Careers in Film Editing

Editing is an integral part of film making. Film editing can be defined as a process of selecting the desired parts of a shoot and combining them in sequence, in order to make a motion picture. Sometimes, film editing is referred to as an “invisible art”, because viewers are generally unaware of the work of a film editor. There are three stages of film editing - editor's cut, director's cut, and final cut. Apart from concentrating on these three stages, a film editor has to keep a check on different criteria, such as emotions, story, rhythm, audience focus of interest, two dimensional plane of the screen, and three dimensional space of action. Film editing has become a money-spinning job, thanks to the increasing demand for skilled film editors in the entertainment industry. Keeping this in mind, many institutes, offering courses in different branches of film making, have introduced programs for budding film editors to help them fulfill their dreams.

Course Details
Presently, courses are for film editing are available in most of the reputed film institutes of India. These courses are usually offered at certificate, diploma, and postgraduate diploma levels. The purpose behind these courses is to educate students in all aspects of film editing, such as non-linear editing, professional editing, etc. To be eligible for admission into any of film editing courses, one should have passed 10+2 level for UG courses and graduation, in relevant stream, for postgraduate diploma courses.

Career Prospects
Over 1000 films are being produced annually in India, which makes India one of the largest film producing countries in the world. Since editing is fundamental for filmmaking, the demand for skilled film editors would not decrease for decades to come. One can work as a film editor in feature and non-feature films, documentaries, advertisements, and television programs.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Several institutes in India are now conducting courses in the field of film editing. Some of the prominent institutes that offer film editing courses are Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata; Film and Television Institute of India, Pune; Digital Academy - The Film School, Mumbai; Flash Frame Visuals Academy of Film and Video Editing, Bangalore; The Whistling Woods International Institute for Film, Television & Media Arts, Mumbai; Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida; and Centre for Research in Art of Film & Television, New Delhi.

Remuneration
As a beginner, one can earn around Rs. 7000-10,000 per month. After gaining 2-3 years of adequate experience, remuneration increases to about Rs. 12,000-15,000 per month. Well-experienced film editors can expect handsome salaries in six figures.