Assistant Editor Responsibilities
So, what exactly does a Professional Hollywood Assistant Editor do? Like I said in my Assistant Editor Interviews blog post, it can be defined as:
An Assistant Editor is someone who does everything but Edit the show.
However, to make this a bit more understandable, I’ve broken up the responsibilities into stages. It will be much more easier to digest to see exactly what kind of “days” you’ll be having when it’s broken up this way.
Stage 1: Shooting & Dailies Stage
Main responsibilities are:
Ingesting/transcoding footage for editing - this means getting your footage in ProRes codec (for Premiere/FCPX) and DnxHD codec (for Avid). And also troubleshooting clips that may have problems with them during the transcode.
Syncing transcoded edit media clips with sound recorder’s raw audio - Usually in independent film gigs, there isn’t a dailies house that processes your footage so you’ll need to do this manually.
Grouping shots (if shot with more than 1 camera) - This is when you sync two cameras together to make one multi-camera shot.
Prepping dailies to cater to Editor’s specific needs - Every Editor has detailed preferences on how they like to receive the dailies from you. Some want red markers right before the scene starts and right after Director yells “action”. Some want blue markers on every “reset” of action. There are a variety of preferences that you’ll get requested to do. The point is to deliver them properly on a consistent basis.
Prepping Script Binder (Facing/Lined Pages) - Be in constant communication with the Script Supervisor. You have to make sure that the script notes match the footage in the editing system. Meaning, if there are 5 Takes for Scene 2, there should be 5 takes for Scene 2 in the editing system. In addition, there will be additional notes that the Director/DP will want the Editor to know about so you must relay this information.
Additional Assets: Stock Footage, Music, Temp VFX, etc. - You will also be in charge of gathering the additional assets that are required for the movie/tv show. That means you need to read the script and double check that you aren’t missing anything that the writer has called for. In addition, prepare a bin of music and do a mock-up of temp VFX for your Editor so that you can help realize the scene more clearly.
The Shooting & Dailies Stage will be the most stressful stage because you are constantly trying to keep up with the shooting schedule. Editors like to normally have everything cut from the previous day of shooting. Therefore, by the end of the shoot, you will have a full assembly of the movie/tv show.
Stage 2: Editor’s Cut, Director’s Cut, Producer’s Cut, and Studio Cut
Everything will slowdown a bit which is nice. Because during this stage, a lot of creative decisions will be made. This is the time to really learn and hone the craft of editing. You will mainly be in the editing room with the Editor/Director taking notes and shadowing their conversations.
I love this stage because this is when I truly learn. I get to listen to how the Editor takes in the notes from the Director/Producers and either agrees or questions the decisions. Remember, you are a fly on the wall during these sessions. Being disruptive or interjecting when you’re not supposed to will probably get you kicked out. Be professional during these note sessions. It’s a privilege to be able to get this access. You will learn an incredible amount and don’t mess it up by being “that Assistant”.
Main responsibilities are:
Taking notes for Editor/Director/Producer during session - As previously said, take down notes via laptop so that you can easily share it with everyone afterwards.
Exporting cuts - There will be some late nights because you’ll need to export cuts during this stage. You’ll be typically on the Director or Producer’s schedule and sometimes the notes take longer than expected.
Adding Temp VFX, sound effects, music, cleaning up scenes - Since there will be a lot of notes to get done, the Editor will sometimes need help. He/She will need the Assistant to help with some of the notes - that can vary from creating temp visual effects to cleaning up dialogue and smoothening out the music. This is where you will first get a taste of what it’s like being of an Editor. It’s actually pretty awesome. Own it and have a lot of fun.
Learn, Learn, Learn - This is the most educational experience/stage of the Editing process because you’ll be shadowing the Editor interactions. You’ll see how an Editor handles disagreements with the notes and how he/she will talk through them with the Director. Pay attention to these moments and journal them if you can.
Stage 3: Finishing, Turnovers, and Onlining
Great news, the cut is officially locked and ready to be finished. This is always a celebratory moment because everything can now be finalized. As the Assistant, you’ll be in charge of sending the finished cut to the Online Editor and Sound Mixer. In addition, you’ll need to gather all of the finished VFX and send it to the Online Editor as well. There will be lots of moving parts during this phase.
Main Responsibilities are:
Turnovers - This is another term for “sending deliverables”. You are essentially taking the final locked cut and sending it to the appropriate vendor so that they can apply their work to it. You will have a spec sheet to follow (provided by the vendor) so that you can deliver everything properly.
Attend the Online Session (if possible) - This is a very important screening if you’re given a chance to go. You will see the movie/tv show in its final form and any last remaining notes you have should be brought up. Speak up if you find anything off - if something didn’t look like what it used to look like in the original cut, discuss it. You know the cut more than anyone because of how many times you’ve watched it/QC’d it.
Wrap Up - You’ll be in charge of archiving the footage if needed and wrapping out your system/Editor’s system. It’s the last week of class. It’s always bittersweet to leave the crew that you learned and worked so hard for. Hopefully you gained a great experience working with everyone. End strong by being helpful in assisting with any wrap duties.
Well, I hope you got a lot out of this one. There’s a lot of responsibilities that an Assistant Editor will go through and it varies project to project. However, this outlines the main tasks in every stage so hopefully this helped you see it from a birds eye view. Thanks so much for reading my blog.
If you’d like more help from me, I do 1-on-1 phone sessions here. You can sign up and schedule an appointment and I’ll be happy to assist you in getting your career started in Hollywood Editing.
Thanks again for visiting my blog and hope to catch you on the next one.
-Alfonso