7:38 "Yeah, no problem" that's soooo me lol hahahaha Sometimes i feel like a caverman using premiere pro, I just use cuts drop some music and text and bum there you have your freaking video; But i have never learned how to actually edit i would love to though
Is no one talking about how funny and engaging his script writing is?!?!? This edit had me cracking up with hints of jokes sprinkled into great story-telling. Love it!
been working as an editor in LA for 3 years now and recently switched to directing for a year now. this is a super accurate story of how things just happen. i always tell my friends in the industry: just stick it out and youll get there. I remember starting as an assistant editor when I was 18 cutting corporate videos and making graphics for minimun wage haha. Then started to PA on set just doing grunt work. But I definately realized really quickly that editing made me a lot more money than being on set. Great thing about being an editor is that you get hired for many days at a time + you have a pretty personal relationship to the producers and creative directors so your cretive opinions matter to them (:
minimum wage is nice, friend of mine started editing work with $100 a months, but its not stop there, he also run errand, cleaning, cooking, managing social media, they exploit him to the bone.
I know this is kind of late but since you are a director I was wondering if you could maybe help with a short film I wrote myself? I’m 16 years old and want to get into acting
Great video! I came in and freelance assisted on that "big company" internal film with you I believe while you were also prepping the the release of your personal film, would have never guessed this was your perspective throughout that time, the way you carried yourself and put in the work pushed me to go harder and now Ive landed at a post-house I love.
@@BimOfficialChannel Hey 👋🏻. Yes actually. I talked to some friends. I was initially salty about doing it for free and many people thought I should never do it free to start. But the size of the contract was gonna be so big it felt worth it to take the risk. They were happy with the video and I was paid for the work. Now we’re talking video 2.
Needed this! For anyone going out there, for the last three months we've been hammering. I left my fulltime nursing job of 80k/yr and now making close to 110k/yr with other incentives working from home editing in about a 1 yr span. I quit nursing 3 months ago! Grind it out, you can make this happen, everyone needs a brand and for that they need a very available video editor! Good luck!
@@TheFlyFishingFilmmaker Yeah I do both! But its all about negotiating your incentives as well and what type of work that you can do thats more long term focused and not just job, project focused
@@ahamedsalim9338 I've been editing on and off for about 2 yrs but not very good, very mediocre at best. In the last 3 months though i've been able to learn 90% of what I do now. Free to fee - provide great work, negotiate for a great price. I've done that in everytime! People are afraid to ask for what their time is worth
@@alphaairdrop makes sense. Im currently a software developer but really enjoy video editing and filmmaking, and i wonder if i ever wanted to make the switch could i make similar kind of money as i do now.
I wanted to throw in my own story of how I got started. I always knew I wanted to work in the film industry as a cinematographer but coming from 2 parents who are immigrants I felt like my chances were very slim since my parents didn't ever care about any of it and expected me to just be get any job and stay there till I die. So having to work right after high school to help pay bills and going through I guess some alright jobs Ferrari, Lexus and a Fedex Driver lol. I finally quit looking for jobs that I knew I didn't want and focused on picking up a camera and a used MacBook Pro since I couldn't afford a new one. I slowly started accumulating my own gear but I felt I needed to focus more on my editing skills and get to work. I finally landed a job as a videographer for a small agency after applying twice and being persistent, I got the job 8-5 for 14.50 hr (YEAY). Not to mention this agency was in the middle of nowhere (IOWA) YUP! Born and raised in L.A but moved there since my dad had a heart attack. I felt I would never transition into editing big projects for motion pictures. So I moved and now Im back in California and been applying everywhere and reached out to an old friend who connected me to a person who works in Hollywood, Now Im just playing the waiting game. That's my story. Moral of the story is "Don't give up and follow your dreams because you never know how close you are to getting your foot in the door"
I wonder how effective is to try reach new clients trough linkdin or any other social media platform. In the video it is said that you can reach some editors from facebook groups but I still wonder if the real real big gigs are coming from trying to search clients on place trough like your case - looking around advertising agencies on set in California?
Literally the single most helpful video I’ve ever seen on freelance video editing. The prices and numbers you mentioned would have saved me SO MUCH time and effort months ago had I known what to expect.
this was very insightful. as someone currently working in kitchens with goals of transitioning into video editing it means a lot to hear someone with a story that begins similar to mine. thanks for giving a little hope
I'm a docu/reality tv & film editor with over a decade in...was prepared to hate watch this but sounds like a pretty typical "how I got into editing story." There's some pretty good advice in here for people just starting out. I hope your projects and clients continue to get cooler and more interesting!
3:10 I have a degree in visual journalism. I think EVERY editor has something to teach even beginners just because there are so many ways to do the same thing in Premiere and everyone picked up a tip here and there that the rest of us were not present to pick up ourselves. I think an award winning editor can learn something from a self taught editor if you just sit down and let them do their thing and you just observe their process.
8:06 As someone who edited a long form content such as D&D. Paper edit is definetely the best way to go. Time consuming yes but the result is really good every time.
Your video is very inspiring! This start of the year, I had just turned 23 and dropped out of college (took me so long to make one of the biggest decisions in my life). All this was to pursue the thing i love most, editing. It's a new journey for me and I'm still in the process of building this career up, Thank you for going step by step with your process on this, it really helped me to take note on the things I should do!
Talk about right place at the right time. It’s amazing how that happened first time around, most people work for years to get that connect. Regardless when that break comes this is proof that when you meet the right person your life can change very quickly.
I'm in the baby stages of becoming an editor, editing content for myself and another RUclipsr. But this video is incredibly straightforward, honest, and informative, and gives me excitement for the future. Thanks for the content, subbed. ✌🏼
@@aidanheroux292 A fellow backpacking RUclipsr I follow put out a community post looking for an editor for his PCT thru hike, to which I responded. I didn't "know" him before, but I do now! Greatest job I ever had.
Super interesting - i've been freelance editing in the youtube space specifically but also recently got a TV gig, completely different worlds. Thanks for making this, I don't hear editors talking about how they got started very often.
This video is absolutely baller man. I don't know if anyone has told you yet but hearing your story is invaluable information. It includes all the fundamentals of breaking into a work field and becoming established/making a career out of it. There's a lot I want to say in this comment but I'm in a bit of a rush so the main takeaway I would I'm hoping will reach you with this comment surrounded by hundreds of others is thank you for sharing your story!
