Education · 1 of 4
The path
Learn the software, cut a lot of bad footage, build a reel, then get hired to assist.
- 1
High school
Grades 11 and 12
Media arts and English. Edit anything: school sport, your friends' music, your own shorts.
- 2
Training or self-teaching
0 to 2 years
A 2-year college post-production diploma, a one-year film school, or free tutorials plus relentless practice.
- 3
Build a reel
3 to 12 months
Two to four minutes of your best cuts, plus one or two full pieces. This is the hiring decision.
- 4
Assistant editor
1 to 3 years
Media management, syncing, conforming and delivery on a real production. You learn workflow properly here.
- 5
Editor
Year 3 to 6
Cutting scenes yourself, then whole episodes or films, or leading an in-house team.