Anne Carter
Freelance Film & TV Editor, Melbourne AUS
Film Victoria Industry Directory Profile
1) What made you decide to get into editing in the first place?
I think I was too lazy to want to go out with the crew filming. Too many early starts and too much waiting around for other people to do things. I liked the idea of working alone in a dark room.
2) What do you find most rewarding about your career?
I love the process of editing. Seeing a project from its early rough assembly through to a fine cut is very rewarding. I also really like collaborating with directors and producers, to help them realise their vision.
3) What do you find most challenging/difficult about it?
I really don’t find it difficult in any way. It is always challenging as a lot of what an editor does is problem solving. I do sometimes get sick of sitting in a dark room all alone for days or weeks on end.
4) You mentioned once that one has to be prepared to do work on a project-to-project basis as an editor, what are the pro’s and con’s of that kind of work flow? Is it possible to be a freelance editor fulltime?
It is possible to be pretty much a full-time editor as a freelancer. It can be frustrating sometimes when you are offered a couple of projects at the same time and sometimes you can go for months without any work. Unfortunately when there is a of work around, there are never enough editors and visa versa.
5) How is the demand and competition for editors in the local industry?
I probably answered that question at no. 4. It is a very competitive industry, you need to build a reputation for yourself in order for people to approach you for work. Having said that, it is a small industry and word of mouth is very important.
6) What platforms do you edit for and do you see this changing? (eg a shift to online?)
I do offline editing. Which is different to online editing. More and more, producers are wanting editors to be able to do both offline and online. Final Cut Pro allows users to create titles, grade pictures and mix sound. This has led to producers expecting that editors should be able to fulfil these roles.
7) Over your career as an editor what changes (if any) have you witnessed
The most significant change I have witnessed is the switch from linear to non-linear editing. Before Avid and FCP we edited on videotape, which was a vastly inferior method of editing.
8) What are some things you wish you knew when you were starting out?
There’s nothing I can really say I wish I knew – it was one big learning curve and there really is nothing I wish I knew all those years ago …
9) What are some indispensable hard/soft skills new graduates should have if interested in editing as a career?
ou need to be able to collaborate with other people, i.e. producers and directors. You also need to be very patient, and be a good listener. As a graduate, you would need to be prepared to learn some editing skills on the job as there really isn’t a tertiary course you can do to learn editing.
10) Any general advice for a student addicted to editing leaving uni?
My advice to you would be to try and edit as much as you can – on anything.
You need to demonstrate your passion by doing as much editing as you can.
That is the only way to learn!
