In the modern time and age, many young professionals and even students choose to freelance as a career option. Freelancing is fast becoming the most sought-after career option as it provides the freedom of creativity and the luxury to work at your convenience. A few years ago, finding freelance work opportunities was quite complicated; however, with the increase in internet users, the problem has subsided to a large extent.
Job seekers are shifting to freelance alternatives, and one of the most popular options is that of a freelance video editor. As per statistics, around 66% of people are active internet consumers, and most of these users prefer information and data presented in the form of a video format. Due to this steep rise in demand, the content creation industry has also witnessed an increase in video content in the form of YouTube videos and Instagram reels. These videos are edited and enhanced with special effects to attract maximum viewership. Most content creators edit their videos, but many outsource this work to freelance video editors.
Who is a freelance video editor?
The role of a freelance video editor is to gather and collate all the raw and unedited video clippings and organize them in a presentable format. A freelance video editor adds a creative touch to the content, making it appealing to the viewer. The freelance video editors collaborate with content creators, storytellers, and organizations who wish to provide quality video content to their users and followers. They should possess skills such as:
- If you want to pursue a career as a freelance video editor, then you must obtain adequate knowledge about the software and other techniques needed for video editing.
- You need to invest in a good quality computer and a hard drive to store all the edited videos and raw footage.
- A freelance video editor should be an excellent communicator as they need to understand the requirement of the client.
- You would also need to work on your problem-solving skills as every project is unique and would require different approaches to get the desired quality of the video content.
What does a freelance video editor do day to day?
As a freelance video editor, you would have to work out a flexible work schedule for every day. The workload level would define whether you would have a hectic or a relaxed working day. Most freelance video editors fix a basic daily schedule, which makes their work easy to manage and allows them time to invest in their professional growth. The basic daily program might include the following aspects:
- Analyze the essential “to-do” tasks and make a list.
- Prioritize the list and finish the urgent tasks.
- Allocating time and resources for upskilling
Apart from the primary day-to-day activities, a freelance video editor needs to plan their day according to the ongoing projects. Some of the aspects of video editing are:
- Analyzing the shots and footage and deciding the ones to be used in the video.
- Preparing a rough video version by deleting the raw footage’s unwanted parts.
- Determining the appropriate special effects, sound effects and background music that would suit the video.
Adjusting the picture and sound quality of the raw footage.
A freelance video editor is not only responsible for editing the raw footage provided by the client, but sometimes they are expected to come up with unique and creative story ideas that would be incorporated into the original video content to make it more attractive for the viewers.
Related Article: How to Become a Freelancer from Scratch?
How To Start A Career In Video Editing
Young professionals and students, who want to opt for freelance video editing as a career face an inevitable question: how to start a career in video editing? Although video editing is a comparatively newer career option, it might seem a little overwhelming initially; however, just like any career, it requires a lot of patience and a solid determination to learn the new skill set.
Choose and learn about a genre
The internet is flooded with various video content that is freely accessible to the audience. The viewers can choose from a variety of topics like comedy, music, drama and cartoons. Each type of video content is edited using a particular method and software. As a freelance video editor, one must choose a specific category or genre of editing and acquire its knowledge. Once you have obtained sufficient knowledge of one category, you can navigate to other forms of editing. Let us understand some categories or genres of video editing:
1. Online Editing
Online editing means the final processing of the final draft of the video. It is usually done on computers equipped with high-speed processors and higher RAM.
2. Offline Editing
In this technique, the original raw footage of the video is compressed to a smaller resolution. The video editor works on proxy footage; once the processing is finished, the same is replaced with the original footage.
3. Assemble Editing
Assemble editing means putting together two or more different raw footage together without adding any special effect or transition between them.
4. Insert Editing
This new technique helps the editor insert new video footage into the existing video footage. It allows the editor better control over the edited version of the footage compared to assemble editing.
Develop and practice your skills
After you have decided on the genre or category of video editing technique you want to master, the next step is to start practising the newly acquired skill. Watching tutorials is the easiest way to learn and practice a new skill. Many websites provide learning materials and tutorials on video editing. Some of these websites are:
1. Philip Bloom
Philip Bloom is a famous filmmaker who runs his blog about the best camera equipment and editing software. Aspiring video editors can visit the website to learn about the nuances of filmmaking and video editing.
2. No Film School
It is a growing online community of freelance video creators and filmmakers worldwide. No Film School has a vast collection of tutorials and blogs regarding video editing.
3. Larry Jordan
The website has a massive library of resources for people interested in video editing and other filmmaking-related things. It has around 1600 free tutorials on video editing.
4. Surfaced Studio
If you wish to learn and understand the VFX methodology of video editing, then Surfaced studio is a great learning platform.
