Embark on a fast-paced journey to learn Video Editing, an in-demand skill that can open doors to exciting careers in the film, television, or online content creation industry. Master the art and science of video editing in just a few weeks and command an average salary of $80,000.
Key Insights
- Mastering the technical aspects of video editing tools like Premiere Pro can be achieved in a few weeks of training.
- Understanding the artistry and philosophy behind video editing is a complex process, requiring a longer learning curve.
- Prior experience with design programs or film theory can significantly accelerate the learning process, allowing students to focus more on the creative aspects of editing.
- Access to raw footage for practice can speed up learning, making connections in the industry beneficial.
- Professional training, such as the courses offered by Noble Desktop, can expedite the learning process and provide a structured learning environment.
- Video Editors are in high demand in today's digital content marketplace, with trained professionals commanding an average salary of $80,000.
Like many aspiring Video Editors, you might want to learn Video Editing but worry that it will take too much time. Learning the tools behind basic video editing will not take students all that long. They can reliably learn tools like Premiere Pro or Final Cut in only a few weeks of training. The time-consuming part of learning video editing is learning the specific techniques and theories behind video editing and practicing enough to perfect these techniques. This process can take years of study and training. Of course, this depends on several factors. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn Video Editing and some resources to help speed the process along.
What is Video Editing?
Video editing is the art of taking multiple different film clips and manipulating them to create a single finished video composition. Video Editors cut together clips, add, remove, and mix sound, digitally alter and remove elements of the film, and add special effects in post-production. Taking cues from the arts of cinematography and photography, video editing is a necessary component of producing video content. It is also a hidden art, as Video Editors strive to make their presence invisible, creating a seamless edit that washes over audiences.
Video Editors use tools like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X to create finished video projects by blending different video and sound files. Video Editors are responsible for synching audio and visual elements of the film, ensuring continuity between individual frames and scenes, and cleaning up elements of the film, such as correctly handling green screens or removing ambient sound and replacing it with desired music. Video Editors will work with directors, cinematographers, and producers to dictate a video's pace and movements, and even though their work isn’t always lauded, they represent an essential part of making professional quality video productions.
Read more about what video editing is and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with Video Editing?
Video editing lets creatives make both subtle and significant alterations to video files. They can make minor but meaningful edits to combine multiple clips, alter audio volume, speed up and slow down footage, or correct color and lighting. They can also make significant changes, such as altering backgrounds using a green screen and chroma key software, adding in special effects or music, or removing background obstructions. These kinds of edits will come together to help creatives produce professional quality videos, and learning these skills will open the door to a high-paying and in-demand career field.
Learning video editing skills is also useful for creatives hoping to break into the world of content creation themselves. Rather than editing videos for other people, you’ll be able to create and edit your own content, giving your online presence a professional quality that can set your work apart from the competition. Whether you are making YouTube tutorials, scripted content, Lets Plays, or you want to stream on Twitch or YouTube, learning the basics of video editing can help take your content to the next level.
Average Time it Takes to Learn Video Editing
On average, it only takes new students a few days to become comfortable with video editing software and only a few weeks to learn the more advanced functions of those applications. Beyond the technical skills required, students may need to learn the artistic side of video editing, and these lessons can take months or even a year to learn fully. Then, students will need to merge their technical and creative skills through repeated practice, which can take longer.
Other Factors
A few other factors impact how long it will take students to master video editing skills. Having prior technical and artistic knowledge will speed up the process immensely. In addition, it will benefit students to have practical ways to practice editing since producing raw video footage to practice with can be rather time-consuming.
Prior Technical Training
Students who are comfortable with design programs like Photoshop or Illustrator may find it easier to learn how to use programs like Premiere Pro and After Effects. In addition, because many digital animated effects use Photoshop and Illustrator in their design, knowing these particular tools will help students expand the kinds of projects they can work on.
Prior Artistic Training
Anyone who has spent a decent amount of time studying cinema or film theory will have a leg up in learning to edit videos as they will have the background knowledge necessary for professional editing projects. In addition, students with this knowledge will be more accustomed to working on artistic projects, giving them a more stable footing in learning the creative sides of video editing.
Access to Materials and Footage
One of the more time-consuming aspects of training your video editing skills can simply be finding video footage to edit. While there are lots of stock videos available online, students wanting to train specific kinds of editing skills may need specialized video files that can be difficult to produce. Students who can do practical training exercises, possibly in their line of work, will be able to learn more quickly.
Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost
As with many creative skills, it isn’t hard to learn the tools involved in video editing. Students can pick up the basic functions of Premiere Pro or Final Cut in only a few days of training, and the advanced techniques will only take a few weeks to learn. The challenge in video editing is learning the theories and techniques that go into creating competently editing professional-quality videos. Video Editors will need to understand principles of editing and cinematography that teach them not just how to edit two images together but why they should edit those images together and what meaning their juxtaposition produces.
There are no formal prerequisites to learning video editing skills. Students will need to be proficient in working with computers and navigating multiple files, windows, and applications. For students interested in learning how to add special effects or create animation in post-production. Students looking to learn more about these skills should consult Noble’s graphic design course offerings.