This video was super helpful! Started working as a freelance editor when I was 15 so it’s been around 2 years and your experience of picking peoples brain was very similar to mine.
your story is inspiring man, as someone with a growing passion for editing, maybe this is just what i needed to watch to take the plunge into freelance work thank you so much for this ❤
I'm going to be honest, the RUclips algorithm brought me here, instant subscription to the channel, immediately smashed the like button. Thank you for sharing. I am going through something like this right now in the tech field. Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow the algorithm was so good on this one. I don't think I could ever become an editor but the whole video was so informative and motivating you could use it for any freelance job you wan't! Thanks dude!
Congratulations. It's inspiring to hear success stories like this, especially for anyone who really wants to give it a shot, but lacks the confidence to even try. I would have loved to see this video back when I first started out. I've been doing this for 19 years and I still can't imagine trying to go freelance.
This was highly inspirational. I'm a photographer that's trying to become a full time photographer and it's tough. Feel like I'm in the flow you were in. It's tough especially in Florida for me
Even though my career isn't video editing, your story is fascinating. I just graduated college and all my professors and alumni I met said that making connections is very important
Really needed this video. I'd watch you talk about this stuff for hours. Very informative and relatable, and I've learned I need to go a little harder because I'm not even as far from this as I thought I was.
It took me 27 years working in TV news then magazine type shows from 1995, literally the birth of digital editing on an Avid News Cutter at 3-1 compression, to Composer to Sony Vegas (the lost years) back to AVID then to Premiere Pro, finally quit to work freelance full-time for a corporate tech giant using my preferred NLE FCP. My day rate is $900, and I only have 2 other clients. It can be said I hit the jackpot, but damn it took me 27 years to get there! 3 Months and you are on 500+/day contracts is nuts, but you did it the right way. The conventional advice is, it's not what you know, it who you know and this video tells that story. I got to where I got through who I worked with, if it were not for those relationships, I would still be working in TV making $55k/yr. Getting to know how NLE's work is pretty basic, getting your timing down is the hard part, and making video's is the only way to do it. Good job.
Found this to be incredibly helpful, specifically as someone who is developing their portfolio while trying to find work in "the field". This video speaks volumes of the value of networking.
I think what you’ve skipped over is that you’re not an editor for shows on Netflix and that is actually a LOT harder to get into and would actually take you a lot longer than 1 year of assisting. The normal trajectory is 10 years working your way up. But assistants in the end tend to make a bit more money because they get more regular work than editors. They also work on projects for longer. I think your title is very misleading. Corporate jobs are very different and do pay more money and can get into quicker. Ps: I’m aware you never actually said you worked on shows BUT your title kind of suggest it
This is a great video. Thanks for sharing. For someone who is just starting out editing, even if it’s your first job. I’d recommend charging at least $400/day as an assistant editor. Then anywhere from $500-$600/day once you get more experience. Lead editors make around $1k-$2k/day
I work on network TV jobs in Hollywood. Most editors who work on network shows are making between $700-900 a day. I've never met an editor making $2k a day. Also, AEs make between $1200-2000 a week. Thinking you'll make $600 a day as an AE is fantasy.
Great video that needs way more views tbh. I've been trying for almost a year now to try and get my foot in the door as a Video Editor, but nobody wants to bit. This gave me a bit of hope and motivation to continue forwards on this tough path. I wish you continued success man
Man, you were insanely lucky to land the first role you applied for. Took me a year and a half after finishing Uni to get accepted for a volunteer role. Then a further six months to get a freelance gig that so far has honestly been a net loss. I managed to pick up a nice load of work during Nov/Dec but now we're firmly back to square one. Despite what happened to you I can't stress enough how hardly anyone gives you a chance in this industry.
Lots of people in the industry give you chances (been in it since the early 2000's.) You just have to network like a sob sometimes and meet everyone. Certain people have opportunity fall in their lap (have had very inexperienced friends move up to high levels in an insanely short amount of time because of it)and others who just can't get anywhere. Just the nature of the biz.
@@corail53 oh man, yeah. I made that comment ages ago. I'm am in-house editor now for a small Post production house. The stars truly aligned for me lol
I only found this channel today but I subscribed and have been spending the past hour watching your videos! I’ve been wanting to be a film editor myself but have had little time to do much with high school and work (luckily my school has an Adobe program so I’ve been working on most of my recent videos for those projects). Thankfully, it’s summer now so with the time I have I’ve been storyboarding, watching other’s videos, and script writing like a machine! I really hope I can learn from this channel and that it’ll be a great source to look at from time to time. Thank you for making these well edited and entertaining videos!
I'm a wedding film editor here in the Philippines and the company that I am currently working for is based in USA. It's sad how we only get 650 dollars A MONTH compared to what you get. And $650 is already A LOT here in the Philippines. I'm blown away.
Start a business trust with an American trustee with a US address who can open a US bank account. The trust invoices and gets paid US rates and sends payment to your credit card after skimming a little off the top.
Hi Kent! I'm a video editor from South Africa, I'm a young aspiring filmmaker and really want to do this for a living. But wasn't sure how, then I found your video and boy, am I excited!! There is work out there, and you made me feel as if I can do it! Thank you!!
just lost my job where I was a salaried video editor, so this could not have come at a more perfect time! My anxiety is so bad I have never really tried freelancing, but I may have to.
It’s more work out here than you can imagine Brotha .. I believe you will be fine . I’m from Louisiana and this is freelancing paradise. Just keep networking
Great example of how the film industry works. You could be trying to make it for many years and never catch your break or land a life changing gig in a week. The corporate/commercial/music video world tends to be a lot more unpredictable. However, if you are looking to work on a Netflix SHOW as an editor, expect a long road ahead.
Great video and influence! I’ve been editing since 2009 but never did it for money or work. But now I’m like damn that’s what I really enjoy doing I should really go for it career wise. So this really helped me get an idea on what to do because I have only a small idea on what to do, so thank you!
People underestimate the power of friend of a friend as networking tool. Its how I started when I moved to LA. I started as a Post PA and basically learned as much as I could about AVID from the AE's. Then moved up to being an AE and got my days and joined MPEG. Every opportunity I try to learn as much as I can. It feels like it might be impossible but keep pushing forward! Thanks for the great video and break down Kent!
