AMV Tech 4 Lyfe! (What schools for video editing careers?)

SQ · Post by SQ » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:32 pm

So, if someone wanted to be a Video editor, regardless of what kind for now(music video, movie, chronological, etc.), where would we go?

What Tech schools have the best Video Editing programs for people who want to major in this sort of things?

Are there any that focus solely on editing, rather than Video Broadcasting? Or Video Productions as a whole?

And, what tests would we need to take to apply to said school(s)? ACT? SAT? Other? Resume? All the above?

And should we not want education, what's the best way to prepare a resume focused around editing? What should we put in, that would look best? The org's community? Org awards? Con Awards? WMM Expierence?(hehe)

Mostly interested in the first few questions about education, but any information on editing as an occupation(long rants about how hard it is and fun-sucking aside).

I know I am interested in editing for life, and I'm pretty sure a lot of the community is beginning to become interested as well. Please cut the jokes, spams, and rants, and make this a useful resource for all.

Thanks! ^_^

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:37 pm

I think a film school is probably the best bet.

DeinReich · Post by **DeinReich** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:42 pm

My uncle is an editor and he went to USC for his editing degree (cant remember too much else, though)

SQ · Post by SQ » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:48 pm

Well, Kalium, what are the film schools?

Soad, I'm an ignorant person, what's USC?

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:51 pm

SQ wrote:Well, Kalium, what are the film schools?

Soad, I'm an ignorant person, what's USC?

USC is the University of Southern California, if I'm not mistaken. A fairly well-known film school.

As for what the film schools are, though, that's not exactly a simple question. Many major universities have film programs. There are schools that specialize in film. All I really know on the subject is that they exist, not what ones are good.

DeinReich · Post by **DeinReich** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:54 pm

Kalium wrote:
SQ wrote:Well, Kalium, what are the film schools?

Soad, I'm an ignorant person, what's USC?
USC is the University of Southern California, if I'm not mistaken. A fairly well-known film school.

As for what the film schools are, though, that's not exactly a simple question. Many major universities have film programs. There are schools that specialize in film. All I really know on the subject is that they exist, not what ones are good.

What he said, or x2, or something like that

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 4:10 pm

If you want to be an editor, from what I hear schooling isn't all that important. What you really need to do is just get your foot in somewhere, through an internship somewhere like the local news station. Prospective clients really probably wouldn't care about your education, they just want to see your experience, what you are capable of doing. That said, schooling certainly wont HURT you. You might want to look into graphic design, or perhaps you can find a program centered around broadcasting.

Digitalex · Post by **Digitalex** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 4:16 pm

Zarxrax wrote:If you want to be an editor, from what I hear schooling isn't all that important. What you really need to do is just get your foot in somewhere, through an internship somewhere like the local news station. Prospective clients really probably wouldn't care about your education, they just want to see your experience, what you are capable of doing. That said, schooling certainly wont HURT you. You might want to look into graphic design, or perhaps you can find a program centered around broadcasting.

I have to second that. My friend does video production work and his background was not film related. It was art related though (maybe Graphic Design IIRC). He got into the business because of his father though. It definitely seems to be more about your portfolio/experience rather than just a degree although it helps only because of the school's connections to the industry.

SQ · Post by SQ » Wed Jul 06, 2005 4:39 pm

Well, I have four years of both Video Production and Graphic Arts. I've also got two awards from cons, not counting an Iron Chef thing, and am helping with a con as head of AMV Tech.

Still, I suck at how to encode properly, and am not certain if editing includes encoding - which it probably does.
Unless Avid(the program they use these days, right?) has a nifty full-proof setup for Computer/box to VCR Like the Casablanca AVIO does, I am heavily screwed.

So I do believe I need some sort of schooling now as compared to how ignorant I was before about it. The question at this time, however, is "Where?" and "For how long?"

If education truly doesn't mean much with editing - which I never thought it did, but again my suckage with encoding - then what would be the ideal things from the AMV Community to put on a resume?

Should we even mention AMVs, since they're technically illegal?

SQ · Post by SQ » Wed Jul 06, 2005 4:44 pm

Also, for those who have used the AVIO, did anyone figure out why it said "Record to VTR" instead of Record to VCR? Is that a typo or does it mean something?