[Rebecca Gillaspie] "People used to tell me that I have an "edge" over other producers because I can cut. I don't see how it's benefiting me, though.
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I teach many Producers how to edit because it's good for them to:
1 - Understand how the editing process really works, especially when they see how many shots they could have gotten while in the field, but neglected because they felt they "didn't need them" or "didn't have the time."
2 - Allow them to do as many rough cuts as they want without having to pay me.
Then they bring their cuts to us to tweak, finish, add graphics, music, mix, etc....
I've been a "Preditor" for about 10 years now and it's great in the sense that I can do everything if needed and I have learned how to schedule / budget shoots to the point of designing my original programming. But to do it full time would result in me spending more time for less work than I do now. I have three editors working with me, about to expand our facility by almost four fold and will probably stop editing in the very near future to step back to manage the productions and serve as an assistant producer / post supervisor for most projects. Colorist is the role I'll step into the most since I'll be able to do just step in and work a few days at a time instead of the 8 months I'm investing now on a documentary.
So do what you do best and hire really REALLY good people to work with you. It takes longer to earn more money, but it's been a real steady and slow rise in income for us over 9 years and it looks like 2010 is just going to be insane. Most folks seems to be struggling these past two years, but we're still on a steady track upwards.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
Credits include multiple Emmy, Telly, Aurora and Peabody Awards.
Owner, Biscardi Creative Media featuring HD Post
Biscardi Creative Media
Creative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital.
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