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
We did quash our beef. I hope you're not implying I need to have a beef with you to disagree.
Ok, in the interests of clarity and context: What did you mean by this?
As one who makes a living from editing, I gotta say, I love this dick swinging
For the record, I've never tried to represent myself, either publicly or privately, as anything other than what I am, by definition -- an amateur.
Is that why you hate me? Am I competition to you? Not directly, but in the general sense, the same way that taxi drivers are militantly and vehemently against uber drivers?
I am an editor. It is my #1 skill. A good number of people on IT will vouch for me in that respect. What, do you want me to hide that, simply because I don't do it for a living? Is this a dick-length competition for you?
Both of us can exist. I've never pretended to be anything other than what I am. You, a professional editor, can exist at the same time as someone who is a restaurant worker who does filmmaking on the side. Why are you so militantly against me?
We've clashed before, and I came out the victor. If you really want to make this a battle again, you will be obliterated. Why can't our different opinions exist, side-by-side?
By the way, nobody on IT wants to see a battle between Sweetie and CF. They've literally stated that they're sick of seeing this kind of shit. So hey, how about we honor their wishes? How about we allow both of our experiences and opinions to exist simultaneously? That shouldn't be so hard, should it?
When you open with "absolute hogwash", that's not exactly a respectful way of having a conversation. You might as well tell me that I'm full of shit.
I have many opinions that differ from those of various people on this forum. Unless they do anything offensively outrageous, I don't tell them they're full of shit.
"Absolute hogwash"? Really?! My life experience and opinion has no worth whatsoever?! Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth?!
A). I don't hate you. You're imagining confrontation that isn't there.
B). I don't consider you competition. Not directly. Not indirectly.
There's nothing wrong with being green as an editor. If you're not taking the craft seriously, that's fine too. I bear no ill will to you or any other amateur/up and comer editor.
I guess no one will know whether our differing opinions can coexist until you accept the opportunity to clarify your position. Maybe when you've taken a breath, you can get back to being a contributing member of IT and get down to actually offering your editing opinion.
It's sarcasm. An eye roll. You know, one of those, "Sure kid, whatever" moments. Like what you'd expect if you demanded Spielberg listen to your expert directing advice... because... "You've made a movie".
Sorry it you took offense. I expected you to have a thicker skin.
But once again, when asked for you to clarify..... <crickets>
There you go again, shouting me down. My advice to G-Bike is quite clear. Either hire/collaborate with someone like me, or do it yourself. Because you CAN do it yourself. Is that why you're so angry at me? Because I'm revealing the secret that ANYONE can edit?
Yeah sure, angry. My anger is so great. I had so much anger bubbling up inside me, I log in to find you had written me a threat in private messages: (I hope the sarcasm is obvious)
If you have a problem with me, whatever, I don't really care. I'm doing my best to not let it effect me. So far you haven't. We had an issue in the past and as far as I'm concerned it's in the past. If you want to jump up and down, go right ahead and let it out of your system. Do whatever it takes for you to get over it once and for all.
Go on...
So, the reason I sent you my thoughts via private message is because I thought it was best that you and I keep our beef private. You deny that there's beef with me, but I think anyone with eyeballs can see that you and I aren't exactly Jenny and Forrest. I've sent you another private message and I hope we can keep it just that - private.
Anyone can edit. If you've got access to a computer, or even a tablet, you can edit. Editing on a tablet would kinda be a shitty option, but it can be done.
People like you and I are not Gods. What we do can be done by anyone. The skill in editing is mostly in knowing how to navigate the software. On top of that, I'm sure you can tell me a million things about what it takes for you to maintain a professional career as an editor.
The art in editing is just art, and nobody has a monopoly on that.
Haha. I'm sorry, I think I should admit to being equally responsible. I'm going to step away for a few days, let the flames die out. I'll be back.
So if we could, let's get this thread back to G-Bike's first question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpUyb37CFT4
So if we could, let's get this thread back to G-Bike's first question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpUyb37CFT4
I guess I'm not supposed to use the hogwash phrase right?
There's a derogatory name for editors like this. They're called a button pushers.
There are many editors who get highly paid to fix projects that button pushers wreck. I've taken on the occasional gig like that. I took a gig a few months back. The editor thought very much like you. It's not that he wasn't smart. He's some sort of electrical and mechanical engineer, but when it came to editing, even though he knew which buttons to press, he was still as dumb as a plank of wood.
It doesn't take long to get to know each applicable piece of software.
Yes, correct. Provisionally.
It's much like anyone is a screenwriter if you own the software or a typewriter.... or a kid with an iPhone 6 is a cinematographer.... or a lass who knows how to call action is now a director.
There's more to the craft than owning the appropriate tools.
The real question isn't can anyone press the appropriate buttons, the real question should be, can anyone learn to edit well? I personally believe the answer is yes. It's a tough path. Most aren't suitable or willing to put in the hard yards.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is so true. In the short time I've been paid to edit, I needed to take the craft more seriously. It mostly was an attitude adjustment. Previously I was like you, a cocky know-it-all. I stopped hanging around with wanna-be's, listened to professionals and worked my ass off. I've learned maybe ten times what I knew previously.
I've taken to doing cinematography, directing and acting classes to improve my craft. There are probably tens of millions of things I don't know that would make me a stronger editor.
It's not that I feel like it's that big a deal, and obviously I'm still lurking and always will. I just have other things to work on.
Sweetie, I don't think anyone who has ever worked with me would call me a "button-pusher". I'd like it if you would refrain from calling me names in the future.
Editing is definitely an art, there's no question of that.
Costanza!
Er, going back to the original question, I was wondering about this.
So his idea is to use an editor and I'm happy to spend the cash. He wants to use 'his' editor and frankly if he stumps up the money, I'll just write it off as bad business, get it done and walk away.
That's the problem when dealing with idiots. They cost money.
So his idea is to use an editor and I'm happy to spend the cash. He wants to use 'his' editor and frankly if he stumps up the money, I'll just write it off as bad business, get it done and walk away.
That's the problem when dealing with idiots. They cost money.
If I were you, I'd be worried about replacing him and receiving his twin.... or worse. Birds of a feather and all.
It can. Occasionally you can take a punt and it can work out. More often than not, you end up learning a lesson and paying twice.
"When hiring, instead of asking if you can afford a professional, instead, ask if you can afford not to hire that professional."
It can. Occasionally you can take a punt and it can work out. More often than not, you end up learning a lesson and paying twice.
"When hiring, instead of asking if you can afford a professional, instead, ask if you can afford not to hire that professional."
This is not a 'hire.' This is a producer. He looked at the project, put his own money in and became a 50 / 50 partner. He put in a decent amount of cash and some of his ideas are good. It's just that he thinks they're all good and this doesn't work.
The issue is intransigence. If everyone is telling him he's wrong, he just digs in more stubbornly. For example, if there is footage which everyone hates and he likes, everyone else is wrong...
An editor solves the problem in that it will be someone neutral who can get everything done. Naturally, it will have to be his editor...
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