Special Effects

You're kind of looking in the wrong place, this forum community is very limited and the chances of someone knowing that info off hand is slim... I would google and try and find any companies you can and just call them or send them an e-mail... beware though... they want people with experience if it's a paid internship and even if it's unpaid they still want someone who has some experience. The good thing is though, if you do well you might be offered a nice full time job.

i, myself, am looking for internships at film companies and am training to become an editor... however it's not so easy. Right now I'm currently taking a series of courses that will get me a Digital Audio/Video Productions Certificate as well as a series of seperate workshops on editing with actual 35mm film and attending workshop lectures from seasoned editors.

A few things I realized, learned, heard about, etc is that a great way to get into the industry is through being technical and creative, Robert Rodriguez talked about this in the first 10 minute film school, if you're creative and technically trained then you're unstoppable.

Editing is obviously a technical aspect of film making, but that doesn't mean you can't be creative. It gives you great chances to give different films your own little spin, and it also allows you to gain experience of how things work behind the scenes and builds up your resume fast!

Everyone runs out and films a ton of stuff and a good chunk will rely on others to edit. It's great to get out and make connections with the people who make up that chunk. Networking at festivals, university film classes, etc. You never know... you might ride on somebody's coat tails to the top.

However, as fun as editing can be, you have to to be serious. You have to know the programs you use inside and out. You need to be able to do whatever a director wants done, it's not just cropping and intercutting.

You have to LEARN, you have to go take classes and read books, watch online tutorials and practice, practice, practice! You're not going to get work if you only do a half-assed job and you certainly will do a half-assed job if you don’t accept the fact that you know nothing at first. Many people try and skip the learning process (“How hard could it be”... this mentality is bold, but won’t guarantee you work... Clients aren’t going to pay to have it cut by someone who isn’t certified) and go straight for the editing suite.

Some quick tips are:
- Take some courses (film school might be a waste of time, but learning the technical and hands-on skills is worth going)

- Read some books (library, bookstore, etc), watch tutorials online, etc

- Learn mostly about digital editing, but never ignore the original approach... try and find information on cutting film and splicing (it can't hurt and will increase your IQ... at the very least you can bullshit with old filmmakers at festivals and have a respect for the origins of the craft)

- Know Camera jargon (f-stops, frame rates, exposure, different lenses, etc), it helps when communicating with directors and allows you to understand what you're dealing with

- PRACTICE!!! Shoot random stuff with your camcorder and just cut it all the time, in different ways... see if you can change the mood or tone just by cutting it differently. Perhaps set-up your own little studio. An optional tip is to try and save up for your own Higher Quality computer, something that can edit HD (doesn't have to be real-time, but it helps).
I am currently running things off of an over-clocked laptop that might explode at any minute... I'm saving up for a desktop that will hopefully be my home base. I run sound recording software off of my laptop as well, and soon my laptop will be used only for that. I hope to be done my home studio soon, which will be used not only for editing flicks, but also for making better quality scores for; my own flicks, the free film project, and future clients; ADRing; etc.

- Learn about the "onlining" process and color correction, how to finalize a film

- Take note of your favorite movies, watch how they're cut, how coverage is used, what the hell coverage is, etc

- Check out some famous editors and look at their work, try to figure out what’s so damn special... make a pact with yourself to top them.

- See if there are any film workshops in your area, attend them if you can! They are a great way to learn new things, possibly network and get out of the editing room once and a while.

- PRACTICE!!! I said this once, I’ll say it again. You need to stay ahead of the game, always experiment... you need to show that you can raise the bar and think outside the box as well as follow the rules when needed. Sometimes what you're cutting is boring, give it a twist... make it fun.

- Try to get as much knowledge of visual effects (green and blue screening, rotoscoping, etc) With movies like Sin City, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and A Scanner Darkly that are pushing the medium into a whole new direction, you’ll need to keep an open mind about what’s going on. Ignorance isn’t an excuse and it's an industry where everything is always advancing... you need to accept change and stay on the ball.

Remember that the visual aspect is obviously a big part of movies (you 'WATCH' them right?) BUT never underestimate sound. There are multiple courses that I’m taking just on sound alone, how to record it properly, how to edit it, how to use soundboards, microphones, sound effects, scores, etc.

A little analogy I like to think about is that film is like an onion... it’s got layers (OMGZ Shrek right? Wrong... well actually you’re right, but still... shut up). A film is composed of every form of art there is... photography, lighting, architecture, drama, writing, etc, etc. Those aren’t the layers I’m talking about however... I mean from an editor’s POV...

The editing process isn’t just a video where you connect the dots and your done...

Coherently order the shots, make sure you’re getting the best out of your coverage (the audience is full of idiots who need things spelled out for them, except instead of words you have shots), You need to color correct (make sure every is matched and is unified), fix any screws up (grain issues, over exposure, etc), you need to synch up audio, overlay audio, clean up audio (hiss, fuzz and hums), ADR dialogue when necessary, add the score, add the sound effects, prepare shots for any visual effects, etc... If you're dealing with a bigger budget, then you'd need to master the audio using a sound board... or if you're on a budget you could use a Digi 001 or some fancy software.

It’s not something you can waltz in and do in a day, it takes weeks and months depending on size of the project. You need patience, you can’t rush and botch the job, you’ll get fired and possibly ruin any chance of getting far enough into the industry to start making the big bucks. You’ve got to listen to the director guidelines and follow the producer’s notes (or ignore them and flip them off when they’re not looking)... Don’t do that, I was kidding... Remember that you will most likely always be on the short end of the stick, Directors want the movie in their head on the screen, you need to do everything she says and if the movie doesn’t do well... you’ll probably be blamed (The idea of good footage + crap editing = bad vs bad footage + miraculous editing = passable is used so much), You’ll be given the worst shot material and be expected to churn out something viewable, you’ll have a film that was apparently lit by a cell phone and you’ll be chastised if you don’t make it shine like the sun... it’s a dog eat dog world, someone will always be there to top you. Keeping your head up and your ear to the ground for news, tips, etc will most likely rip your head in two... but it needs to be done, you also have to accept that editors are the unsung heroes... how many times have you seen a movie and gone "this director is a genius" a few... how many times have you said "this editor is amazing!"... yep probably zero. They do the most technically challenging job next to effects and they hardly ever get credit... great editors make directors look great, all you can do is suck it up and cut it up!

your friendly neighbourhood Westcroft.