One of the single largest factors cited in California's recent economic recovery has been the growth of the entertainment community, especially in L.A. The high-salary defense contractor jobs that began to dry up a few years ago have been offset by high-wage jobs in the production and post communities.
In short, there is no better time to break into the L.A. market. But as more old-school editors make the transition to nonlinear platforms like Avid, editing skills and experience are once again becoming more important than just knowing the software.
A few years ago, any Macintosh tech head who could run the Avid could get work on very prestigious projects, simply because most of the "good" editors were still editing on film flatbeds or in million dollar "on-line" video suites. Considering that the most important editing technique is still the "cut", I could show anyone how to perform "cuts-only" edits on the Avid in 5 minutes. Talent and experience is more important than simply knowing how to drive the equipment. Timing, composition, storytelling, pacing, music skills, etc., come from the editor, not from the software.
Good luck,
D. Kuspa |
