Editing Reel Question

[MLR]

Hi all,

I am an independent filmmaker and graduated student from the Television/Film/New Media program at San Diego State University, and am currently looking for a job within the industry. I've found some editing job opportunities, and they ask for an editing reel.

My questions is this: would it be a good idea to create a trailer for the feature film I am currently working on, and use that as my editing reel? Any insights would be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[WalterB]

Use what you have and show some of the best parts of finished projects.
Since it's about editing you can use 2 or 3 complete short (and very? different) scenes to show your editing skills and add some editing to music with great visuals and building tension or creating atmosphere as well and you have something to show.

You need something fast. But you can use shoots from your feature if they exist.

[Shanked]

Certainly -- if you do a top-notch job of cutting a trailer, you will get noticed. For that task, I would urge you to make storytelling you're top priority. Don't just enjoy your choice of music and SFX. Make sure you're following the structure of today's trailer pattern. Put story first. Above all.

Are you trying to get a job as an editor on feature films? If so, there is one thing you should keep in mind: the skill of doing fancy cuts to music (for reels and music videos and chase sequences) is not the same as the skill of choosing takes for good acting. Great film editors are extremely good at understanding humanity. They know how to choose takes based on when an actor's humanity is at a maximum. They know when to cutaway from a speaking person and let us gaze at the listener. They of course know the basics of the slight of hand of good editing, but what's really key is they know how to make the acting look amazing.

If you're just trying to get ANY job in the industry, especially here in LA, you'll probably end up on a clip show or cutting reality TV. I'm just saying that's what is statistically likely to be your first good. I mean, that's if you're not simply an assistant anyway. However, you may have a spark and a gift that few of your entry-level peers have, and you may therefore get noticed.

But, yes, cut the trailer. And make it ridiculously good. And cut other stuff. And make it even more ridiculously gooder.

Shanked

[MLR]

Originally Posted by WalterB

Use what you have and show some of the best parts of finished projects.
Since it's about editing you can use 2 or 3 complete short (and very? different) scenes to show your editing skills and add some editing to music with great visuals and building tension or creating atmosphere as well and you have something to show.

You need something fast. But you can use shoots from your feature if they exist.

Thanks so much for the advice! That definitely makes sense about building tension, short and very different scenes, and blending music and atmosphere in. That's why I thought a trailer for my feature would work well (but wanted to make sure), because my feature is a psychological thriller so it fits those editing criteria:

1.) Building tension: could work as a slow burn that turns into all-out action and violence

2.) Short & Different Scenes: my film has moments of humor and awkward romantic comedy, as well as spirituality, so that would be interesting to bounce that off of the scarier moments perhaps for that contrast

3.) Music & Atmosphere: My film has atmosphere to spare, and I love to edit to music (could go very Scorsese-style). I do have a question with music: is it equally impressive on a reel to edit to score music made specifically for the film? Or do they look more for band music?

[MLR]

Originally Posted by Shanked

Certainly -- if you do a top-notch job of cutting a trailer, you will get noticed. For that task, I would urge you to make storytelling you're top priority. Don't just enjoy your choice of music and SFX. Make sure you're following the structure of today's trailer pattern. Put story first. Above all.

Are you trying to get a job as an editor on feature films? If so, there is one thing you should keep in mind: the skill of doing fancy cuts to music (for reels and music videos and chase sequences) is not the same as the skill of choosing takes for good acting. Great film editors are extremely good at understanding humanity. They know how to choose takes based on when an actor's humanity is at a maximum. They know when to cutaway from a speaking person and let us gaze at the listener. They of course know the basics of the slight of hand of good editing, but what's really key is they know how to make the acting look amazing.

If you're just trying to get ANY job in the industry, especially here in LA, you'll probably end up on a clip show or cutting reality TV. I'm just saying that's what is statistically likely to be your first good. I mean, that's if you're not simply an assistant anyway. However, you may have a spark and a gift that few of your entry-level peers have, and you may therefore get noticed.

But, yes, cut the trailer. And make it ridiculously good. And cut other stuff. And make it even more ridiculously gooder.

Shanked

Thank you so much for the words of advice! I certainly agree about great editors being able to show off great performances from actors, and selecting the best takes. I'm glad to hear that the trailer could be the way to go. To answer your question: yes I would love a job editing feature films, but this current job I'm looking into is a video-sharing website editor job. I'm also very open to other editing jobs as well. Editing is one of my favorite parts of the filmmaking process .

[MLR]

PS: Also curious: How do you control copy and paste segments that you have done from other projects on Final Cut Pro onto a different Final Cut Pro timeline? I keep trying to do it, and it is basically carrying everything from one timeline onto the next. :/