The key thing to take away from this networking. Networking is invaluable, and being lucky to work with someone who will work with you and be understanding that you are learning. Because a lot of people are pricks and will fire you if you aren't perfect in LA or NY.
Damn, good for you man. I'm trying to start from the bottom to become a film editor with zero experience. And I enjoyed hearing you share your story. Great storyteller btw.
Been editing for the past 20+ years...nice to hear your story. I started as a PA/ Vault technician and worked my way up. Like you had said, I worked for free, to learn the trade and was lucky enough to be at a small boutique. Unfortunately, I was impatient and forced my way out of there to be an editor, but it was meant to be. Now, I pay it back to anyone that asks for advice, or help or just sit and chat. Congrats!
I'm not into video editing. I liked the story and I feel it has some inspiration to draw from for anyone trying to get into the freelancing space for almost any kind of field. Thanks.
Wow man, so inspiring. I am in similar transition phase from 9-5 trying to do what I love - filmmaking and photography and this was super helpful. I see that pretty much it is all about being prepared and network-meet people and make right connections and you in. I found it frustrating trying to do some work in my homeland, small country oversaturated market. But one can find excuses all day long, I have to start putting in some effort and believe it will work. Thanks again.
i've been looking to get into video editing as I am graduating high school in a month, and this video was perfect. I really appreciate how helpful this video was and it is by far the best i've seen relating to freelance work. Thank you and keep it up!!
I really enjoyed listening to you tell your story and I learned a lot. I've been using Premiere and Vegas for 10yrs but I never thought about editing outside of my own shorts and music videos but now you got me thinking. Thank you so much for sharing :)
I give it a similar approach “I taught myself and then learned it properly with someone” I also enjoyed hearing his journey. Usually you’re told to get a degree and then work from there, but he taught himself and worked his way to a job He took an unorthodox approach to it
This was awesome story telling! I can relate in so many ways, best part is not that you doubled your income (which is great!) but that you’re doing something you’re clearly passionate about. 💪🏽👏🏽👏🏽
A dream story. What l got from this is: you were basically properly skilled,...but not yet fully ready (but you did not let that stop you reaching out towards your dream...and that naïveté actually helped put your skills in front of the right people before you knew enough to doubt your skill (the dream aspect)) Quite an inspiration actually.
Great story. I've been a freelance film maker for ages (overloaded with work for some time!) and have only just cottoned onto the idea that I can just pimp out my editing skills. Got my first purely editing client a couple of months ago (on top of other work). It's great 'cos I can do all work remotely and keep my assistant busy on rough cuts and easier jobs. After watching this I think I need to court a lot more editing work mainly as staples. Thanks for sharing.
I'm a DaVinci editor. I am married to this software, it is truly perfect for everything I do. But I do get that there is an established industry standard with using Premiere and Avid. Is there any chance for editors like me or do I have to bite the bullet of switching? I hope not.
If you're not working alongside other editors it's very easy to just use what program works for you, if you are working alongside other editors (or as an assistant editor) you may have to make the jump depending on the project. A lot of editors are cool with you using Davinci, it just takes an extra step of exporting an xml when handing it off to you or you handing it back to them, but it comes down to the individual. Either way, you don't need to jump entirely. It's very smart to have the capability to work in both programs because you'll definitely miss out on gigs if you don't have a handle on Premiere. Now here's something people don't pay attention to and don't care about: If you're using a Premiere file, you can always slap it in Premiere, export an xml, then do all your editing in Davinci. When you're done, export an xml from Davinci and open it in Premiere, reapply effects that may have been in the original Premiere file if they don't read across the programs, then send them the Premiere project file. That still requires you to have a version of Premiere but there's plenty of room to have your cake and eat it to in a lot of instances. Still, though, learning Premiere is important despite your preference, and you'll find there's a lot to love about it, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon Davinci.
The whole industry is heading towards Resolve. Before "X" Final Cut Pro was King. Premiere was laughed at but now is considered the biggest NLE on the market. In my experience AVID has market lock with Pro Tools but isn't gaining new users with Media Composer so you'll really only find veterans using it. Now you start to see a shift with people moving away from Premiere as Adobe has become so unreliable for larger scale projects. Resolve is a great program and even if it crashes you'll likely never lose any work which is more than you can say for Premiere. It's worth mentioning that Resolve has already been used for a long time in major studios as the best color grading program on the market so it's only a matter of time before more feature films use it.
Thank you so much. I'm in New York, Currently going to film school, working a part time job and I just started an internship at a production studio. This is very inspirational and made me even more excited about what my future holds.
Thanks for all the advice! I Just graduated but I was able to get a great connection through my professor, and was hired as an editor! In this field hard work, talent and humbleness really do pay off.
Actually some pretty good advices in here. You got lucky, but the most important thing is that nothing comes from nothing. The more you contact people, connect with them, the more work you'll be able to get eventually. I'd just say that Avid and Premiere aren't the only softwares that matters. As an editor, the most important thing is to be able to craft freely. But as an assistant editor and future editor, it's always worth it to learn every softwares. Also, bigger projects have way more complicated workflows that no one can learn with watching videos online.
@@richardadler8076 I dont think one can either imagine it without experiencing it in real. I'd just say that, mostly, RUclips videos are useless to learn a proper way to work, organize, and manage its project. I don't say that everything is terrible, there are some pretty good videos out there. But, for example, on RUclips, who knows that syncing in Premiere Pro requires to ALWAYS use the multi-cam option instead of the fusing one to avoid dealing with hours of manual resync once the picture lock is done ? Still, hundred of videos, and even Adobe, encourages this workflow. Who knows that syncing manually may ALSO cause issues with Pro Tools sound edit ? Who knows that you get to be careful while editing timewarps on Avid, because it makes it harder to reconform it to DAV previous to the color grading step ? Who knows how to carefully manage a project that has been shot in reel correctly ? There are so many different situations, so many ways to adapt to the project. An assistant editor has to adapt to every situations quickly and find creative and technical ways to manage things. This it not something RUclips amateurs can teach, and real editors or assistant editors making good quality videos are rare, simply because they don't really have time for that.
