The importance of editors

In the past two weeks, I have heard two separate stories where films have fired editors because the director wanted to edit the film. One of these films is a high level documentary (which may be killing its chance for a theatrical release) and the second is a low film budget comedy (which probably never had a chance for a theatrical release). I was shocked in both instances because editors play an invaluable role on a film. In fact, about 75 years ago, studio heads were editors because they knew how to salvage a film or piece a story together from what the director shot.

True, nowadays many people have bought Final Cut and learned to cut together a digital video. But there is an art and an importance to having a separate person edit a film. The significance is that editors offer an impartial view that directors lose as they fall in love with specific shots or an actors performance. However, a single beautiful shot may confuse the story and an actor's performance may distract the audience from the plot. The art of editing takes years to hone because it takes a true understanding of story and determining how the specific film needs to be shaped to create a great story.

For more information on how much to pay an editor and how long an editor should work on a film, check www.QuickFilmBudget.com