Acknowledging the Editor

Making a movie or a video is a tough job. It takes a lot of effort, time and money. We know people who give their all to bring out the best results like directors, actors, producers and also singers. However, we forget to acknowledge one person who makes the entire project presentable.

Almost all of us remember the name of the director and the producer of the movie but have we even given a thought to who the editor of the movie is? The person who cuts the unnecessary part, adds needed effects, compile the video in chronological order and makes the movie worth the watch, the editor, is usually left unacknowledged.

The raw footage brought in by the director is given into the capable hands of the editor. It is then his/her job to bring out the perfectly presentable movie as per the director and audiences' liking. From the very beginning till the end, a slightest of mistake by the editor could ruin the movie.

Although the director brings life to the movie, the editor hones its soul. It is them who make the movie presentable on the basis of effects, perfection in the flow, chemistry between the sound and video. Even the splits second delay could ruin the entire movie. The effects to be used at the perfect moment, the selection of the background score for the frame, every minute details that a normal viewer fails to detect should be perfectly attainted so that even the experienced observant cannot find flaw in the presentation.

From the moment the raw is handed over till the movie releases, it is the editor's job to do everything to make the movie best. Almost all of the post production phase revolves around them. They are to watch whether the frame will go smooth or there will be disturbance in the pixels while playing the movie in the big screen, designing the promo in a way that lures the audiences to the theatre. And sometimes, they even have to work out with the insufficient amount of footage for the video without repetition. This is where they get to show their magic. With what little footage they have, they bring out the best video without repeating the same scenes with the help of the special effects.

Despite their efforts and contribution, they usually are the ones who remain unknown to the audience like the cook in the kitchen of any restaurants/ hotels. Staying behind the scene and serving their best to the client. We remember the name of the place not the cook/chef similar to remembering the directors and actors. We only acknowledge them who we see not those behind the curtain. Hence, this article is dedication to all the video editors, who work hard so we, the audience, could enjoy the movie.

Next time we go for a movie, let's try to observe how much effort has been put in it by its editor and try to remember their names.