Re: [Avid-L2] I'm an editor, just shoot me

 

---In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com, <tcurren@...> wrote :
"And the blame falls squarely on us as an industry for not training the public in what we do."

I thought editing was supposed to be seamless and invisible.  Of course my MTV years were anything but that but I see a catch 22 in trying to draw attention to the editing when the story is supposed to just flow without drawing attention to the editing.  Maybe if we just edit everything into a box or cube that will draw attention to our value.

The form over content style of editing has certainly blurred the traditional lines of story telling.  I find it hard to find the story line with bombastic layers of effects but the two are not mutually exclusive when done right.  Of course "Right" can be very subjective here.

I thought with all the EPKs I cut we were training the public about what we do but given everything ends up looking like it just takes one button to "Enhance" the image perhaps there in lies the rub.

---In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com, <tcurren@...> wrote :

We, as an industry, have ourselves to blame. We have kept the "magic" of filmmaking hidden for so much of it's lifespan that folks have no idea what we bring to the table as seasoned professionals. So, when the folks find they can edit their own videos with iMovie, the distinction between what they are doing, and the added value of a professional editor is not seen by them.

Couple that with the fact that we were paid a higher wage as the cost of producing and distributing content was so great it kept the market small. Those days are waning. 

You have to find a comparable model to plot the future and the closest I can come up with is writing. Every one has access to pen and paper as most people have, or soon will have, access to editing software. How many highly paid writers are there these days? While there are tons of paid writers out there, some on this list even, they aren't highly paid. Some newspapers even outsource the writing of their articles to India and China.

There still is an aded value to being a good writer, and the consumer is aware of that as they have been trained in the rules of writing since the beginning of school. Almost anyone can tell the difference between something written by a 5th grader and something written by a high school graduate. 

Can those same people tell the difference in editing between a beginner and a seasoned pro? They might enjoy one piece of media over the other, but they wouldn't be able to tell you why the editing made a difference. And that is why we are not valued for our skills. 

And the blame falls squarely on us as an industry for not training the public in what we do.

---In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com, <gustheeditor@...> wrote :

"I find myself unexpectedly having to freelance for the first time in 20+ years, and I am gob-smacked with what people want.  4K Premiere editing on your own system for no/low pay, color a feature for $250, low pay jobs that "can lead to higher paying jobs" (yeah, right), FCP with vfx and color knowledge offered as an 'intern' position and of course, the 50-cents-per-trailer guy.  But I refuse to take those gigs, as it sets a new low, personally, professionally and morally."

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Posted by: bigfish@pacbell.net

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