Discover the Best Video Editing Classes Near Me
Video Editors take video clips, audio, and special effects, and edit them into a single finished video. Creating content for social media and websites, working on marketing campaigns, crafting educational videos, and producing movies and television shows are just a few of the different things that Video Editors work on. They typically edit with software such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro, and they usually have strong creative skills.
Learning video editing is a great way to break into a career editing other people’s work or to get started in creating original video compositions. Either way, there is a positive future outlook for people who work in this field. Video editing has become an in-demand skill in the past few years, and demand for Video Editors is expected to keep growing in the future. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2021 and 2031 there will be a 12 percent increase in film editing jobs in the United States, which is well above the average job growth rate of 5 percent.
Best Video Editing Classes & Schools
There are a large number of video editing classes and schools across the United States. Students will find many different options ranging from shorter classes that only take a day or two to complete, to longer, more comprehensive courses like bootcamps or certificate programs. Most courses focus on a particular editing program. For instance, Adobe Premiere Pro is popular, and so is Apple Final Cut Pro. In general, larger metropolitan areas have more in-person options. Students who are open to live online instruction will find the greatest number of options, since this format allows them to attend from any location where there is an internet connection.
With its busy film and television industry, Los Angeles is a popular place to learn video editing, and a number of schools there have video editing classes. Training Connection is located in downtown Los Angeles, and offers a range of different in-person video editing classes. Its Premiere Pro Bootcamp is a popular one. This course takes five days to complete, with sessions running from 9 am to 4 pm each day. It covers both basic and advanced skills, including compositing, rendering, effects, and titles. Students also work with Encore, Speedgrade and Prelude. Tuition is $1,845.
Los Angeles City College also offers video editing classes. Its Digital Video Editing series consists of seven sessions, and is suitable for beginners. In this course, students learn how to edit video with Adobe Premiere Pro. Skills include effects, timeline pancaking, tracking audio, color correction, and exporting.Tuition is $349. This class is a combination of Digital Video Editing with Premiere Pro–Level 1 and Digital Editing with Premiere Pro–Level 2, which can also be taken separately through Los Angeles City College.
The Moviola Education Center is another Los Angeles option. It runs a class called Avid Media Composer Fundamentals I, which is $695, and runs for two sessions. Avid Media Composer is another popular program used by Video Editors. In this class, aspiring Editors can learn skills such as creating a project, adding basic effects and transition effects, using automatic color correction, adjusting basic settings, and exporting or uploading to the web. A background in editing, production, or post-production is recommended, but not required.
Like Los Angeles, New York City is a hub for video production and students will find a wide range of video editing classes there too. For instance, Noble Desktop–which is located in midtown Manhattan–runs a number of video editing classes including a Premiere Pro Bootcamp, which takes three days to complete. This bootcamp covers both beginner and advanced video editing skills including color correction, importing footage, adding titles, cleaning up audio, green screen removal, and speeding up and slowing down footage. Students also work on a project, from start to finish.
Another New York City training option is the Manhattan Edit Workshop, which offers a program called Six Week Intensive on Editing. This class consists of 30 sessions and costs $5,850. It is designed for students who want to move into a career in video editing, as well as those who are pursuing their creative goals. Students in this course learn how to use Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, and After Effects, as well as learn film theory. They also get the opportunity to apply for a paid editorial internship with ITV-America.
The Newmark Graduate School of Journalism is also located in Manhattan, and offers video editing training. Intro to Adobe Premiere runs for five sessions, and costs $350. It is designed to give beginners an introduction to Adobe Premiere Pro and covers importing video and stills, creating a basic edit and sound mix, titles, and video story.
Another way to learn video editing is to enroll in an online class. Students who decide to learn online have a greater number of options since online classes can be attended from any location. Some schools offer online classes exclusively, while others offer both in-person and online options.
The Borough of Manhattan Community College offers an online video editing course called Comprehensive Video Editing, which takes place live via Zoom, and has 25 sessions. Covered skills include single-camera edits, audio, multi-camera edits, color correction, and graphics. Tuition is $914.
Future Media Concepts also offers online video editing training, including a course called Introduction to Premiere Pro CC. This class costs $1,195 and has three sessions. Students learn how to use Adobe Premiere Pro through a combination of instruction and hands-on practice. Specific skills include multicamera editing, color correction and grading, editing and mixing audio, creating titles, and adding transitions.