This is literally just so cool. I recently started freelance video editing/photography and I feel like that first stage is so hard to get past but once you kinda have your shit figured out a little bit more it is soooooo cool to be a freelancer.
As a (hobbyist) video editor and a graphic designer for about a decade, I used to think that's what I'd love to do as my career but boy I was so wrong. Once I started editing for other people other than myself I quickly realized that I can't stand people telling me what to do and how exactly to edit my projects. I dropped the idea of a video editor career a few months later, left video editing and graphic design as a hobby and found myself in other spheres.
I just started my own content creation and filming company. I can tell you how much I appreciate learning your story and happy to hear about your success!!
hey 👋 this is Rivu frm India, thanks for sharing ur story, very inspiring .. i hv quite a story as well on how i became a remote online video editor from India. Now i am a fulltime remote editor and a youtuber frm India and i love it … all my life i was searching fr that 1 thing i wanted to do which i am really passionate about .. and at last i found it as an Editor and a filmmaker. would love to keep on touch .. bye 👋
So, I taught myself how to edit about 1.5 years ago and have been making comedic gaming videos cause it's just something I enjoy. Turns out, I really like editing and I have a skill that I didn't know I had...I get comments all the time about my edits and get praised for them as well. I really dislike my current job and have been thinking of becoming a full time video editor, but I don't know where to start. Also, I can't make a reel/portfolio about my editing since it's offensive comedy within video games. What do you suggest? Does anybody know if freelancing on fivver is a good gig? Whats the process on getting noticed, how long does it take, what other jobs are a good start etc
Amazing story! Also in the same boat editing between 2 maybe 3 clients. Really inspiring to see my path went more or less the same as yours. Thank you for sharing! Quick question though... Why won't you recommend DaVinci Resolve as an editor? Over the past 3-4 years, Blackmagic turned Resolve into a powerful full suite editor from assembling, editing, special effects, tracking, audio and of course colouring, which is its strongest feature. Just curious how the industry feels about it. Thank you again
As for me, Davinci Resolve is best for coloring. I don't see myself cutting footages inside it; premiere pro works best for me. What I do is after the first cut in Premiere pro I export my timeline as an XML file for grading in Resolve.
@@brightjohntv I understand. My question is still why you choose Premiere over DaVinci to cut, edit and for final delivery? I'm just curious how other people think about their workflow🙂
This is literally the most honest take on being a freelance editor and the comment section is super wholesome. Just to add, I've also been working as a remote video editor and finding work is a bit more difficult than being in person so building trust helps a lot.
I’m an 18 year old who’s just finishing their exams, trying to go into the big wide world of freelance. I’ve done three ads so far, one for a PI and the other two for a food company, but I never charged them as I said I just wanted experience. They loved the ads and have now asked me to film more with them after my exams- I figured I should start charging, but I don’t really know what my rate should be, especially as they are only small businesses and don’t have the same income as a big corporation. Any suggestions?
Thanks for the love folks! I made a video answering your freelance editing questions here - ruclips.net/video/AAvt3P-p6QM/видео.html
Thank you so much you for your honesty and humor! I love it! 😍
YESSSIRRRR
Can you please please please list the specific courses on lyda you used?? Thank you!!!
7:38 "Yeah, no problem" that's soooo me lol hahahaha Sometimes i feel like a caverman using premiere pro, I just use cuts drop some music and text and bum there you have your freaking video; But i have never learned how to actually edit i would love to though
Is final cut trash?
Thank you for this! I feel like no one EVER talks numbers and you did.
Glad to help ✌
Yes numbers lets people know what they can work with in a given field that isnt standardized. Good job.
If he closed and told me to buy a house I'd still believe because of the authenticity of his storytelling is very good.
Glad this is top comment. It was my first ?
@@Orangeflava It is standardized if you are working on major projects - Union baseline with rate negotiations on top.
Is no one talking about how funny and engaging his script writing is?!?!? This edit had me cracking up with hints of jokes sprinkled into great story-telling. Love it!
lets start a da vinci gang discord
@@CurrentlyStuck I quickly went to the comments to see how many people cracked up with his jokes too!
Those punchlines are so accurate! hahaha
Awesome you share that story. I think it is a great example for young people.
been working as an editor in LA for 3 years now and recently switched to directing for a year now. this is a super accurate story of how things just happen. i always tell my friends in the industry: just stick it out and youll get there. I remember starting as an assistant editor when I was 18 cutting corporate videos and making graphics for minimun wage haha. Then started to PA on set just doing grunt work. But I definately realized really quickly that editing made me a lot more money than being on set. Great thing about being an editor is that you get hired for many days at a time + you have a pretty personal relationship to the producers and creative directors so your cretive opinions matter to them (:
Do you need an assistant editor by any chance ?:))
@@Ana-ke9fn 💀
minimum wage is nice, friend of mine started editing work with $100 a months, but its not stop there, he also run errand, cleaning, cooking, managing social media, they exploit him to the bone.
Larry the way you told the story. Larry
I know this is kind of late but since you are a director I was wondering if you could maybe help with a short film I wrote myself? I’m 16 years old and want to get into acting
Great video! I came in and freelance assisted on that "big company" internal film with you I believe while you were also prepping the the release of your personal film, would have never guessed this was your perspective throughout that time, the way you carried yourself and put in the work pushed me to go harder and now Ive landed at a post-house I love.
Oh hey man, wow thanks and I’m glad to hear you’re killin it!
I’m in a trial period working on one project of 20 with my first ever client. Extremely nervous. I needed this video.
Nice! Under-promise and over-deliver and they'll love ya 😉
How did you manage to get in contact with this company?
@@albruce02 I wish I had a good answer. In place of a reel I showed my TikTok / RUclips videos + Friend of a Friend who is good at networking.
@@ThatMakesSenseToMe Out of curiosity, did you get paid for the trial period from that one video?
@@BimOfficialChannel Hey 👋🏻. Yes actually. I talked to some friends. I was initially salty about doing it for free and many people thought I should never do it free to start. But the size of the contract was gonna be so big it felt worth it to take the risk. They were happy with the video and I was paid for the work. Now we’re talking video 2.
