Networking Ideas for Video Editors

Meeting Video Professionals, Building Your Network and Finding Future Gigs

Are you a video editor looking for networking ideas? You’ve come to the right place. Over the past decade in the edit bay, going both the fully-employed and fully-freelance routes, I’ve done my fair share of networking. It’s arguably just as important as knowing the software and the art of editing. Let’s take a look at some networking ideas for video editors.

Note: This post isn’t nearly as Inc.com-y or LinkedIn-ish as the title might convey. Honestly, I just had no idea what to title it.

Some background you can skip if you just want to get to the ideas:

I write a list of ideas everyday. Okay, pretty much everyday. The lists are of anything… vacations I want to take, tutorials I should create, tricks I can teach my dog, … you get it. I wrote a list the other day that I want to expand upon and share with you.

The list was titled: Giant list of things you can do to find a job

First, this list isn’t that giant. It’s like 7 networking ideas for video editors. Second, this isn’t a list about getting a job now. It’s more about setting yourself up to find a job in six months. Or a year. Or in five or ten years. It’s also about building a personal and professional network around things you are interested in.

If you are new or trying to establish yourself in the video industry (or any industry) this post is for you. Even if you are already established in the industry I bet there are some ideas you’ll find that you can use to set yourself up better for future endeavors.

Let’s get going!

Read more

Why I Watch Makeup Bloggers on YouTube

WhyIWatchMakeupBloggersOnYouTube
Background photo by Sodanie Chea on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/sodaniechea/7755892088

 

Note: Yesterday I had this whole post about New Year’s resolutions written and ready to go but thought that, well, it was boring. So I scrapped it and started on this one. Hope you enjoy it!

The world of media consumption is changing. Rapidly. I know I’m not the first person to say that. However I might be the first to say this: Everything you need to know about the evolution and trends of media consumption can seen from watching makeup bloggers on YouTube.

What?!

Yep, YouTube makeup bloggers. I watch them. Maybe you should too. Let me explain.

Read more

Finishing Strong to Start Stronger

There are 10,000 posts like “The Top-8 Ways to Tackle Your New Year’s Resolutions” streaming through your social media timelines and inboxes right now. This post is not one of them. This short post is to tell you that you can do whatever you want to do and give you a quick tip on succeeding in whatever goals you have whenever you have them.

Read more

End of 2014 Challenge

End of 2014 Challenge Are you in?
End of 2014 Challenge
Are you in?

Without fail the last two weeks of every year can be called the most anti-personal-and/or-work-related productivity period of the year.

Nothing gets done.

Nothing.

Ever.

At least nothing of any importance gets done towards your personal and/or professional goals.

Clients don’t respond. Producers go on vacation. It snows. Your in-laws stay at your house. You don’t want to workout because you’re waiting for January 1st. You are overburdened with last minute shopping and wrapping presents after one too many drinks.

I have a feeling that you’d rather use these two weeks to get something big finished instead. Maybe it’s something that’s been bugging you all year that you just didn’t get around to. Did you want to edit a family vacation video? Or write a short book? Start a website? Deep clean the garage? Why are we going to wait any longer to do these things when the opportunity is right in front of us?

I have a challenge for you. Let’s call it the End of 2014 Challenge. Together let’s take the next two weeks and complete one of these projects.

Read more

How to Become the Best Production Assistant

Become the best PA and AE
Become the best PA and AE

To break into the video industry you almost always have to become a PA, Production Assistant, or an AE, Assistant Editor. I’m assuming since you’re reading this than you’ve either been one, are one or want to become one. This article is on how to become the best assistant editor or production assistant that you can be.

I’ve worked as an assistant in a number of industries, as a PA and an AE and through my experiences I learned that there’s only one way to become the best PA or AE.

Here it is: Become the best PA or AE by always being one step ahead of the person you are assisting.

It’s rather simple. You can stop reading now if you want, my feelings won’t be hurt, or you can continue reading and learn about a couple real life examples from my career. There will also be some tactics along the way that will help you become the best PA or AE.

Read more

Video Editing Methods: Swoopers vs. Bashers

There are only two methods for editing video. Which one do you use? Find out what they are and decide…are you a Swooper or a Basher?

Are you a Swooper or a Basher?
Are you a Swooper or a Basher?

Before leaving for vacation I was listening to Tim Ferriss’ podcast. He was interviewing Rolf Potts and they discussed author Kurt Vonnegut’s concept of “Swoopers and Bashers” when it comes to writing. This idea states that writers can only write in one of two ways: by swooping or by bashing. I believe the same theory can and should be applied to video editing methods too.

Read more

Vacation Approaches

Friends, My long-awaited vacation is fast approaching. I’ll be in Japan in no time and have a checklist a mile long of items to pack, devices to charge, things to remember, phrases to learn and more. Instead of trying to cram the next three weeks of blog posts and tutorials into my crazy, self-imposed schedule … Read more

Preparing for Vacation: A Quick Guide for Jet-Setting Video Editors

Preparing For Vacation

Soon I’ll be taking my first trip out of the United States and I’m making it a big one – I’m headed to Japan! In this post I’m going to go over what I’m doing to prepare for this lengthy vacation. I’d love for you to chime in too with your thoughts on what you do before going out of town. Thanksgiving for us in the US is right around the corner and the other winter holidays are fast approaching so I think the timing of this post is pretty ideal.

There’s nothing worse than being bothered on vacation or someone messing up your projects/media/hard drive/etc. especially when there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m sure I’ll come back to 1500 emails but I’m going to prepare my company and team the best I can for anything that can happen while I’m gone.

Read more

Editing for Others vs. Editing for Ourselves

My assistant editor is learning a valuable lesson in her young career. She’s learning that when she’s video editing for others, it isn’t necessarily about her sense of creative expression. It’s more about what the producer, client, or director wants. This can be extremely difficult for new, passionate video editors.

Video editing, like any other kind of commissioned artwork I’m assuming, has this weird blurred line. Is the end result what the creator (in our case the video editor) wants or is the end result what the commissioner (producer/director/boss/client/etc.) of the piece wants?

Read more