How to keep getting better

[u/adventure_mama21]

Looking for advice on ways to continue growing skills.

A little background…I started working in the film industry when I was 19. Cold-called/emailed production companies inquiring about PA positions. Wound up getting taken on an indie film. Spent 2.5 years working in the art/set department on movies, tv shows, music videos, etc. Loved my time there but was getting burnt out on the ruthless work hours. Stepped away from the industry for a few years. Stepped back into under a paid internship to learn how to edit. Been editing for over 7 years. Own my own post production business (small, just myself). Most of my work has come from word of mouth of referrals with a few clients obtained through LinkedIn.

So I never went to university or anything. Everything is either self taught or learning from editors around me.

While I’m pretty confident in the skills I do have, I do feel as though there are holes in my knowledge because I didn’t go to university and it feels like my skills/knowledge are plateauing.

Does anyone have some input on how to keep growing in this field? Are there any good courses to take? YouTube channels? Any input on getting better at sharpening story telling skills?

Would love any helpful insight on others experiences!

[u/Lunesia-shikishiki]

the plateau is probably not a knowledge gap tbh. 7 years solo means nobody has argued with one of your cuts in 7 years, that's the actual hole and no university would have fixed it either

thing that moved me most was recutting stuff i had zero attachment to. grab a scene from something you love, cut it again off the finished piece, and force yourself into a version you don't like on purpose. defending a choice you didn't want to make teaches you more about story than any course i've paid for

other one is just sitting next to an editor better than you for a day and watching their hands. costs nothing but your pride 🙂

[u/mungbeancookiesoda]

I highly recommend reading these books: Cutting Rhythms (Karen Pearlman) and In the Blink of an Eye (Walter Murch) you can easily get them in ebook format too. Very good in depth discussion on storytelling and rhythm :)

[u/Outrageous_Onion6365]

Some of that growth is going to come from working with good directors. But on your own you can still sharpen your skills by learning about screenwriting and story (scriptnotes is a great free podcast where you'll learn a lot). Watch movies and focus on how score works with picture. If you want to go deep and have material to work with, you can try temping the scenes yourself with different music and see how it changes the scene.

In short I'd say a good mindset for improving is to strive to be a filmmaker who edits rather than an editor, if that makes sense. Because editing involves so many aspects of filimmaking.

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[u/brbnow]

Study filmmaking, editing theory and history, film aesthetics, film history, etc. Find resouces and keep learning. We never stop learning. Good luck.

[u/Z_Overman]

read the books others have mentioned and listen to podcasts. also remember to learn to sacrifice; whether it’s continuity, your precious edit or your time. just try and get paid for all the blood you spill

[u/Ando0o0]

Plateauing is natural. I feel the same but then I am reminded that the knowledge/experience I have is why people hire me. The ease in which some jobs unfold is a benefit of making all those mistakes in the past. I chuckled a little bit when said you decided to switch to editing because other jobs had ruthless hours.

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[u/csf1810]

I developed a ton of free resources you can use to level up your skills you should check out: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JwC-vxZVjY3DaoqTMwSaElK6JBxsI7fcxgGp2zR4Sdw/edit?usp=drivesdk