You are the definition of hard work pays off, this is an incredible story about persistence and not being too shy to attempt your dream
Needed this! For anyone going out there, for the last three months we've been hammering. I left my fulltime nursing job of 80k/yr and now making close to 110k/yr with other incentives working from home editing in about a 1 yr span. I quit nursing 3 months ago! Grind it out, you can make this happen, everyone needs a brand and for that they need a very available video editor! Good luck!
Are you doing this freelance? Or salary with a company?
It would be great if you could let us where do you get to make those money as beginner?
@@TheFlyFishingFilmmaker Yeah I do both! But its all about negotiating your incentives as well and what type of work that you can do thats more long term focused and not just job, project focused
@@ahamedsalim9338 I've been editing on and off for about 2 yrs but not very good, very mediocre at best. In the last 3 months though i've been able to learn 90% of what I do now. Free to fee - provide great work, negotiate for a great price. I've done that in everytime! People are afraid to ask for what their time is worth
@@alphaairdrop makes sense. Im currently a software developer but really enjoy video editing and filmmaking, and i wonder if i ever wanted to make the switch could i make similar kind of money as i do now.
I wanted to throw in my own story of how I got started. I always knew I wanted to work in the film industry as a cinematographer but coming from 2 parents who are immigrants I felt like my chances were very slim since my parents didn't ever care about any of it and expected me to just be get any job and stay there till I die. So having to work right after high school to help pay bills and going through I guess some alright jobs Ferrari, Lexus and a Fedex Driver lol. I finally quit looking for jobs that I knew I didn't want and focused on picking up a camera and a used MacBook Pro since I couldn't afford a new one. I slowly started accumulating my own gear but I felt I needed to focus more on my editing skills and get to work. I finally landed a job as a videographer for a small agency after applying twice and being persistent, I got the job 8-5 for 14.50 hr (YEAY). Not to mention this agency was in the middle of nowhere (IOWA) YUP! Born and raised in L.A but moved there since my dad had a heart attack. I felt I would never transition into editing big projects for motion pictures. So I moved and now Im back in California and been applying everywhere and reached out to an old friend who connected me to a person who works in Hollywood, Now Im just playing the waiting game. That's my story. Moral of the story is "Don't give up and follow your dreams because you never know how close you are to getting your foot in the door"
Shoulders back,... keep smashing!
I wonder how effective is to try reach new clients trough linkdin or any other social media platform. In the video it is said that you can reach some editors from facebook groups but I still wonder if the real real big gigs are coming from trying to search clients on place trough like your case - looking around advertising agencies on set in California?
Update?
Dude how’s it going? We need an update. I’m invested now haha
I am from Iowa and do some videographer and Audio Visual work. Where at if you dont mind me asking?
Literally the single most helpful video I’ve ever seen on freelance video editing. The prices and numbers you mentioned would have saved me SO MUCH time and effort months ago had I known what to expect.
this was very insightful. as someone currently working in kitchens with goals of transitioning into video editing it means a lot to hear someone with a story that begins similar to mine. thanks for giving a little hope
I'm a docu/reality tv & film editor with over a decade in...was prepared to hate watch this but sounds like a pretty typical "how I got into editing story." There's some pretty good advice in here for people just starting out. I hope your projects and clients continue to get cooler and more interesting!
why do you want to watch things that you think you'll hate?
@@ssdev16 to see if you actually hate it
@@AreticYT that's a terrible roi
@@josuastangl7140 what the hell is an roi
@@AreticYT return on investment, as in not really anything to gain from taking the time to watch the video
3:10 I have a degree in visual journalism. I think EVERY editor has something to teach even beginners just because there are so many ways to do the same thing in Premiere and everyone picked up a tip here and there that the rest of us were not present to pick up ourselves. I think an award winning editor can learn something from a self taught editor if you just sit down and let them do their thing and you just observe their process.
This is literally the most inspirational video I've ever watched. Thank you so much.
8:06
As someone who edited a long form content such as D&D. Paper edit is definetely the best way to go. Time consuming yes but the result is really good every time.
The most honest talk, Ever heard in this Era! It takes guts to spill out the Truth, Hats off man! You got my respect! 🥸
Your video is very inspiring! This start of the year, I had just turned 23 and dropped out of college (took me so long to make one of the biggest decisions in my life). All this was to pursue the thing i love most, editing. It's a new journey for me and I'm still in the process of building this career up, Thank you for going step by step with your process on this, it really helped me to take note on the things I should do!
Talk about right place at the right time. It’s amazing how that happened first time around, most people work for years to get that connect. Regardless when that break comes this is proof that when you meet the right person your life can change very quickly.
This video inspires me to keep on grinding in my life, for real i watch it every month to get inspired to keep moving forward, thank you bro for real!
I'm in the baby stages of becoming an editor, editing content for myself and another RUclipsr. But this video is incredibly straightforward, honest, and informative, and gives me excitement for the future. Thanks for the content, subbed. ✌🏼
Are you editing for someone you know or someone who hired you? If it's the latter I'm curious how you found that job
@@aidanheroux292 A fellow backpacking RUclipsr I follow put out a community post looking for an editor for his PCT thru hike, to which I responded. I didn't "know" him before, but I do now! Greatest job I ever had.
I LOVE YOUR TRANSPARENCY!!
Super interesting - i've been freelance editing in the youtube space specifically but also recently got a TV gig, completely different worlds. Thanks for making this, I don't hear editors talking about how they got started very often.
This video is absolutely baller man. I don't know if anyone has told you yet but hearing your story is invaluable information. It includes all the fundamentals of breaking into a work field and becoming established/making a career out of it. There's a lot I want to say in this comment but I'm in a bit of a rush so the main takeaway I would I'm hoping will reach you with this comment surrounded by hundreds of others is thank you for sharing your story!
This video was super helpful! Started working as a freelance editor when I was 15 so it’s been around 2 years and your experience of picking peoples brain was very similar to mine.
your story is inspiring man, as someone with a growing passion for editing, maybe this is just what i needed to watch to take the plunge into freelance work
thank you so much for this ❤
The amount of honesty in this video is priceless, Thank you
8:42 I like how the CGI cat lifted it's head to ear about that project. I almost thought it was a real cat the first 8 minutes.
You should rename the title of the video to "How to become anything in life" with that kind of dedication. Nice job!
