Where do you work?

I work at Media Monty, a media and video production company in Paisley. My role is mainly office-based but sometimes I get to go on set and edit videos on location, especially those ones that need a fast turn-around.

What does the role of a video editor look like?

My job is essentially telling stories visually by putting pictures, sounds and graphics together.

Using video editing software on a day-to-day basis, I go through every clip of footage that’s been filmed beforehand to select the best bits. Then I layer the clips on a timeline and adjust them (length, colour, brightness, subtitles...) to create the final video.

How did you get into this role?

I was very lucky to get this job soon after I graduated from university. I had a degree in Visual Communication that gave me some industry experience in different areas of video production.

During this time, I started to get more and more interested in editing. Media Monty’s website grabbed my attention and I messaged them sending my CV, portfolio and expressing my interest in becoming a part of the team and keeping on learning with them. I was invited to come in for a chat and soon after, I started assisting them with some editing projects. After I few months, they made me a regular part of the team.

What is one thing you love about your job?

There are many things I love about my job. The main one I would say is having so much creative freedom at a job. Although you have to follow the client's needs, editing is a very versatile role where you get to work in many very different projects. It allows you to experiment and to challenge your creativity which is always fun.

What piece of advice would you give a young person who is interested in your job role?

Get as much hands-on experience as possible. Create your own projects in your free time and keep practising as much as you can. There are a lot of online resources and tutorials that will help you to learn new skills and develop your creativity.

It is also great to get industry experience if you can, volunteering in creative projects, doing an apprenticeship... anything that gives you a few pieces to include in your personal portfolio.

My Top Tip

I would say that it is very important to keep learning and keep yourself updated in this job. Trends and techniques change constantly so keep an eye on industry and software news. Communicate with your team and look for inspiration everywhere, following other creatives on social media or YouTube is a good way to do this.