The Editor’s Role

An editor can be a magician, a consultant, and an effective arbiter of what works and what
doesn’t. Each editor has his or her own strengths and styles of cutting. One editor might have

the perfect style for MTV, while another is adept at cutting a documentary for PBS. One editor
might specialize in sports or news, sitcoms, or movies-of-the-week. And then there are those
few editors who can cut almost anything.
An experienced editor can take disparate shots and elements and weave them together in a
seamless flow. As a creative artist, he or she can “paint” a mood with pacing, place a perspective
on the action, and signal conflict or comedy. Technically, the editor can design special effects or
transitions between scenes, color-correct the footage, and make sure your project conforms to
broadcast standards. Often, the editor can “fix it in post,” covering up mistakes or finding
solutions to seemingly impossible problems that inevitably pop-up in everyone’s project.

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