Practical and Technical Skills
Knowing how to use a variety of editing software for a variety of purposes, for example Adobe Premiere (or Avid), Audition, After Effects, Bridge etc. would be essential for an editor, as these are used for all parts of the editing process (editing video, sound, adding effects and organising respectively). I already have a reasonable grasp on all of these programmes, and am aiming to further increase this knowledge.
Specific Industry Knowledge
Specialised software mentioned previously would be used, which would only be used in that industry due to the specialised aspect and price of the programmes.
Communication Skills - Oral and Written
As the job of the editor is to use the ideas of the writer and director to put together the film, communication by all mediums is essential. This is because editors need to be able to understand the others' ideas so they can translate it in editing, as well as being able to ask questions, clarify points and add their own opinions to the conversation for the other to consider. As a result, being able to communicate is very important for an editor. Although not experienced, I'm quite competent at interpreting the ideas of others, and can confidently interject and build on concepts in conversation.
Organisation
Working with video and audio clips, often out of order, with many retakes and adjustments means that an editor needs to be able to effectively organise all of this so it can be edited together. This also means that they need to be able to create and navigate multiple versions of products with ease, so knowledge of hard drives and other external storage devices, formatting and general organisation skills are important for an efficient production. I am quite informed of the different types of files and what their pros and cons are, as well as being able to use external devices well in a production.
Creativity
Although an editors job is to create the vision of the writer and director, there is still a large element of creativity in the profession. Translating someone else's ideas is in itself a creative process, as this requires visualising their ideas in a realistic way. However, editors often are relied on to create their own version of a story, at the very least to be used as something to be compared to, and as a result an editor needs a good understanding of narrative structure and story pacing. I am currently doing English Language, and so have a decent knowledge of story structure and how to create a narrative.
Problem solving
There are many things that may be wrong with a clip - ambient noise, continuity issues, poor syncing etc. A large part of an editor's job is to solve these issues, especially as when a product is in the post-production stage reshoots are unlikely, meaning they have to solve this issue or the clip can't be used. As a result, being resourceful and thinking of creative solutions is important. I have some experience editing, although it is quite limited in terms of genre, so I have some idea for how to solve issues, such as well timed cutting, adjusting volume of music etc.
Working as Part of a Team
Editing is usually done by only one editor, meaning working in a team isn't one essential part of the job. However, there are other people who they interact with, such as an Assistant/Second Editor, Writer, Director, who they would communicate with regular in order for them to make the product as close to planned as possible. So working in a team isn't a large part of the job, but I have experience working with a team and discussing ideas regardless, which may be helpful.
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