I'm going to be honest, the RUclips algorithm brought me here, instant subscription to the channel, immediately smashed the like button. Thank you for sharing. I am going through something like this right now in the tech field. Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow the algorithm was so good on this one. I don't think I could ever become an editor but the whole video was so informative and motivating you could use it for any freelance job you wan't!
Thanks dude!
Congratulations. It's inspiring to hear success stories like this, especially for anyone who really wants to give it a shot, but lacks the confidence to even try. I would have loved to see this video back when I first started out. I've been doing this for 19 years and I still can't imagine trying to go freelance.
Sounds like a case of right place right time Keep killing it
This was highly inspirational. I'm a photographer that's trying to become a full time photographer and it's tough. Feel like I'm in the flow you were in. It's tough especially in Florida for me
Yes
Even though my career isn't video editing, your story is fascinating. I just graduated college and all my professors and alumni I met said that making connections is very important
Oh yeah, I'll be back to this channel. Great content that covers stuff that so many others just don't touch on.
Really needed this video. I'd watch you talk about this stuff for hours. Very informative and relatable, and I've learned I need to go a little harder because I'm not even as far from this as I thought I was.
It took me 27 years working in TV news then magazine type shows from 1995, literally the birth of digital editing on an Avid News Cutter at 3-1 compression, to Composer to Sony Vegas (the lost years) back to AVID then to Premiere Pro, finally quit to work freelance full-time for a corporate tech giant using my preferred NLE FCP. My day rate is $900, and I only have 2 other clients. It can be said I hit the jackpot, but damn it took me 27 years to get there! 3 Months and you are on 500+/day contracts is nuts, but you did it the right way. The conventional advice is, it's not what you know, it who you know and this video tells that story. I got to where I got through who I worked with, if it were not for those relationships, I would still be working in TV making $55k/yr. Getting to know how NLE's work is pretty basic, getting your timing down is the hard part, and making video's is the only way to do it. Good job.
This was just what I needed to hear. You've literally helped me make a career decision. Thanks.
YES...! For me too...! Congratulations to both of us
Found this to be incredibly helpful, specifically as someone who is developing their portfolio while trying to find work in "the field". This video speaks volumes of the value of networking.
I think what you’ve skipped over is that you’re not an editor for shows on Netflix and that is actually a LOT harder to get into and would actually take you a lot longer than 1 year of assisting. The normal trajectory is 10 years working your way up. But assistants in the end tend to make a bit more money because they get more regular work than editors. They also work on projects for longer. I think your title is very misleading. Corporate jobs are very different and do pay more money and can get into quicker. Ps: I’m aware you never actually said you worked on shows BUT your title kind of suggest it
Thank YOu!
0:21 ?
@@Radu_NG through corporate assets he meant. Not dirrectlly as a tv-show/movie/documentary editor. Thats why it was misleading
in short, its clickbait
No u can network ur way in
DUDE, amazing! Nice story recap :)
This is a great video. Thanks for sharing. For someone who is just starting out editing, even if it’s your first job. I’d recommend charging at least $400/day as an assistant editor. Then anywhere from $500-$600/day once you get more experience. Lead editors make around $1k-$2k/day
what type of projects do editors make 1k-2k/day?
@@ryansulak Good question, i'd also like to know.
I work on network TV jobs in Hollywood. Most editors who work on network shows are making between $700-900 a day. I've never met an editor making $2k a day. Also, AEs make between $1200-2000 a week. Thinking you'll make $600 a day as an AE is fantasy.
What an amazing story, you're 100% right. You say yes to everyone and everything and figure it out
Wow,it's not just skill it's a Passion too
Great video that needs way more views tbh. I've been trying for almost a year now to try and get my foot in the door as a Video Editor, but nobody wants to bit. This gave me a bit of hope and motivation to continue forwards on this tough path. I wish you continued success man
Man, you were insanely lucky to land the first role you applied for. Took me a year and a half after finishing Uni to get accepted for a volunteer role. Then a further six months to get a freelance gig that so far has honestly been a net loss. I managed to pick up a nice load of work during Nov/Dec but now we're firmly back to square one. Despite what happened to you I can't stress enough how hardly anyone gives you a chance in this industry.
Chin up bro. Keep improving, you will soon be undieniable
Lots of people in the industry give you chances (been in it since the early 2000's.) You just have to network like a sob sometimes and meet everyone. Certain people have opportunity fall in their lap (have had very inexperienced friends move up to high levels in an insanely short amount of time because of it)and others who just can't get anywhere. Just the nature of the biz.
@@corail53 oh man, yeah. I made that comment ages ago. I'm am in-house editor now for a small
Post production house. The stars truly aligned for me lol
I only found this channel today but I subscribed and have been spending the past hour watching your videos!
I’ve been wanting to be a film editor myself but have had little time to do much with high school and work (luckily my school has an Adobe program so I’ve been working on most of my recent videos for those projects). Thankfully, it’s summer now so with the time I have I’ve been storyboarding, watching other’s videos, and script writing like a machine!
I really hope I can learn from this channel and that it’ll be a great source to look at from time to time. Thank you for making these well edited and entertaining videos!
I'm a wedding film editor here in the Philippines and the company that I am currently working for is based in USA. It's sad how we only get 650 dollars A MONTH compared to what you get. And $650 is already A LOT here in the Philippines. I'm blown away.
This is what I usually make in a month From india too, frelance editing....not much of a difference but yeah, money is always not too much
@@FarhanAhmed-nc6ks It's so sad if you think about it.
@modric modryk Philippines.
Start a business trust with an American trustee with a US address who can open a US bank account. The trust invoices and gets paid US rates and sends payment to your credit card after skimming a little off the top.
Hi Kent! I'm a video editor from South Africa, I'm a young aspiring filmmaker and really want to do this for a living. But wasn't sure how, then I found your video and boy, am I excited!! There is work out there, and you made me feel as if I can do it! Thank you!!
Hi Jordan, how can one reach out to you? I just checked your You Tube in about section there is no reference email or website etc.
one the most inspiring stories i've seen! as someone who's suffering from imposter syndrome, thanks for sharing :)
just lost my job where I was a salaried video editor, so this could not have come at a more perfect time! My anxiety is so bad I have never really tried freelancing, but I may have to.
Best of luck man!
