There are three primary career paths within video editing: people who edit the video clips themselves, those who create the graphics for those videos, and others who design the aesthetic of the videos being created. Each of these roles is important in its own right and can be found in different niches within many different industries.
Motion Graphics Designers add graphics and animations to videos. They use video editing to accent the video clips with graphics, change the speed or lighting of the video, and add sound effects. Some Motion Graphics Designers concentrate on special effects while others focus on accents and intro or outro reels.
Video Editors and Video Managers edit videos for everything from TV to Youtube, movies to documentaries. They create stories by compiling and cutting down video clips. They adjust color, lighting, and tempo to create the look and feel that a project is going for. Then they set the compiled video to music. On larger projects, a Design Director will determine the aesthetic of the project.
A Designer often creates the visual elements that go along with a video that is being edited. They build the branding, colors, symbols, and typography used in videos. They also work before the video is shot to establish the setting and aesthetics. They often edit videos and still photos pulled from videos to match the aesthetic of the project and create promotional graphics.
Video editing is a useful skill to learn, especially if you want to get into any visual arts, but on its own is not enough to get you a job. You’ll have to learn industry best practices for your specific niche of video editing whether that’s videos for social media or sports broadcasting. You should also learn relevant tools such as Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