Students who want to leave Avid Media Composer will find online classes through Manhattan Edit Workshop. Media Composer Fundamentals I and II has five class sessions and costs $1,995. It covers a long list of skills including drag-and-drop editing, refining a sequence, transition effects and segment effects, creating titles, and exporting. No prior experience with Media Composer is necessary.
Industries That Use Video Editing
In recent years, video content has become increasingly popular in almost every type of media.
Video gets people’s attention, is entertaining, and can help viewers understand and remember things more easily. Researchers have found that about two-thirds of the population are visual learners, meaning that they learn best through visual formats such as video. However, even for those people who are not primarily visual learners, video is entertaining, attention-getting, and memorable. As a result of its many benefits, video has become a valuable tool for education, marketing, and entertainment.
Video Editors can be found working in a wide range of different industries. The film and television industry is obviously one of the largest, and employs thousands of Video Editors. Editors in this industry can end up working on a wide range of projects including television shows, short films, and full-length movies. The United States has some of the largest and most influential film and television companies in the world, and many of them are based in Los Angeles, so this area has a high concentration of video editing jobs.
Video content has also become very common on websites and in social media, and a significant number of Video Editors work in these industries. According to a recent LinkedIn article, social media with video generates 1200 percent more shares. Video content for websites and social media has become so common that companies that don’t use it are often seen as outdated, while sites that focus exclusively on video–such as YouTube–are extremely popular. Content for social media and websites is typically shorter than what is created for film or television.
Video is also widely used in education, and has become more popular as a teaching tool in recent years. Teachers have discovered that video can be a great way to engage students. There is also evidence that students learn better through video than through simply reading something or listening to a lecture. For instance, in one recent study, researchers found that when video content was incorporated into the lesson, students got better grades.
Another common use of video content is for marketing, where it has long been used to help sell various products and services. Wyzowl collects video marketing statistics, and every year it releases a report of its findings. According to its 2023 report, 91 percent of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 96 percent say it is an important part of their marketing strategy.
While the video editing process can vary, in general, editors start by choosing and organizing raw footage and assembling it into a rough cut. After that, they work to refine it. This includes editing dialogue and music, and adding special effects and visual enhancements. Throughout the process, editors collaborate with others such as special effects artists and designers, cinematographers, and directors, to ensure that the final product turns out the way it was envisioned.
For smaller projects, Video Editors may do many–or all–of the editing tasks themselves. In contrast, large jobs often involve a number of different editors, all working on different parts of the project. For instance, one editor might focus on color, another on sound, and another on special effects.
Video Editing Jobs & Salaries
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides information about video editing jobs in the United States. It reports that Film and Video Editors earn an average of $60,000 per year, however, the average salary varies significantly between different areas. New York, New Hampshire, California, the District of Columbia, and Connecticut are the top-paying states, according to BLS. The annual mean wage is about $110,000 in New York, $100,000 in New Hampshire, $80,000 in California and the District of Columbia, and $75,000 in Connecticut. For metropolitan areas, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle are the highest-paying areas.
Levels of employment also vary across the country. BLS finds that California, New York, Montana, the District of Columbia, and Utah have the highest concentration of video editing jobs, with California employing about double the number of people of the other four states combined. Los Angeles is the metropolitan area with the highest level of employment for Video Editors, employing close to 9,000 Film and Video Editors. It is followed by New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Video Editors work on many different types of content including movies, television shows, video games, advertisements, social media posts, educational tutorials, and website content. A video editing job can range from something small like editing a wedding video, to something large, like editing a movie for a Hollywood film studio. Video editing training can also lead to jobs in related industries where similar skills are used. For instance, some Video Editors end up working in motion graphics design or web design, where video editing skills are often needed.
BLS reports that 39 percent of Film and Video Editors work for motion picture and video industries, and 36 percent are self-employed. It finds that most people in this industry work full-time, however part-time work is also common. In the film industry–the most common place for Video Editors to work–BLS says that work hours can fluctuate. It explains, “Those who work in the motion picture industry may have busy schedules while filming, but they go through a period of looking for work once a film is complete and before they are hired for their next job.”
