What makes a good film editor in Berlin or elsewhere

The last take is shot, the production is finished. Now it’s time for the edit. Whether the film can fully convince in the end depends not least on the work of a good film editor.

An overview of the contents:

What matters in terms of audiovisual sensitivity
Structured work pays off in the end
Keeping the client’s goal in mind

If a film or video is to be created in an impressive way, the hands of a talented editor are needed. In the digital world, the range of applications extends from feature films and series to the advertising industry and social media such as YouTube and Instagram. And the demand is growing. All the more it depends on a good cut to successfully stand out from the crowd.

A complex timeline is common for a film editor. The image shows a close-up of a timeline with a large number of different tracks, so that it fills the entire image. In slightly oblique perspective and shallow depth of field, the center area of the image is in focus.

The right sensitivity

In a film, many different levels come together, which ultimately form a unity. Similar to an orchestra, it is important to ensure a coherent interplay, i.e. to combine and design all levels in such a way that in the end a harmonious overall structure is created that does justice to the objective of the video. A film is usually composed of the following layers: The shot footage and sound, the music, typography (text within the image), and 2D or 3D animation. The focus during editing, however, is first and foremost on the shot visual and audio material as well as the music. A film editor should have a good sense of rhythm and dynamics, which is crucial for the correct design of the cut. This is because the editing is strongly influenced by the acoustic background of the video, which is usually in the form of selected or self-composed music. As a great carrier of emotion, pieces of music often form a strong foundation with a massive influence on the viewers. Thus, the film editor should also be equipped with a deep, musical understanding in order to be able to exploit the full emotional potential of the music.
But not only acoustically, but also visually, a high degree of sensitivity is required: it is not uncommon for a lot of film material to be viewed by the editor in advance, checked for its visual-aesthetic quality and, if necessary, sorted out in order to be able to ensure optimal, holistic quality. Film viewing thus also leads to the next decisive point.

We see a film editor sitting in front of his digital editing program, in a slightly oblique perspective from behind. He is examining a picture and has assumed a pensive pose with his left hand and propped up elbow. The background of the editing suite is slightly illuminated by a warm artificial light and the rest of the room is kept rather dark.

We see a very stylish and neatly set up editing suite, diagonally from the right. The focus of the view here is on a widescreen monitor that shows a well laid-out project structure of the editing program Adobe Premiere. Directly above the editing monitor is a large control monitor that shows the current program image. An ordinary desk lamp protrudes over the table on the left and bathes the image in a red hue.

Good film editors have a proper file management

Editing is done in close cooperation with directors/editorial staff or also with clients and partners. A clean project and folder structure is crucial for smooth processes. Right from the start, care should be taken to name and store the files in the editing program in a sensible way in order to ensure a constantly good overview. The better you can orient yourself here, the faster and more effectively you can work, and time is the decisive factor in job production with regard to the budget and possible deadlines/broadcast dates. This also ensures that you can react in time to possible last-minute change requests.

Meet the goal

In the editing program, the possibilities for creative design are practically limitless. Thus, when editing, the most diverse paths can be taken and thus different narrative styles can be created. Nevertheless, the client’s intentions and objectives, which were formulated and worked out together in advance, should always be kept in mind at the end and the audiovisual design should be based on these. Until the film is finished, the client is usually presented with several edited versions in order to receive feedback and, if necessary, to implement change requests. A constant exchange with directors/editors and clients is therefore essential to ensure that the concept is always on the right track. Last but not least, film editors should be masters of their trade and always be able to advise the clients. Sometimes it is advisable to solve issues in the edit in a different way than planned: For example, it can sometimes provide added value to communicate certain topics not via a voiceover, but via the image-text design, and to underpin it musically and with sound design.
Whether for Youtube, television or cinema, a film editor in Berlin or anywhere else can add value to the design/creation of your film. Consequently, this key position in projects should not be underestimated, as it plays a decisive role in the success of videos.

A stylized workplace of a film editor is shown on this image: We see the film editor directly from behind and slightly from above, sitting and working at his editing station. His workstation is very neatly arranged and is slightly illuminated by a red light from the floor. There is a widescreen monitor on the table, as well as two white glowing neon tubes arranged vertically on either side of the monitor and shining in the direction of the viewer. To the left and right of the table are speakers on stands.

With an experienced film editor in Berlin to a more rounded result

Our team of experienced creatives from Berlin / Potsdam is available to give your project the necessary finishing touches. As a full-service agency, we also cover production as well as marketing of moving images.
Contact us – we are happy to be there for you!