@@vishwakrishnan Thank you so much
It’s more work out here than you can imagine Brotha .. I believe you will be fine . I’m from Louisiana and this is freelancing paradise. Just keep networking
@@84legit I have pretty severe social anxiety, but i know networking is a big part of this, any tips on getting started networking?
@@84legit yea how do I get into doing this?
the job that ive been dreamin of my entire life a sustainable one for video editing
Great example of how the film industry works. You could be trying to make it for many years and never catch your break or land a life changing gig in a week. The corporate/commercial/music video world tends to be a lot more unpredictable. However, if you are looking to work on a Netflix SHOW as an editor, expect a long road ahead.
Love your personality and attitude, going to binge watch your vids!
Great video and influence! I’ve been editing since 2009 but never did it for money or work. But now I’m like damn that’s what I really enjoy doing I should really go for it career wise. So this really helped me get an idea on what to do because I have only a small idea on what to do, so thank you!
Same here
Absolutly love your story telling, combined with the super funny and well timed edits, btw the Rocky one totaly got me. Awesome video
Man this was pretty inspirational to watch and listen to. It's scary starting a new journey though.
People underestimate the power of friend of a friend as networking tool. Its how I started when I moved to LA. I started as a Post PA and basically learned as much as I could about AVID from the AE's. Then moved up to being an AE and got my days and joined MPEG. Every opportunity I try to learn as much as I can. It feels like it might be impossible but keep pushing forward!
Thanks for the great video and break down Kent!
The key thing to take away from this networking. Networking is invaluable, and being lucky to work with someone who will work with you and be understanding that you are learning. Because a lot of people are pricks and will fire you if you aren't perfect in LA or NY.
Damn, good for you man. I'm trying to start from the bottom to become a film editor with zero experience. And I enjoyed hearing you share your story. Great storyteller btw.
Amazing story telling! This was a great listen!
Been editing for the past 20+ years...nice to hear your story. I started as a PA/ Vault technician and worked my way up. Like you had said, I worked for free, to learn the trade and was lucky enough to be at a small boutique. Unfortunately, I was impatient and forced my way out of there to be an editor, but it was meant to be. Now, I pay it back to anyone that asks for advice, or help or just sit and chat. Congrats!
I would love for u to be your shinagami novice belto editor lol
I'm not into video editing. I liked the story and I feel it has some inspiration to draw from for anyone trying to get into the freelancing space for almost any kind of field. Thanks.
Thank you for this! Right now compiling my reel, and trying to establish some editing connections and work. Very inspiring!!
Wow man, so inspiring. I am in similar transition phase from 9-5 trying to do what I love - filmmaking and photography and this was super helpful. I see that pretty much it is all about being prepared and network-meet people and make right connections and you in. I found it frustrating trying to do some work in my homeland, small country oversaturated market. But one can find excuses all day long, I have to start putting in some effort and believe it will work. Thanks again.
Your story is amazing!
i've been looking to get into video editing as I am graduating high school in a month, and this video was perfect. I really appreciate how helpful this video was and it is by far the best i've seen relating to freelance work. Thank you and keep it up!!
OMG ITS WORKED. Guys it really worked. Thank you
I really enjoyed listening to you tell your story and I learned a lot. I've been using Premiere and Vegas for 10yrs but I never thought about editing outside of my own shorts and music videos but now you got me thinking. Thank you so much for sharing :)
It’s more work and demand out here than you can could possibly imagine.. network and best wishes 💪🏽
I give it a similar approach
“I taught myself and then learned it properly with someone”
I also enjoyed hearing his journey. Usually you’re told to get a degree and then work from there, but he taught himself and worked his way to a job
He took an unorthodox approach to it
Reminds me of my current music journey. After 1 year diving in, I got music on tV, movies, and a Disneyland attraction! Thanks for sharing!
This was awesome story telling! I can relate in so many ways, best part is not that you doubled your income (which is great!) but that you’re doing something you’re clearly passionate about. 💪🏽👏🏽👏🏽
A dream story. What l got from this is: you were basically properly skilled,...but not yet fully ready (but you did not let that stop you reaching out towards your dream...and that naïveté actually helped put your skills in front of the right people before you knew enough to doubt your skill (the dream aspect))
Quite an inspiration actually.
Great story. I've been a freelance film maker for ages (overloaded with work for some time!) and have only just cottoned onto the idea that I can just pimp out my editing skills. Got my first purely editing client a couple of months ago (on top of other work). It's great 'cos I can do all work remotely and keep my assistant busy on rough cuts and easier jobs. After watching this I think I need to court a lot more editing work mainly as staples. Thanks for sharing.
That was so f'ing good. Like good story, relevant information and the numbers to show more legitimacy.
Plus your editing is f'ing amazing.
I'm a DaVinci editor. I am married to this software, it is truly perfect for everything I do. But I do get that there is an established industry standard with using Premiere and Avid. Is there any chance for editors like me or do I have to bite the bullet of switching? I hope not.
If you're not working alongside other editors it's very easy to just use what program works for you, if you are working alongside other editors (or as an assistant editor) you may have to make the jump depending on the project.
A lot of editors are cool with you using Davinci, it just takes an extra step of exporting an xml when handing it off to you or you handing it back to them, but it comes down to the individual.
Either way, you don't need to jump entirely. It's very smart to have the capability to work in both programs because you'll definitely miss out on gigs if you don't have a handle on Premiere.
Now here's something people don't pay attention to and don't care about:
If you're using a Premiere file, you can always slap it in Premiere, export an xml, then do all your editing in Davinci. When you're done, export an xml from Davinci and open it in Premiere, reapply effects that may have been in the original Premiere file if they don't read across the programs, then send them the Premiere project file. That still requires you to have a version of Premiere but there's plenty of room to have your cake and eat it to in a lot of instances.
Still, though, learning Premiere is important despite your preference, and you'll find there's a lot to love about it, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon Davinci.
I am davinci too 🤩🤩
The whole industry is heading towards Resolve. Before "X" Final Cut Pro was King. Premiere was laughed at but now is considered the biggest NLE on the market. In my experience AVID has market lock with Pro Tools but isn't gaining new users with Media Composer so you'll really only find veterans using it.
