Editors Are A Dime A Dozen
Last weekend one of our editors won gold at the 75th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards! This talented cutter does not fall into the “editors are a dime a dozen” category.
Which is the topic of today’s blog. During the writer’s strike, we are lowering our editing rates significantly to be more competitive with the cut-rate crew. Still, I often worry that first-time documentary filmmakers will choose an inexpensive editor over a talented veteran because they think it will save them money.
They may not understand the difference between scripted and unscripted editing.
“Editing a documentary is akin to someone handing you a bag of sentences and asking you to write a book,” according to Travis Swartz, a member of the International Documentary Association. Well put, Travis! That’s what unscripted editing looks like.
On the other hand, anyone can learn Premiere, call themselves an editor, and cut according to a script.
Our documentary editors are fast–and I don’t just mean they can clatter across a keyboard at high speeds. They can quickly pinpoint the gold amidst loads of footage, and then craft it into highly watchable film. That makes them a sterling find among the many dimes!
They are chosen because of their impressive achievements in film. To be hired, they must have been lead editor on at least two award-winning feature docs, before they are further trained by me.
Thank you to director Louise Weber who described our staff as “highly trained in the art of storytelling. You pay for what you get, and Karen’s team is AMAZING! It’s a worthwhile investment.”
