I love to do every part of making a video, especially editing… because it’s the final word! And yet, it is sweet to know that each element becomes more sophisticated when people share the work together.

I was so pleased to learn that Louie CK edits his own program. The content is cynical and acerbic, but through editing, people are shown in a very humane and forgiving light.

Learning how to edit is essential to being a filmmaker. But as a filmmaker progresses, having an editor allows the filmmaker to see the forest for the trees. While an editor is cutting a frame here and a frame there, the filmmaker can pay attention to the bigger picture without getting lost in the weeds. I can also attest to the power of leaving an editor alone with your footage for a period of hours or even days. A good editor will find new and interesting ways to tell the story you might have never imagined left to your own devices. An editor is literally a second set of eyes.

Case in point, here’s a video some of my students made last year. http://vimeo.com/29348647

Believe it or not it’s their first film. They found a really good cinematographer/editor to make the film with them and I think it made all the difference.