Consider getting a degree
The competition in the market is steadily increasing as many young professionals and students are opting for freelance video editing as a career. To stand out from the crowd, one should consider pursuing a course related to their choice of freelance work. Several platforms and websites offer certifications and courses for aspiring video editors, some of which are listed below:
1. Video Editing For Beginners: Learn how to Edit
The course is designed for people with little or no video editing knowledge and who wish to start a career in video editing. The program has a duration of about 1.5 hrs and contains 30 lectures. The course is available on Udemy for free, but you need to pay the fees if you also want the certificate of completion.
2. Video Editors: Learn 3D Video Composting
The course is available on Udemy and covers different topics such as special effects layering and 3D Video Composting. The program has a duration of about 3 hrs and contains 15 lectures. A freelance video editor should devote sufficient time to upskill and practice video editing. They can record short videos for editing practice. Since video editing requires a creative and imaginative mind, one must collect sample videos for editing practice.
3. Ensure you have the right equipment
To become a competitive video editor, one must be thorough with market research and know the equipment and software required to create impressionable video footage. A freelance video editor enjoys the leverage and has the creative freedom to convert boring raw footage into a fantastic piece of artwork. But to do so, they need to use good quality editing equipment and software. Some factors should be considered while choosing the proper computer hardware for editing:
- For editing videos, the video editors should select a computer that has adequate space in its hard drive and that the processor is compatible with running editing software.
- The editing software should be equipped with a media encoder to help convert and export the final edited video for publishing on various social media platforms like Youtube and Instagram.
- The video editor might work on two or three monitors simultaneously as it helps in the editing process. While one monitor can be used exclusively for editing, the other can be used to view the edited version.
- The video editor should also invest in good-quality headphones and speakers to help create appropriate soundtracks and background music.
Contrary to popular belief, video editors in the initial stage of their career need not invest in an expensive computer. They should instead look for computers compatible with the editing software they wish to use. There is a variety of editing software available in the market, and one should carefully evaluate its pros and cons before adopting one.
Use a website to display your work
Young professionals who wish to start a career as freelance video editors must create an impressionable online presence that would help pitch to potential clients. Video editors can use several websites to display their freelance projects, such as:
1. Viedit
Viedit is a popular platform amongst freelancers for showcasing video editing skills. The freelancers can show the videos they edited and uploaded on Youtube or Vimeo. The website allows freelancers to decide their fees, but they have to pay a certain percentage of their earnings to the website.
2. Behance
Behance is one of the largest platforms for freelance video editors, which is used to display projects about graphic design, advertising and video editing. Freelancers can showcase their talents through projects. These projects are assigned unique URLs which can be shared with potential clients.
3. ProductionHUB
ProductionHUB is a worldwide network of filmmakers and video editors. It is helpful for customers who want to hire freelance video editors or filmmakers for their projects.
4. VideoPixie
VideoPixie is one of the most sought-after marketplaces where freelance video editors can display their talent. Customers can choose from a large pool of talented video editors and filmmakers.
Make connections and network
As a freelance video editor, the next step is approaching potential clients after choosing an appropriate platform for showcasing and displaying one’s work. The best way to pitch to clients is to join filmmaking-related groups on various social media platforms. However, while networking and making new work connections, certain things should be kept in mind:
- Inform people about your video editing skills and why your work is unique and different from others.
- As a freelancer, be vocal about the fact that you are looking for a job and why they should hire you.
- While networking with customers, one should be open to queries about work and be prepared with answers.
- Networking is a never-ending and continuous process.
Consider volunteering or lowering your price
It is essential that freelancers explore different categories of video editing and do not set rigid work boundaries. While creating work connections and networking with potential customers, the freelancer should communicate clearly about the fee they would charge for their services. However, freelancers should also realize the importance of volunteering to work on new projects. While working on a new project, one might get lesser monetary compensation, but they would get a lot of experience and exposure that would help in getting more work and money in the future.
Develop an appropriate billing system
While searching for job opportunities and freelance projects, freelance video editors must also be prepared with an effective billing system to help them manage their earnings. Some things should be kept in mind while drafting a billing system:
- The invoice should always mention the name of the project.
- It should mention details about the hourly rate, if applicable
- It should mention the deadline of the project.
- It should also mention the number of reworks the freelancer would provide free of cost and the rework fee separately.
Build your online portfolio
Freelance video editors must create an impressionable online portfolio that could be used to highlight their best creations. A portfolio is a collection of work that one has done in the past. A strong portfolio makes it easier to approach clients and pitch your work. Many websites can be used to create a portfolio for video editing like:
Freelance video editors might learn only one kind of video editing and build their portfolio according to that, or they can try different types of editing and create diverse portfolios. However, they would need to draft a clever work strategy that is not very rigid in both situations.
