Choosing An Online Video Editing School

• 1). Choose your school based on the range of skills taught in the video editing curriculum. Then, look for a course with a large variety of editing skills, including the rules of continuity, the basics of time code, linear and non-linear editing techniques, assemble editing, paper edits, and on-line and off-line editing.
  
  Choose the school not just by the range of editing skills taught, but also by the range of video production courses taught, for you will want to take a course in video production to learn the ropes of scripting and shooting, skills that are important to editing. Depending on the school you choose, the degree may actually not be in only editing, but in overall production. Online schools can take anywhere from six weeks to several years, depending on your timeline.
  
  
• 2). Find or purchase access to a high-speed Internet hook-up, as well as a video editing software package. The most-utilized packages in the industry include Avid or FinalCut Pro--Avid is a top-of-the-line system that is used in video editing in Hollywood, while FinalCut is the standard for video entrepreneurs; both are designed for Macintosh and PC. You can also find video editing free-ware on the Web.
  
  
• 3). Enlist your instructor's help in your video editing courses, for you will have his or her personalized attention online. Ask the school if they have an online blogosphere, since this will help you to connect with other production students who may shoot video that you can practice-edit.
  
  
• 4). Create your own community by using your search engine to conduct searches on local post-production houses. If you're able to, volunteer or intern at one, and you'll be able to pick up some important video editing tips, as well as make connections in your local production scene.
  
  
• 5). Finish your degree by staying motivated, with the help of the school's community and chat rooms. Once your coursework is done, ask the instructor for his critique on your edits. Do they help to get the video's story across in a timely fashion? Could they be timed better to fit the context of the video?
  
  When you're done with your degree, you may have to initially accept low- or non-paying work to kickstart your career, but a fruitful and enduring one awaits!