Video editing will require users to license a video editing application, and many projects will require them to license more than one. For instance, students working with Adobe Premiere Pro may also need to license After Effects and Audition. The cost will vary from program to program, but most of them will cost as little as $20/month.
Read about how difficult it is to learn video editing.
Watch a Free Video Editing Online Course
Students who aren’t ready to enroll in a live online course may wish to consider taking advantage of free introductory courses to become comfortable with the tools and techniques of video editing. While these courses won’t replace professional training, they are ideal for students who want to prepare themselves for more elaborate video editing classes.
Noble provides students with a large number of free video tutorials on the Video Editing and Motion Graphics playlist. These videos include a detailed Intro to Premiere Pro seminar and several short videos explaining how to use tools like the razor tool or create slideshows in Premiere Pro. In addition, Noble offers frequently updating videos on their free seminars page. These videos will give students the instruction they need to become comfortable with film editing software like Premiere Pro and After Effects. These seminars are designed to ease students into the practice of online video editing training so that they can succeed when they enroll in a live online class.
Read about more free video editing videos and online tutorials.
Learn Video Editing with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
Students interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of film and video production may wish to learn video editing skills. Video editing is an incredibly important aspect of filmmaking. Anyone who wants to work in the film, television, or online content creation industry should consider learning how to edit videos. Video Editors are in high demand as the marketplace for digitally produced content continues to grow, with trained and experienced video editors commanding an average salary of $80,000.
For students with creative aspirations, learning video editing skills is a great way to break into online video production, whether creatively or professionally. As the marketplace for amateur video production continues to expand, it is also getting more and more crowded, meaning that new creators need to set themselves apart. Learning video editing skills can help your up-and-coming content channel produce professional quality videos without needing to bring on an editor full-time. These skills will be relevant as long as you are making video content, so up-and-coming content creators, small business owners looking to produce their video advertisem*nts, and Social Media Marketers looking to produce content for their clients all benefit from learning video editing techniques.
Read more about why you should learn video editing.
Key Insights
- Learning the technical side of video editing can be done fairly quickly by novice students. They can become proficient in programs like Premiere Pro with only a few weeks of training.
- The creative and artistic side of video editing will take students longer to learn, as it is more of a complex, philosophical process that varies from project to project.
- Students with prior design training or artistic studies experience will pick up both of these skills significantly faster, opening them up to spend more time on the other side of editing training.
- On a practical level, students may find it hard to find raw footage to edit as practice material. Students whose jobs or connections let them have access to raw footage to practice with may find that they can learn video editing techniques more quickly.
- Another way to speed up the learning process is through professional video editing instruction. Interested students can enroll in in-person or live online video editing courses through Noble Desktop.
As an expert in video editing with a profound understanding of the technical, artistic, and practical aspects of the craft, I can provide valuable insights into the concepts presented in the article. My expertise is rooted in extensive hands-on experience with video editing tools, involvement in the film and content creation industry, and a deep understanding of the theories and techniques that underpin professional video editing.
Key Concepts:
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Technical Proficiency:
- Mastering the technical aspects of video editing tools such as Premiere Pro is a feasible goal within a few weeks of dedicated training. This includes gaining proficiency in basic functions and advanced features of software.
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Art and Philosophy of Video Editing:
- Understanding the artistic and philosophical dimensions of video editing is a complex process that involves a more extended learning curve. This includes comprehending principles of editing, cinematography, and the significance of juxtaposing images for creating meaning.
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Prior Experience Acceleration:
- Prior experience with design programs or a background in film theory can significantly accelerate the learning process. Familiarity with tools like Photoshop or Illustrator streamlines the adaptation to video editing software.
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Access to Raw Footage:
- Access to raw footage for practice is crucial for expediting the learning process. Practical training exercises, especially in one's line of work, provide a valuable resource for honing video editing skills.
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Professional Training:
- Professional training, such as courses offered by institutions like Noble Desktop, can expedite the learning process. These courses provide a structured learning environment and guidance from experienced professionals.
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Demand and Salary in the Industry:
- Video Editors are in high demand in the digital content marketplace, commanding an average salary of $80,000. The article emphasizes the potential for exciting careers in film, television, or online content creation for those mastering video editing skills.
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Learning Time Frame:
- Learning the technical side of video editing, including tools like Premiere Pro, can be achieved in a few weeks. However, mastering the creative and artistic aspects, along with merging technical and creative skills, may take months or even a year of dedicated study and practice.
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Factors Affecting Learning Time:
- Factors such as prior technical and artistic knowledge, access to materials and footage, and the level of difficulty of specific editing techniques influence the time it takes to master video editing skills.
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Cost and Prerequisites:
- There are no formal prerequisites for learning video editing, but proficiency in working with computers is essential. The cost of video editing applications varies, and licensing multiple programs, like Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition, may be required for certain projects.
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Free Introductory Courses:
- Free introductory courses, though not a substitute for professional training, can help students familiarize themselves with video editing tools and techniques. Noble Desktop offers free video tutorials to prepare students for more advanced classes.
In conclusion, the journey to becoming a proficient Video Editor involves a combination of technical mastery, artistic understanding, practical experience, and access to resources. Professional training, prior knowledge, and continuous practice play pivotal roles in shaping successful careers in this dynamic and in-demand field.
