Make cool cash editing videos

 

Passion for entertainment industry earned me the goodies of film editing —Dapo Adeaga, Executive Director, 247 Playback Productions

FOR Dapo Adeaga, the Executive Director of 247 Playback Production, Isheri-Olofin, Lagos, film editing is like paying a fish to swim.

The 2007 graduate of Mass Communication from The Polytechnic, Ibadan said: “Most of the movie and music stars, among others, who have seen me shoot, edit or direct a film fondly call me a born cinematographer. I believe my dexterity and dynamism in the art must have informed their conclusion.

“Immediately after my service year, I opted for an intensive and practical training in cinematography, which has been my childhood dream. This is because I believe I’m inquisitive and I have a keen passion for the entertainment industry.

“Because my intention is to be a top shot in the cinematography, I work on my expertise on a daily basis. I’m not the best, but one of the best. By virtue of this, I have shot, edited and directed so many films of top scriptwriters, both circular and religious.”

Adeaga disclosed that video/film editing, which, according to him, is natural, has boosted his finances, personality, and opened doors for him
“Whoever is keenly interested in the industry, and could pay the price of learning the art, updating him/herself in the advancements in the industry and daily improving on his expertise is sure of a true financial freedom,” Adeaga said.
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Make cool cash editing videos

NOWADAYS, movies are being explored the more by individuals and religious organisations to disseminate information to their respective audiences. Event video coverage, also, has changed dramatically from mere cut and paste to creative recording and editing. Hence, the interested and creative-minded can make good business out of video editing.

Who can do the business?
Anyone with passion for entertainment industry, with good level of patience, creativity and dynamism can successfully do video editing. He must also be meticulous.

Formal education would be of help to video editors because the illiterate will be highly limited as a result of the continuous advancement in the industry. To make waves and distinction, you need to be familiar with the internet and diverse innumerable editing applications.

Start-up cost
The start-up cost is determined by the scale at which you want to begin. But the basic equipment needed includes Core i-5 which costs about N120,000; a good laptop with at least 4 gigabytes ram and 500gigabyte hard drive, with AV firewire port to enable video capture, which costs about N85,000; editing software like Adobe’s Premiere Pro CS4, which supports many cutting-edge effects and a roll of DVD disks. You can also get free video editing programmes, such as VideoSpin, Microsoft’s Movie Maker, or Apple’s iMovie, if your budget is limited initially.

However, anyone starting on a large scale will need systems ranging from both windows and iMac, spacious office space, equipped with air conditioner, office furniture for both editors and visitors, among other things.

Learning
Training is essential in video editing, because it is both artistic and technical. There are animation and media schools all over the world, India, U.S., Britain and South Africa, just to mention fa few, while the schools are also coming up in Nigeria.

You could learn the trade from the professionals whose works you have seen who will practically expose you to the art. Training period ranges from four to six months, depending on the trainer’s arrangement and how fast you can grab, while fees range from individuals and what you intend learning. Learning the basics in editing is cheaper. It could cost as low as N40,000 while you pay more while going deeper in the art. Learning animation costs N150,00 and above.

It is not expedient to learn the art online, because of the technicalities involved.

Planning and research
Movie or film editing is a practical way of cutting and joining video footages of a film from the location to tell an explicit story from the writer’s angle.

You must clearly understand the event or the concept of the film or movie to determine the appropriate concept for the editing.

You must always work on your creativity and move with the wind of development in the film and editing industry, equipping yourself with the latest editing software and concept, and shooting techniques, among others, else you become outdated and dumped, and that may be your end in the industry.

Cost and potential earning
The number of cameras used in covering the event or shooting the film, as well as the concept of the editing and the equipment needed for the editing will determine what you charge your clients. Using high-level equipment, you can charge between N30,000 and N40,000 to edit an hour event recorded with one camera. You can charge N60,000 for an hour event recorded with multi-camera, while you can charge N80,000 and above if it has documentary flavour, voice over, among others. You can charge between N60,000 and N250,000 for film editing because it involves colour grading and finishing.

Reputation and marketing
Your expertise is most needed endear you to people. Hence you must go the extra mile to master the art. Then, try to do it for free or at a minimal price for friends or family members. This will service as a point of reference for you, while you keep on building your portfolio.

Also endeavour to have a professional online presence. Having a website that showcases your work to potential clients is paramount. But not any website will do. People will be looking to hire you for your skills as a visual storyteller - so a clean, well-designed website that effectively tells your story will get you a long way. But if you cannot afford that, you can explore the social media, especially YouTube, to tell people about your expertise in the business. And sooner, you will not only get patronage from individuals, but also by corporate organisations, movie writers and producers. And sooner than you might think, you have joined the league of millionaire!

• Written by  Olaoluwa Mimiola

Source: Tribuneng.com