A Filmmaker’s Guide to Completion - Part One: The Editor

By Gerald Martin Davenport on November 17, 2011, Updated November 21, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes

This is a guide to help up and coming filmmakers who need a little information about the ins and outs of making a movie on a small, low, or no budget.

Part One

Start at the End to Know Where to Begin

Most people think the important thing when making a movie is having a Camera — which may have some validity. Some believe you need to have a good story before you begin — and yes, a good story is a crucial element; some feel the acting is most important when making a movie — and again, acting is also a relevant part of making a movie — good or bad — but none of those compare in importance to knowing how you are going to finish the movie, such as the media format, the editing system, music, audio and video effects, the output format, and most of all the Editor.

Even with top-tier equipment, a blockbuster script, and seasoned actors, the absence of a clear plan for finishing the film and a skilled editor could lead to a dead end before the project even begins.

Does This Apply to Big Budget Movies?

Movies with big budgets are an organism in a different category. Most do not necessarily care about the finished product as long as it is completed on time and makes money — they usually throw additional money at it to make it happen, usually at the detriment of some element. Still, most people do not care about things like that as long as the movie has their favorite actor, lots of action, and things getting blown up.

Should we make those kinds of movies?

Sure. Why not. If you can, you would not be here searching for tips, tricks, help, and guidance on making your small, low, or no-budget movie.

A competent editor is the most essential person in the filmmaking process. Yes, this comes from an editor, and although it may sound biased, it is a fact unless a producer or the director knows about post-production. After working on many projects and seeing other projects that needed an experienced editor, the projects that have longevity, look good, or even have a chance at getting finished have an editor who knows what they are doing.

What an Editor Does for You

A skilled and experienced editor is the last person who tells the story. This person puts all the pieces together cohesively — many think the director dictates the story, the edits, and the cuts. Still, a good director trusts a seasoned editor's suggestions about the story, edits, and cuts and allows the editor creative freedom to make those changes.

The editor spends many hours going back and forth on one edit to decide if one frame to the left or one to the right makes the scene better — these are the small things no one notices or cares about. Still, our job, our love of story-telling, and our need to do things right sets us apart from everyone else in the filmmaking world.

The editor sets the movie's pacing in a scene and can do so no matter what the pacing is on set. The editor can also make an actor look good or bad depending on the takes used — and it is not always about taking the best performance on each camera set up on each actor in each scene; it is what take works well with the preceding clip and the previous and the two before and after — these are the duties, the responsibilities, and the reverence that us editors revel in.

There are so many things that an editor does to make a movie even get finished, let alone be something people want to watch repeatedly. Without a dedicated and experienced editor, you're merely playing at making a movie. A real editor, one who edits daily, learns, challenges themselves, and strives for excellence, is the true key to a successful film project.

Remember: Lights on for safety.