Music Video Editors

One of the best ways to prepare for a career as a music video editor is to stay current on music trends and new artists. You should also be familiar with all different kinds of film and television projects, including documentaries, short films, feature films, TV shows, and commercials. Study as many different projects as you can, paying close attention to the decisions the editors made in piecing together the scenes.

Large television stations and music production companies occasionally have volunteers or student interns. Most people in the industry start out doing minor tasks helping with production. These production assistants get the opportunity to see different professionals at work. By working closely with an editor, a production assistant can learn general video production operations as well as specific editing techniques.

Participate in information interviews with music video editors. In such an interview—which can be conducted in-person, on the phone, or through video-conferencing technology—you will get the opportunity to ask an editor about their job duties, the technology that they use to do their work, work environment, pros and cons of their careers, educational training, and other topics that will help you to learn more about the field. Ask your school counselor or a teacher to help you set up information interviews. Perhaps you could even job-shadow a music video editor to learn even more about the field.

If you're in college, participate in America Cinema Editors' Student Editing Competition to test your skills against other editors. The winner is honored at an awards ceremony, is featured in CinemaEditor Magazine, and receives publicity in the Hollywood trade papers. Visit https://americancinemaeditors.org/ed-center/student-editing-competition for more information.