Film and Video Editors
Edit moving images on film, video, or other media. May work with a producer or director to organize images for final production. May edit or synchronize soundtracks with images.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Fine Arts
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible.
- Study scripts to become familiar with production concepts and requirements.
- Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
- Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
- Verify key numbers and time codes on materials.
- Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
- Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- Program computerized graphic effects.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Artistic, Conventional, Realistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (65.1% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (33.8%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (56%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Film and Video Editors is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 70% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 66% of occupations compared | 25% of surveyed respondents chose “Important” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 71% of occupations compared | 68% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 57% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared | 71% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 60% of occupations compared | 32% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 66% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 70% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 17.92%
- Contact with others about half the time: 11.6%
- Contact with others most of the time: 12.74%
- Constant contact with others: 57.73%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 17.89%
- Fairly important: 21.77%
- Important: 24.65%
- Very important: 13.65%
- Extremely important: 22.04%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 5.72%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 0.6%
- Very important: 25.6%
- Extremely important: 68.08%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 17.45%
- Limited freedom: 0.61%
- Some freedom: 40.11%
- A lot of freedom: 41.83%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0.6%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 28.06%
- Every day: 71.34%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Conflict situations
- Never: 24.25%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 19.86%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 21.77%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 32.26%
- Every day: 1.86%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 12.48%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 30.19%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 53.87%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0.61%
- Every day: 2.85%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 30.59%
- Fairly serious: 19.36%
- Serious: 24.63%
- Very serious: 13.03%
- Extremely serious: 12.39%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2020
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O*NET-SOC 27-4032.00 · SOC 27-4032 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8