Between 2021 and 2031, video editing jobs are projected to increase much faster than the average for most U.S. jobs. The predicted 12 percent rate of increase means that there will be more than 6,000 new positions in this field in the next ten years. According to BLS, this will partly be due to an overall increase in film and video content and special effects, and also due to the continuing growth of online video platforms, which is driving a continual demand for new content.
Video Editing vs. Motion Graphics
Video editing often involves working with motion graphics, and it can be helpful for Video Editors to understand something about this field. Motion Graphics Designers take static design elements such as pictures or text, and turn them into motion graphics by adding movement. Motion graphics are different from animation, which is a term that covers all types of moving images, from cartoons to clay animation. Motion graphics are typically less focused on storytelling than other types of animation; instead, they are often used to communicate a specific message to the audience. As with video editing, working with motion graphics usually involves using one or more software programs. For instance, many Motion Graphics Designers work with Adobe After Effects.
What Will I Need to Learn Video Editing?
Almost any video editing class involves the use of a computer and at least one video editing program. In some cases–particularly with an in-person class–these are provided, however, even if that is the case, students who are serious about video editing probably need their own computer and software in order to practice their editing skills at home.
Many companies provide free trials of their video editing software. For instance, Adobe offers a free seven-day trial for its Creative Cloud, which includes all Adobe apps. It also allows a free trial for individual apps like Premiere Pro. Apple offers a free 90-day trial of Final Cut Pro. Avid Media Composer can also be downloaded for a free trial.
Is it Difficult to Learn Video Editing?
When it comes to learning video editing, each student has a different experience, depending on how much they already know, and how dedicated they are to mastering this skill. Overall, learning video editing is easier when the student enrolls in a formal class and receives guidance from an expert. Most video editing classes cover both the creative skills involved in editing, and the technical skills needed to use video editing software, however, some are more focused on one or the other of these two aspects of editing.
Practice is another important part of learning video editing. Professional Video Editors usually say that in addition to taking classes, they honed their skills through many hours of practice. Ultimately, while the level of difficulty and the time required may vary, with both education and practice, any student can master the skill of video editing.
How to Choose a Video Editing Class
There are a number of different ways to learn video editing, with varying depths of instruction, flexibility, and levels of interaction. Each type of training has both advantages and disadvantages, and what works best for one person may not be the best choice for another. Ultimately, the choice of how to learn varies according to individual student needs.
Many students opt for in-person video editing training because they like the high level of engagement and personal interaction that comes with this format. In-person classes allow students to get immediate feedback and instructors to more easily see when extra help is needed. Many students also report that they like the networking opportunities that can come with in-person training. However, in-person classes are not the best fit for every student since they require a commute. For students who live in smaller cities or rural areas, there may not even be any in-person options nearby.
In contrast, online video editing classes can be a better choice for students who are unwilling or unable to commute. Many online classes are live, meaning that students still receive real-time instruction and can get immediate answers to their questions. Live online classes do require students to log on at a specific time, however, many find them more flexible than in-person training since they can be taken from anywhere with an internet connection.
For students who need an even greater level of flexibility, another option is to enroll in an on-demand video editing class. On-demand training is not live, which means that students can work through the material at their own pace, even pausing or rewinding a lecture if they need to. People with busy schedules often like this option because they get to be in charge of their own scheduling. However, this high level of flexibility also means that students need to be motivated and disciplined so that they don’t procrastinate or get distracted, and fall behind.
When it comes to choosing a video editing class, students also need to think about how comprehensive they want the class to be, and how much time they have for learning. Some classes only take a few days to complete. Short classes are a good way to get an overview of the topic, learn the basics, or pick up a few new skills. However, depending on how much experience the student already has, a short class might not be enough to help them really master video editing.
Longer programs like bootcamps or certificate programs are popular among students who want to master a skill like video editing because they provide a more comprehensive education. Bootcamps are typically structured to provide an intense training that takes place over a matter of weeks or months. These courses are usually designed to get students ready to use their new skills immediately in the workplace, and many people enroll in them to get the training they need to advance within a career, or to transition to a new one.
Certificate programs are even longer than bootcamps, and usually take a number of months to complete. They are one of the most comprehensive types of video editing training. Students often take them as a way to upskill within a career or to reskill for a new career. Certificate programs can be relatively expensive–often costing thousands of dollars–however, compared to the tens of thousands of dollars needed for a college degree, they are actually a fairly affordable way to learn to become a Video Editor.
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