The video editing landscape has progressed exponentially in the last few years. If you’re online for just a few minutes – or just flicking between videos on TikTok – the chances are you’ll come across a tightly edited, beautiful-looking ad. Twenty seconds long. Ten seconds. Five seconds. It doesn’t matter. No matter how long a video ad is in 2024, the chances are it’s been edited perfectly in order to drive engagement and increase sales. This is the kind of thing you’re competing against, and when it comes to short website films or content creators of YouTube videos, the competition only gets more fierce.
Table of Contents
In this article, we will look into:
- The importance of video editors: I’ve included a small explanation of why video editors are really important in your content creation journey.
- Types of video editing projects: Here, we look into different types of video projects so that you can hire a video editor perfectly for your videos.
- How to hire a video editor: Here, I’ve written about different steps to hire a perfect video editor for your next project.
We’re currently living in the digital age, where nearly every shopper learns about a company through their online content. While this also includes written content, video content is probably the most important when it comes to catching the attention of your audience, effectively communicating your business idea, and converting passive viewers into active buyers. This is why more and more people are doing their utmost to edit videos and make them as crisp, clean, and as professional as possible – and that’s the same thing you’ve got to do if you’re only now entering the market.
The Importance of Video Editor
A lot of the time, the main reason why so many online videos look so good is because they’ve gone through a rigorous editing process at the hands of a professional video editor. These are the people who have a steady workflow behind the scenes, without a lot of fanfare, and yet are crucial to the overall quality of the end product – and if you’re building video content for your e-commerce website or YouTube channel, it’s crucial that you find an editor who is qualified to do just that.
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Put simply, a video editor for YouTube and a website is responsible for transforming raw video footage into a quality video. That means organising and cutting the footage, adding transitions and effects, syncing audio and adding sound effects, colour grading, providing a thumbnail, and generally ensuring that the video stands out and packs a punch in a market dominated by visual content.
Your job is to find a video editor that not only knows what they’re doing, but excels in all of the processes mentioned above. And this starts with defining your project scope.
What is Your Video Editing Project?
As mentioned previously, in 2024, even a five second ad has likely been through the mill with a professional editor, so no matter what video you’re creating, you’re going to need an editor who fits that specific bill. Make sure you clarify the type of video editing services needed – commercial, website content, social media, YouTube – and then begin looking for an editor who excels in that specific area.
Each video will have its own complexities, so it’s best to hire a professional video editor who understands those complexities and has a proven track record.
How to Hire a Video Editor
Hiring a video editor is not an easy task, you gotta put a lot of effort into finding the right editor for your videos. You might think years of experience make a video editor a pro but actually, I feel like anyone who go talent in video editing job is apt for the work. If you’re ready, let’s look at the ways to employ the best candidate you can find for your team.
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Where To Search for a Video Editor
As a first step, you have to know where to look, the idea is to make this hiring process an enjoyable experience. To search for the video editor you’d have to know places where we can find the right editors with expertise In video editing industry. If you’ve decided to hire freelancers you can look for them in platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.
Here’s other places where your aim is to hire talents for a long-term job role. Search in professional networks, such as LinkedIn, to connect with experienced video editors.
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Video editing companies that offer unlimited video editing services, where you can request as many revisions as possible, and they execute the completion with faster turnaround times.
I bet you’ll easily post a job ad on one of these portals, to find a remote video editor unless you’re looking for someone who you require on site to work alongside the filmmaker, you can search in Online job boards and classifieds, such as Craigslist or Indeed,
Looking for the Appropriate Skills
Now, let’s work on to move to the next step. I feel evaluating the skills and editing style is very important in the hiring process.
In order to find the right video editor, it’s also important to understand the world they live in.
A good video editor needs a mix of technical proficiency and creative insight. They should be skilled in industry-standard editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve, and they should have a good knowledge of each video format – including frame rates and resolution standards.
Strong storytelling abilities are critical too. When you’re producing videos of any length, you’re doing so to engage a viewer and take them on a journey.
As with any story, there should be a beginning, middle, and end. This is something even short video ads look to achieve. To give an example, a video ad will introduce a problem (the beginning), introduce the solution (the middle), and then make a call-to-action (the end).
