The raw footage from filming must be edited before a film, television show, or other video can be released. In some cases, this work is done a freelance video editor, who is a professional who contracts out the editing phase of a film production to various businesses. The freelance video editor will be hired on a contract basis, which means he or she will not be an employee of a film studio, but rather an independent contractor who will be paid the project.
Since the advent of digital technology, the basic job functions of a freelance video editor have changed. In the past, the editor might have been in charge of physically cutting and stitching film reels together to create a finished, cohesive film. While this may still be the case in some cases, the freelance video editor will most likely use computers and software to cut, add, or rearrange scenes in a video as directed the director. In most cases, the editor will not make creative decisions about the film itself; instead, he will make necessary changes in accordance with the director’s stylistic direction. However, the editor can use post-processing effects to improve the video’s quality.
If a technical issue arises, the freelance video editor must address it as soon as possible. If a piece of filming equipment, for example, is present in a scene in a film, the editor may be able to make cuts or transitions that effectively hide the piece of equipment. It is the director’s primary responsibility to spot such issues in a film before they occur, but it is the editor’s job to catch them and make changes to correct them if they do occur. To make such changes, he or she will collaborate with the editor.
A freelance video editor may also collaborate closely with sound engineers to ensure that the film or video’s audio and visuals are in sync. In some cases, the audio for a video will not be recorded until the video’s final cut is completed; this is common when creating videos with voice-over narration. Animated films, like live-action films, may not have a soundtrack until the video is finished, or vice versa. If the sound is recorded first, the editor may need to take extra precautions to ensure that the sound and video are in sync.