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How to find freelance video editing jobs: 4 easy ways
Once you have learned a specific type of video editing, the next step is searching for video editing jobs. The freelance video editor might decide to work on individual projects for multiple clients or enter into a long-term contract with a single client for various projects. The article aims to discuss some of the popular ways to find a job as a freelance video editor:
1. Join a channel for Freelancers on Slack
Slack is fast emerging as a new way to communicate in a work environment. Slack is a messaging platform meant for businesses and customers. It creates a communication channel between different companies and their potential customers. It is considered to be safer and more efficient than email communication. A freelance video editor can follow the following steps to search and join a channel on Slack that is exclusively for filmmakers and video editors:
- The freelancer can browse all the channels listed in their workspace and then select the name of the channel that they wish to join.
- Then select the channel and preview its details.
- Then click on the tab “Join Channel.”
Attend networking events specifically for video editors
Another way to find work as a freelance video editor is by attending networking events that filmmakers and video editors organize. These events are a great way to meet new people who specialize in your desired work area. The networking events allow freelancers to showcase their talent and make it easier to pitch to potential clients. These events can be searched online on some of the below-mentioned websites:
Meetup
It is a popular online platform that freelancers can access to find out about the events being organized in a specific area. Meetup categorizes upcoming events into various categories like events starting soon, trending, and online events. This makes searching for the networking event a lot easier.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is a global platform where freelancers can search for networking events organized in a particular area. One can search for events and find out details such as the date of the event and its address and can also purchase the tickets to attend the event.
Apart from these websites, one can also search the networking events on social media platforms like Facebook.
Be Active on Linkedin and other job boards
A freelance video editor needs to work on building an online presence so that they can improve the credibility of their work. The job market is technology-driven, and applying for jobs has become much more manageable. The job search websites like Linkedin, Indeed and Glassdoor allow job seekers to display their talents and gather the required attention from employers. A freelance video editor can approach clients and businesses on Linkedin by creating a Linkedin page and constantly updating it. They can follow some simple steps to keep their profile active:
- Post articles and details about your work regularly.
- Send cold emails to prospective businesses and individuals explaining your work and expertise.
- Interact with profile visitors and advocate for your work.
- Don’t hesitate to make new connections and interact with them regularly.
Create work profiles on gig-centric websites
Another great way to become more visible online is to apply for short-term projects or gigs on freelance platforms. By doing so, you would be able to generate credentials for your work and also gain some confidence. There are many online platforms that the freelancer can choose from and create an account through which they can apply for projects, such as:
1. Upwork
Upwork is one of the most known and renowned platforms that allows users to search for freelance work across the globe. The platform charges about 20% of the income from the users as a service fee.
2. Fiverr
Fiverr allows freelancers to display their portfolio of work and also fix a price range at which they are willing to work. The businesses place a bid on the projects, and freelancers can apply for the project according to these bids.
3. People per Hour
People per hour is one of the leading freelancer platforms where they can display their portfolios and use them for the listed projects. The freelancers can also add offers to their profiles to look more lucrative to prospective clients.
4. Mandy
Mandy is a popular database that contains job postings relating to filmmaking and video production. It is specially designed for people looking to work as freelance video editors and in other related fields.
Also, read:
Top Freelancing Sites to start your Career – Genuine List
Top 25 Freelance Jobs from Home that Pay Really Well
Is freelance video editing worth its hype?
Nowadays, where technology has impacted almost all aspects of life, the conventional job search has become convenient and competitive. Due to this freelance industry is blooming at an increasing rate, and video editing is becoming a very sort after option. Many organizations are looking to hire talented video editors. Freelance video editing as a career is an excellent option as it can be pursued as a permanent career choice. As a career, Freelance video editing is worth a try as it gives the job seeker financial freedom and helps maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the scope for a freelance video editor?
Ans.1. A freelance video editor must work closely with individuals and businesses who want to grow their business or consumer base with the help of advertisements, documentaries and television programs. The freelance video editors might take up multiple projects at a time, depending upon the availability of time and resources.
Q2. How much does a freelance video editor charge?
Ans.2 A freelance video editor can charge the client for every project individually or have a long-term contract for multiple projects. They can charge up to $75-$150 per hour.
Q3. Which is the best editing software in 2022?
Ans.3. Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best editing software for professional video editors. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 and Adobe Premiere Elements are suitable for starting your career as a video editor.
Q4. How do I get my first video editing job?
Ans 4. The best way to get a job as a freelance video editor is by applying for short-term projects and building your portfolio. Once you complete a few tasks, you can make a portfolio and approach clients as a freelance video editor.
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