Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Video Editing Company
Do you need help with the post-production process? Considering to hire a video editing company to work with you?
Editing is a crucial part of the filmmaking/video making process and can make or break the project. Without editing, a video project is only multiple takes of lengthy raw footage out of order. Because video editing is such an important part of the process, it is pertinent that the company or freelancer hired to edit your project is the right one. It can be very intimidating trying to choose/hire which video editor company to go with.
Video editing is where raw footage is put together cohesively. This process can be outsourced to edit your video. The cost can range from $20-$200/hour and the time frame is dependent on many things including the length of the project, but can take weeks to months to complete. It is important to have your creative vision met by your editor through communication, organization, and passion on both ends.
Here we will go into depth on things to consider hiring a video editing company:
What do video editors of a company do?
the raw footage from the project and use a script or outline to piece and edit each scene together. They can add animations, logos, graphics, and CGI.
Then the video is meticulously edited and all desired graphics added, the video will go into picture lock. Picture lock is where every edit of the video is in its desired final form.
After the picture is locked, the editor will move onto the next steps. This may include audio mixing, ADR, sound effects, color correction, image stabilization, and music. After everything is approved, the project is complete!
What preparation work is needed before hiring a video editor company?
There are many things that need to be prepared before hiring a video editor. Most importantly, you should have a clear vision for your project and what you are attempting to get across with it.
Important things to think about are: the feelings, colors, intention, and the emotions you want to evoke from the audience. Once you have answers to these questions, you will be able to share them with your video editor.
It is also important to have a script or an outline that you could share with them. Your maximum budget and your timeline for the start and finish of your project need to be known.
Can video post-production be outsourced?
Absolutely! After you film everything you may outsource your project to whichever freelancer or company you decide to go with!
Thanks to digital advances, outsourcing video editing has been more simple than ever. You can now outsource the process out of house to a video editing service company located literally anywhere!
All that is needed is to have a way to transfer and download your raw footage onto the editor’s computer. You can transfer these files via dropbox, hightail, wetransfer, google drive, and many other ways. Whether you’re transferring a city away, or half the way around the world, it should be just as simple! .
How much does it cost to hire a video editing company?
The cost of a video editor varies depending on many things such as your location, type of project, length of project, and the amount of animation/graphics/CGI you want.
Cost is also dependent on the experience of the editor/editing company and can range from roughly $20/hour up to $130/hour for freelance video editors and $75/hour-$200/hour for video editing companies.
There is a difference in cost between freelancers and companies because of the crucial differences in what they bring to the table.
What is the difference between hiring a video editing company vs. a freelancer?
There are pros and cons to both companies and freelancers. Often times, freelancers are a lot more budget-friendly than hiring a company. This can really come in handy when your budget is tighter. However, the majority of sites where you can hire freelancers have fees that go with them, making them not as inexpensive as it might seem.
Although freelancers may end up being cheaper, you will often get higher quality work and more timely delivery from companies. Also, companies have more people with a variety of skills, the security of several people in case of sickness or personal emergencies, and the ability to finish editing projects in a more timely manner due to streamlined processes.
Another important factor is that companies normally have better protection of your data. Companies are more likely to implement a system of securing and backing up your data.
Lastly, companies are more likely to have software and equipment that are industry standard.
What to expect from a video editor company?
Communication and Creativity
Like anyone you hire, it is very important for you and your video editor to have good communication with each other. With that communication, your vision, thoughts, feelings, and desires about your project should be expressed and understood by your video editing company to provide the best project outcome. Your video editor should share your vision for the project and be excited to work on it in a creative manner!
Without a video editor that shares the creative image with you, there would not be great edits that really make a film, such as: Napoleon Dynamite
Without its harsh cuts, awkward bits in complete silence, and long holds before the cut, it would not have felt like the relatable, awkward, unique Napoleon style that we know today. Thanks to communication of the vision!
Industry Standard Software
When hiring someone, it is important that the software they will be using to edit your project is industry standard.
There are many editing software out there, but some of the best include: Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Avid, DaVinci Resolve, and Sony Vegas.
Having an industry standard software is important when it comes to the quality, and ability of the editing. It is also important when it comes to the way each software saves files and transports them.
Industry standard software will be more common and easy to transport and open files on various machines.
Someone Open and Reliable
You should expect a video editor who is open and responsive to make edits and changes different from the initial edit they provide you.
Without someone open, you are likely to end up with a project that you are not completely happy with. When an editor is open, they will be happy to hear your constructive feedback and take that direction that was provided by you.
You should be satisfied with the final videos, and you need a video editor responsible and responsive enough to make that happen!
Good Time Management
It is also important that your video editing company gets back to you in a timely manner and provides efficient workflow.
Editing is a process and time should be taken with it, however, it should not be an extremely slow process that hinders your expected release date and time frame that you set up at the beginning of the agreement.
Skills and Experience
It is important when looking to hire a video editing service that they have skills and experience in what you are looking for!
A freelancer or company that is talented in the niche you are looking for in your video/film is important for a professional, creative, and unique outcome.
For example, if your project is going to need animation, then you will want to hire a company that has skills and experience with animation specifically.
You can see experience and skills in video editing services mostly through demo reels; but looking at other projects they have worked on is also important!
How long does video editing take?
That depends! Video editing time is all dependent on graphics, color, sound, and shots provided. Many other things go into play with video editing time too, but the biggest one is budget.
A blockbuster film with millions of dollars in budget is able to have many more resources. Therefore, they would take a much shorter time to edit than an indie film with a smaller budget and limited resources.
There is no hard and fast rule on how long editing takes because it is dependent on so many things. However, a good rule of thumb is about 9 months for a feature film. For a short film, it can take weeks or months depending on the length of the short.
Conclusion
A lot of things go into editing and finding the right film editor for you. Here at Real Art Daily (RAD) Productions, we have the passion, creativity, and reliability to be the right video editors for you!