I see that you're doing a feature on a tiny budget. Rock-the-fuck-on!
I don't think you should pay for an editor. Not for this project. The money you'd pay for an editor would be so much better spent on audio post production.
You can edit it yourself. Or, you can find people who might want to edit it. I know this to be a personal truth, because I edited a feature film, free of charge, for another member of this website, simply because I liked him and thought that we might have a future together.
As an editor, I of course very much understand the importance of that position. But in your situation, I think you can get somebody capable for free (deferred pay).
I wish you the best, and please keep us posted!
I made a horrible mistake. I am working with a guy who tries to hijack everything. Either it is his way or the highway. What's worse is he just argues all the time so if my idea doesn't match his, he just sits there talking at a million miles an hour, not listening.
I'm just fed up of dealing with him so it's a question of spending the money, hiring an editor, sucking it up and moving on.
Am shooting a couple of narrative features with FilmAutre who is a top class guy and someone I've collaborated a lot with. It'll be tough but he's literally a fantastic guy to shoot with.
...and I'm doing something quick and dirty for WalterB...
I think I'm a good editor but I can't imagine doing it for free. It's so grueling and laborious to get to a point where I feel like editing will no longer improve the audience experience.
The fact that cracker funk seems open it doing it for something really cheap - i'd say jump on that!! Use the IT connection, you're going to spend a lot more trying to hire a stranger (especially if they have legitimate qualifications)
Unless of course you have a lot to spend and are looking for a real professional. Then I have no experience or insight to answer your question.
The fact that cracker funk seems open it doing it for something really cheap - i'd say jump on that!! Use the IT connection, you're going to spend a lot more trying to hire a stranger (especially if they have legitimate qualifications)
Unless of course you have a lot to spend and are looking for a real professional. Then I have no experience or insight to answer your question.
Haha. I didn't take that as a back-handed compliment, just a compliment. By definition, I am not a professional editor. I do not pay my rent or feed my mouth with my editing skills, therefore, I am amateur. I do not have any qualms with that language.
That sounds like a rough time you're having with your current editor. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. You gotta find a way to make it work, either with him or with someone else. I know enough about you to know that you'll stick to your wits and make it happen. I'm rooting for you!
Yes, of course there's always the possibility of working with someone like me. The obvious drawback is location. You and I being literally on the opposite side of the world from each other, you'd kinda just have to trust me to make the big decisions. That's not to say that you wouldn't be able to view my rough edit and make a bunch of critiques and changes, I just mean to say that by the time you're making those critiques, the biggest editing choices have already been made.
Some Hollywood directors have quite the luxury of being able to sit in the editing bay with their editor. Folks like you and I gotta work with what we got. Anyway, hit me up if you want. I also think that you can edit it yourself. It's a skill with a steep learning-curve, but you can totally do it.
Editing is tough. Going through the post production process as a director is also tough.
By the sound of it, you're using an editor who is giving their time for free. An editor who hasn't yet learned that it's a collaborative effort, also an editor who hasn't learned how to work with a director.
The Director-Editor relationship is about as important as the Director-DOP relationship. As a director, you need to be able to work with your editor. It may be time to grow a set of director "balls" and decide what's best for your film. If you cannot work with this person, you know what you need to do.
Absolute hogwash. As an editor, it's your job to serve the film. It's the directors film, not yours. Stating changes cannot be made due to your previous bad decisions is a failure to understand the role of an editor. If changes need to be made, it's time to "suck it up princess" and do what's necessary for the good of the project.
Also hogwash. If I remember right, you're using Premiere Pro. Frame.io makes the collaboration easy and if you're only using frame.io on this one project, it'll be free to use. Ship/dropbox the media, edit and work together online.
Sweetie, we squashed our beef months ago. Let's not bring it back, please. I respect you and your contributions to this website.
To me, it feels like you're picking my words apart without asking for or caring about greater context. I've worked with a handful of people on this website, as an editor, and in every single instance I allowed the director or producer to make any revisions that they felt necessary.
Of course I know that my job is to serve the vision of the director. Thanks for stating the obvious.
What I'm telling G-Bike is that there's definitely an advantage to being able to sit in the same room as the editor, as they're working on it. I know this from experience. As an editor.
To me, it feels like you're picking my words apart without asking for or caring about greater context. I've worked with a handful of people on this website, as an editor, and in every single instance I allowed the director or producer to make any revisions that they felt necessary.
Of course I know that my job is to serve the vision of the director. Thanks for stating the obvious.
What I'm telling G-Bike is that there's definitely an advantage to being able to sit in the same room as the editor, as they're working on it. I know this from experience. As an editor.
I would probably be interested in editing it if you liked the editing I posted on the short film before I did, where I edited it, and it was about 12 minutes long, if you saw it.