6 Steps to Start a Video Editing Career
Introduction
The field of content creation is snowballing. Wyzowl, one of the leading market analyzers, recently reported that almost 93% of businesses in 2021 include video in their marketing materials, and this should increase even further in 2022. The chances of securing a video editing contract with potential content creators are higher than in saturated industries.
Having a crew, and a great set of cameras and equipment is no longer necessary. Many content creators shoot footage with their iPhones and post it after edits. The need for video makers is much more apparent than ever before. Today, we have curated a list of 6 steps to jumpstart your career in video editing. Let’s get started.
6 Steps to Get Started on a Video Editing Career
Step #1 – Get the Basics Right
Learning the basics is the first thing one must do in any field of work, and video editing is no different. The foundation of a video-making career is understanding various aspects of video creation, including learning how to use different video editing tools, the functions of multiple video makers and editing tools, and the various video formats. If you plan to create videos professionally, being able to edit videos online can simplify this challenging task.
Still, if you want to go one step forward, you should check out some of the premium video editing beginner courses. They are paid, but many come with a refund guarantee, so if you are not satisfied with how the course begins, you can get your money back.
Step #2 – Learn About Different Video Formats
There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to video formats. Various firms and creators use different video codecs such as x265 or x264 and containers such as mp4 or mkv, so you must be familiar with all of them as an editor.
Knowing the target audience and social media in question is also useful when determining the video format. The quality and utility are different for several video formats. Every format has a unique purpose and its own set of pros and cons. Understanding the technicalities behind video formats will help you avoid common errors that amateur editors can make when editing a particular video.
Step #3 – The Need For Software Skills
It is not enough to understand video formats. Practice is the best form of learning when it comes to technical know-how. Test out various encoders and codecs and determine what difference they make and what kind of advantage each has. Enhance your skill set by testing out everything and practising every day. You don’t need any fancy equipment or a camera to shoot footage to get started. Various sites have a bunch of clips for free that you can wish to download. Try out your skills on them. Try multiple transitions, effects, layers and see if you could form a complete project.
Step #4 – Create a Demo
Now that you are familiar with the video format and clear with the basics, it’s time to start making demo edits. By now, you should also have some skills and so use all your skills to create a demo to show a potential client, and your demo reel must emphasise your technical skills and creativity. Whether you managed to get a potential client depends mainly on this demo reel. So, this is where you get to all your magic.
No one starts their career by editing for extensive and top firms. Everyone must start somewhere and work their way up. This is your chance to get started and hone your skills. Check out if there’s any need for video makers in your locality. It could be a small local business or a local band that needs some promo content. You don’t need to download all sorts of video editing software to get started. Invideo is a platform that allows you to do all your work online. This is your chance to get started.
Step #5 – Upload the Demo Reel
Now that your demo reel is ready, it’s time to publish this online. Many people tend to make the mistake of directly uploading the demo to YouTube or other popular platforms. But the truth is that these platforms are already filled with many similar videos, which has saturated the platforms. Instead, you should upload it to sites that specialise in the field of content creation to professionals such as Vimeo Pro Shutterstock’s Talent, among others.
Platforms such as ProductionHub also provide new memberships free of cost. You may use InVideo to create the demo reel. The platform also allows you to share all your work directly from there. Uploading your demo reels to these sites will let you get proper exposure, as various production houses are often on the lookout for new talent on these sites.
Step #6 – Keep Developing Your Skills
Learning is a continuous process. Stay up to date with your knowledge of video making. Keep honing your skill by learning how to use different software, apply different techniques, get in touch with other professionals, see what you are missing out on, and learn from them. Pick out the worst mistakes they made when they were beginners and how they rectified them going forward. All this knowledge will go a long way in perfecting your skill, but in the end, it all comes down to practice, and there’s no better teacher than practice. Also, now that you are in the video editing industry try to follow some of the famous and vocal video editing professionals on your social media and keep up with all the trends.
Wrapping Up
The field of video editing is a very competitive industry and yet very exciting and growing. There’s always a constant need for more editors in the industry, and there are tremendous opportunities to grow. But, it can’t be just a hobby. You must be utterly devoted to it to avoid being bogged down by the competition. Likewise, don’t be afraid of making a mistake. The video making and editing process can be simplified through various online courses and using online video makers to simplify your work. Practice and trial-and-error can be the best teachers.
