Film and Video Editor
What the work is
Makes and implements editorial decisions regarding mood, pace and climax of films, television programs, video productions or commercials.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Reviews and selects footage for editing based on the script or brief
- Assembles and edits footage to create a coherent and engaging story
- Collaborates with directors, producers and other team members to achieve the desired creative vision
- Adds visual effects, sound effects and music to enhance the overall production
- Adjusts and fine-tunes the timing, pacing and sequencing of scenes
- Maintains organised and accurate records of all edited materials
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a short film shoot at a series of locations around a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A scene comes together after a long day and everyone on set feels it
- A tricky location problem gets solved and the shoot stays on schedule
- You watch the finished film with the whole crew and see your own small decisions on the screen
Hard days
- Rain on the day you had planned for sunshine, with a crew waiting for you to decide
- A creative disagreement between two people you both respect
- A long day that ends with tomorrow's call sheet still not written
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231434, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.