It doesn’t matter how short the video is, these steps from beginning to end are crucial to keep the attention of the viewer and incite a sense of urgency– they should see themselves in this story, and subsequently take the same actions that you recommend.
Video editing should be considered a craft, and video editors should give the viewers a visual treat without making it dull.
Observing a Portfolio
To understand whether a video editor has been successful in creating these sorts of stories in the past, the next thing you need to do is research their portfolio. A good editor should have a portfolio that proves their skills and gives you an idea of their specific work process, so your job is to examine this portfolio and weigh it against others.
They should be well aware of current editing trends followed by other video creators in social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and more.
Portfolio website for video editors
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The most important thing to look for here is their style.
Do you like it? Does it match with your business or project? Does it compete with the best?
You will also need to look at their creativity.
Watch through a number of their videos and think about the way they make you feel. You can also look at their portfolio and see their sample work, and make sure the color correction, animation, is engaging and you were able to grasp the content without having the feeling to skip it.
By putting yourself into the shoes of an ordinary viewer, you can ask yourself whether the video is urging you toward the brand and keeping your attention – and in doing so, understand better whether they will achieve the same thing with your own content.
Expanding Your Search
When it comes to where exactly you’ll be searching for your video editor, there are a number of platforms to consider – platforms like Fiverr, LinkedIn, and Upwork – and you will need to write an effective job post for each of them.
This job post should relay the idea of your company, the video you’re looking to build, and the message you’re trying to get across, and it should also include your rate of pay and the hours you think the project will need. This is, of course, if you’re looking to go for freelance editors rather than through an agency.
This isn’t something you have to do. If you’re looking for complete reliability, a video editing services company will have multiple professionals with a variety of skills, a proven track record, and are well-suited for larger projects with higher production needs.
But with that being said, video editing companies might also incur a higher cost and have less flexibility for personalisation, so might not be the best fit for a simple freelance job.
A freelance video editor or an editor subscription service, although more unpredictable, will be more cost-effective, flexible, and should be able to give you more personalised attention. So the important thing to do is expand your search, outsource if you need to, and make sure not to close off either door.
Testing Your Project
Once you have found a video editor you think might be the perfect fit, it’s crucial that you don’t just dive immediately into the deep end. Before taking them on, you will need to cover hourly editor rates, organise pricing in line with the project, and make sure you have the budget to cover additional costs – like revisions or motion graphics.
As well as this, it can also be beneficial to run a little test project. Ask your experienced video editor to complete a small – paid – test to evaluate whether they are the right fit, and then make your decision based on their performance.
This is not only a way to ensure you have confidence in the editor, but also to establish trust and assert whether the communication between you will be good enough for the real thing.
Conclusion
These are all the steps you’re going to have to take if you want to hire a video editor who fits your project, but the work doesn’t stop there. Throughout the editing process, you should take a lot of time to ensure the editor aligns with your vision, with a strong emphasis on clear communication and critique. It’s also worth remembering that this isn’t going to be your only video project.
When you’re looking for a full-time editor, and subsequently working with them on that first video, you should have half a mind on the future of this relationship.As a business, for instance, it’s important to keep to a certain standard and make sure your YouTube video production is cohesive.
The best video editor you choose now should be seen as a creative partner, not just a technician. With this video and many others, they’re going to be a crucial cog in the process of building your audience and getting as many people as possible engaged in your content. So follow the points above, search wisely across both agencies and an individual freelancer, and – once you’ve found who you’re looking for – work hard to keep the relationship going strong!
FAQs
1. How much does it cost to hire a video editor?
Video editing rates typically vary depending on your location and the editor’s experience. On average, professional video editing can cost between $75 to $150 per hour. For example, editing 2 hours of raw footage into a 3-minute marketing video with about 10 cuts per finished minute would fall within this range. Keep in mind that more complex edits or additional revisions may influence the final cost.
2. How much does a basic video editor cost?
A basic video editor typically costs between $25 to $50 per hour, depending on their experience and the complexity of the project. Simpler edits will be more affordable, but more intricate work or longer videos may increase the price. Always discuss your project’s needs and get a clear estimate upfront.