how do you know if your good at editing?

cmann125 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-25-2005, 03:05 AM

well i was wondering how do you know if your good at this i mean what if your bad can you improve or is there no hope for you>? i dont really know were to put this post so if this is worng then just correct it sorry. but i have maya, xsi, 3dmax 6, adobe premier pro 1.5 combustion 4, adobe cs2. and i just dont no what to film i mean im stumped i dont no what to edit so can some one give me some ideas. becouse i just dont know what to do.

i really love video editing and special effects but how do you know if your cut out for it. i mean the first program i got was adobe premier pro 1.5 and i figured that out without even reading the manual. i allready made myself go invisible and i did 2 me's on the same screen i dont no what you call it spilt screen i dont no but i think im good but i havvent edited any thing per say. so any ideas would be good. becouse how do you know if you dont have the mind for this???

BigBadWimp · #2 (**permalink**) 08-25-2005, 03:22 AM

Hmm... This is quite the interesting post. I would first ask what you meant by your question: Are you asking whether or not you are technically good at editing (for example, making yourself dissappear, making a very cool slo-mo effect, fighting with multi-colored lightsabers, etc...) or are you asking whether or not your final product is good (did I convey a story and meaning through my editing?)

It seems to me that there are two types of people: People who don't know anything and therefore think they're the greatest. And people who know a lot, including how much they don't know.

If you play your movies back and still think they look amateur-ish, then I'd say you're off to a good start. If you really like what you see, chances are you've got a long way to go.

You can always post links to your final products in the User Videos section with a willingness to accept some criticism and see where it goes from there.

I suspect, however, that you have in your head an idea of what "good editing" is, and therefore you can be your own best/ worst critic.

Whatever happens, good luck. And just keep editing... practice makes perfect.

Alan Mills · #3 (**permalink**) 08-25-2005, 08:56 AM

I'm curious as to why/how you think you are good if you haven't edited anything yet?

Just get busy with it. Produce some work and post examples. You'll get critiqued on it. You'll soon find out how good you are. Show us your split screen example(s) for instance. A bundle of us had a play with this (relatively simple) effect a while ago so we have some example to compare against.

Mike Thorpe · #4 (**permalink**) 08-25-2005, 10:13 AM

The simple answer is that you don't unless you try.

A slightly longer answer is that if you don't know whether you want to put effort into doing it because you're worried you might not be good at it, then you're not cut out for it and you may as well stop right now. However, if you're willing to put time into learning and preparing for all sorts of problems, issues and steep learning curves, then it's likely that you might be good at it. And you need to be both technically good and creatively good at it.

cmann125 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-25-2005, 03:32 PM

you guys are right thanks for your post's. if i can get my friends together i should have something up on the user videos in like 2 weeks. so thanks for the posts and loook out for my video.

cameron · #6 (**permalink**) 08-26-2005, 12:20 AM

hello all and interesting post cmann. but i was wondering what if you dont have many friends then what do you do? and/or if you got an idea and your friends dont want to do it but you know its good. its just they dont want to becousr there lazy bastards?and its to small of a project to hire people so then what. you have no actors? post reply please becouse im sure theres some of you guys/girls who dont have many friends and dont no other people who will help so what do you do?

sorry for the weird post but im j/w. becouse im haveing this problem now

BigBadWimp · #7 (**permalink**) 08-26-2005, 04:32 AM

I like this post. Sorry for being weird but I just like it. *sigh*

OnTheWay · #8 (**permalink**) 08-26-2005, 04:32 PM

I have many friends who would act for me, but have never bothered with it. You mention video editing, but getting friends to act out is NOT editing.

Editing in a nut shell is what to use, in which order, and what to bin.

It's a process of manipulating video images. Video editing includes cutting segments (trimming), re-sequencing clips, and adding transitions and other special effects.

So beaaring this in mind why not just go camera something, you can document any topic. I have random ides aall the time so ill nme some...

Is the sky blue?
Pollution
Litter
Cars
Shows (car shows is my interest but there is shows for everything)
Video editing documentry, try telling us what it's bout?

well there is some crap but yet random ideas that do not need actors.

So lastly how do you know if your good?

ANSWER -

The answer is the same as most skilled proffesions, and how good you are is based on your success. If you are good enough, that people pay money, and you make a living, I guess your pretty good. If you become rich your great etc (success is always rated on money)

But also like many proffesions...

Video editing isn't just about video editing.
its about..

Interest
Knowledge
Creativity
Determanation
Personality
Passion
Skills
Motivation
Trust
Honesty

You can be a great editor in theory but if u can't be assed, ur personality stinks, and no one trusts you, your nothing!

If i would judge you off what i have read id say...

You have an INTEREST
you have some KNOWLEDGE and SKILL of the subject
you have a lot of passion "i really love video editing and special effects"

you have potential to have.....

Greater Knowledge
Greater Skills
And to be SUCCESSFUL

and this is possiable if you have

MOTIVATION
DETERMANATION
PERSONALITY
CREATIVE MIND

SO JUST KEEP GOING, its blatent to me, you enjoy doing this so get on with it and don't stop improving!!!!!!!

irishmark · #9 (**permalink**) 08-27-2005, 12:52 AM

Right - I know I am a good editor! - People ask for me and pay me to edit so this tells me I'm good, especially when those people pass my details on to others.

I can relate to your problem though. When it comes to my own ideas to make lil movies I always get stumped!! - I find it hard to come up with v=creative ideas for movies and plots and shit like that. This is not the mark of a good/bad editor. Its more a mark of a movie maker. I am a shit movie maker because of this.

I am more of a developer. If someone else has the original idea I can help to really bring it to life. working out the ideas and breathing life into the idea. As an editor one of the skills requiered and so understated is: eye for detail. This is what really makes an editor. Maybe you are also like me in this way.

the other side of it is progression. When I look over my library of jobs and look at the first few jobs I did i compare them to stuff I do now. The old stuff looks shit. Even stuff from 6 months ago is weak. Any creative roll is a progression so you are always improving. It can be hard but even with the shitiest footage its always possible to make a great edit. Jus put your mind to it.

cmann125 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-27-2005, 04:18 AM

yea you guys are right i am going to get right to it and star some editing. i have acturly posted some thing in the user video section so you guys should take alook see what you think and note that it isent any thing its only a 50sec thing so. i just wanted to see what you guys/girls thought and when im done ill post the full thing witch hopefully should be ok ish lol well thanks for all your posts heres the link btw just incase you cant find it. i dont no lol
and this is my first video that i have uploaded and the first real video i have edited so say what you think of it so far

and have a great day
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=23DTKZKQ