Now you start to see a shift with people moving away from Premiere as Adobe has become so unreliable for larger scale projects. Resolve is a great program and even if it crashes you'll likely never lose any work which is more than you can say for Premiere. It's worth mentioning that Resolve has already been used for a long time in major studios as the best color grading program on the market so it's only a matter of time before more feature films use it.
same, i love vinci. Fiverr is alr ig(been editing for abt 1 year (em 17 now) leartn everything all by myself haha
this video is old ... Resolve is slowly taking over
Awesome storytelling!
As an editor, this warmed my heart. Love how you took your passion and just jumped in. Congrats and I hope there’s more great projects to come for you
Incredible. I am just starting my journey of filmmaking and this is blowing my mind
Thank you so much. I'm in New York, Currently going to film school, working a part time job and I just started an internship at a production studio. This is very inspirational and made me even more excited about what my future holds.
Wow! It works! The first time i tried it took forever to activate and when I disabled my antivirus it worked like in less than a minute! Thanks bro!
I'm not even joking, this video is changing my life, because I didnt realise you could do editing as a job, but now I'm starting to get jobs doing it.
👏👏
Thanks for all the advice! I Just graduated but I was able to get a great connection through my professor, and was hired as an editor! In this field hard work, talent and humbleness really do pay off.
Actually some pretty good advices in here. You got lucky, but the most important thing is that nothing comes from nothing. The more you contact people, connect with them, the more work you'll be able to get eventually.
I'd just say that Avid and Premiere aren't the only softwares that matters. As an editor, the most important thing is to be able to craft freely. But as an assistant editor and future editor, it's always worth it to learn every softwares.
Also, bigger projects have way more complicated workflows that no one can learn with watching videos online.
really?! How complicated are the workflows?
@@richardadler8076 I dont think one can either imagine it without experiencing it in real. I'd just say that, mostly, RUclips videos are useless to learn a proper way to work, organize, and manage its project. I don't say that everything is terrible, there are some pretty good videos out there. But, for example, on RUclips, who knows that syncing in Premiere Pro requires to ALWAYS use the multi-cam option instead of the fusing one to avoid dealing with hours of manual resync once the picture lock is done ? Still, hundred of videos, and even Adobe, encourages this workflow.
Who knows that syncing manually may ALSO cause issues with Pro Tools sound edit ? Who knows that you get to be careful while editing timewarps on Avid, because it makes it harder to reconform it to DAV previous to the color grading step ? Who knows how to carefully manage a project that has been shot in reel correctly ?
There are so many different situations, so many ways to adapt to the project. An assistant editor has to adapt to every situations quickly and find creative and technical ways to manage things. This it not something RUclips amateurs can teach, and real editors or assistant editors making good quality videos are rare, simply because they don't really have time for that.
I gotta dopamine rush from watching this an I feel motivated
This is literally just so cool. I recently started freelance video editing/photography and I feel like that first stage is so hard to get past but once you kinda have your shit figured out a little bit more it is soooooo cool to be a freelancer.
Dude You are funny without even trying to be seriously love the video nd how your journey has been 🤣
As a (hobbyist) video editor and a graphic designer for about a decade, I used to think that's what I'd love to do as my career but boy I was so wrong.
Once I started editing for other people other than myself I quickly realized that I can't stand people telling me what to do and how exactly to edit my projects.
I dropped the idea of a video editor career a few months later, left video editing and graphic design as a hobby and found myself in other spheres.
What spheres if you don't mind me asking?
I just started my own content creation and filming company. I can tell you how much I appreciate learning your story and happy to hear about your success!!
hey 👋 this is Rivu frm India, thanks for sharing ur story, very inspiring .. i hv quite a story as well on how i became a remote online video editor from India. Now i am a fulltime remote editor and a youtuber frm India and i love it … all my life i was searching fr that 1 thing i wanted to do which i am really passionate about .. and at last i found it as an Editor and a filmmaker. would love to keep on touch .. bye 👋
It's truly astounding how easy the internet makes learning these days. Thanks for the tutorial, my guy.
Im doin professional editing and vfx for over 8 years and this 11 minutes changed my perspective on everything I did in my life.❤️
"what is that firewire?" love it! This is awesome dude! Great story.
So, I taught myself how to edit about 1.5 years ago and have been making comedic gaming videos cause it's just something I enjoy. Turns out, I really like editing and I have a skill that I didn't know I had...I get comments all the time about my edits and get praised for them as well. I really dislike my current job and have been thinking of becoming a full time video editor, but I don't know where to start. Also, I can't make a reel/portfolio about my editing since it's offensive comedy within video games. What do you suggest? Does anybody know if freelancing on fivver is a good gig? Whats the process on getting noticed, how long does it take, what other jobs are a good start etc
This was very helpful! No one ever talks about intricacies of networking. Thank you!!!
sometimes, i just wanna create my own netflix and become trillonaire
You should! You can do it!
IT WORKED, THANKS I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOREVER, BUT NO TUTORIAL COULD EXPLAIN IT AS YOU DID
Amazing story! Also in the same boat editing between 2 maybe 3 clients. Really inspiring to see my path went more or less the same as yours. Thank you for sharing! Quick question though... Why won't you recommend DaVinci Resolve as an editor? Over the past 3-4 years, Blackmagic turned Resolve into a powerful full suite editor from assembling, editing, special effects, tracking, audio and of course colouring, which is its strongest feature. Just curious how the industry feels about it. Thank you again
As for me, Davinci Resolve is best for coloring. I don't see myself cutting footages inside it; premiere pro works best for me. What I do is after the first cut in Premiere pro I export my timeline as an XML file for grading in Resolve.
@@brightjohntv I understand. My question is still why you choose Premiere over DaVinci to cut, edit and for final delivery? I'm just curious how other people think about their workflow🙂
This is literally the most honest take on being a freelance editor and the comment section is super wholesome.
Just to add, I've also been working as a remote video editor and finding work is a bit more difficult than being in person so building trust helps a lot.
I’m an 18 year old who’s just finishing their exams, trying to go into the big wide world of freelance. I’ve done three ads so far, one for a PI and the other two for a food company, but I never charged them as I said I just wanted experience.
They loved the ads and have now asked me to film more with them after my exams- I figured I should start charging, but I don’t really know what my rate should be, especially as they are only small businesses and don’t have the same income as a big corporation. Any suggestions?
if you want to be charged by them, they'll just find another editor. You will have to find another client
Great story and the way you delivered is top notch.