Glance at the credits of any feature film or scripted TV show, and you can see that there are dozens, if not hundreds of people involved in getting the show to the screen, often with their own unique job title, ranging from the familiar (Writer, Director) to the unusual (Key Grip, Best Boy). But even for those working in film and TV, there are plenty of jobs and roles which are a mystery, especially when it comes to Post-Production, which mostly takes place when those working on set are onto their next job.
There seems to be a general impression that editing is a very technical job, we’re even referred to sometimes as “technicians” as if it’s our understanding and use of technology that is the defining aspect of an Editor’s job. The first thing to remember about filmmaking is that the majority of jobs are primarily about creative problem-solving, and Editors are no different. However, there is a certain amount of “technical” work involved, and this is where the Assistant Editor comes in.
Support for the Editor
So, how technical is an Editor’s job? Well, if we’re talking about feature films and TV, then it’s a lot less technical than you might think. Largely this is because there’s a team of people employed to look after the technical side. The most important member of that team (and the only member in many cases), is the 1st Assistant Editor.
Back when features were cut on film, the Assistants worked in the room with the Editor, standing at their shoulder, handing them pieces of film and taking unwanted trims back to the bins. Nowadays, Assistants spend the majority of their time in a room next to the Editor, or perhaps down the hallway. The move to digital has also meant an increased amount of ancillary management work in the cutting rooms, dealing with all sorts of files and metadata passing from one department to another.
This flood of information, mostly digital, but some still on paper, has to be processed, sorted, and organised so that those who need access to that information, either now or in the future, are able to do so as quickly and simply as possible. The Editor is the primary recipient of all this data, but many other departments will request something at one point or another, and it is the Assistant’s responsibility to ensure the simplicity of these processes.
On a project with a large budget, there are tens of millions of dollars being spent during the shoot, and all that captured material passes through the cutting room, with the AE often the first pair of eyes and ears on it after it leaves the set. The Assistant Editor shoulders a lot of responsibility, the role requiring a broad range of knowledge and a variety of skills and abilities, in order to effectively manage the cutting room so that the Editor can concentrate solely on editing the film.
The Team
On a small budget project, the Editor may not have an Assistant, or only have an Assistant for the duration of the shoot, requiring them to do many parts of the role themselves. Generally speaking, the larger the budget, the larger the team. In addition to the 1st AE, a 2nd AE, Edit Trainee, Post-Production Assistant, and VFX Editor may be added. It is the 1st AE’s responsibility to manage and supervise this team on a day-to-day basis, even if the Editor is in practice the head of the department.
Large budget features may also have two or three Editors, further expanding the support team and the work required. On TV shows there will also often be multiple 1st AE’s with multiple editors cutting at once, or perhaps staggered as their episodes are shot.
Common Assistant Editor Tasks
Tasks and duties the 1st AE is responsible for include – but are by no means limited to – the following:
- Tech support for the editor (installing and trouble-shooting equipment)
- Ingesting and syncing rushes, transcoding proxies, and organising material to suit the editor’s preferences
- Checking rushes against sound and camera department paperwork
- Communicating with DIT, Camera Dept, Sound Dept, Script Supervisor, Producers, Sound Designers, VFX Supervisor and VFX Vendors, Post Supervisor, Composer, Music Editor, Projectionist, Trailer company
- Managing/Overseeing 2nd Asst/Trainees
- Compiling and maintaining the Codebook – a database of all the video and sound material used in the cutting room, including metadata and paperwork
- Adding temp sound design and music to the cut
- Following up queries the Editor has, and answering questions for the Editor from other departments
- Prepping rushes for Producers, Financiers, and the Director to view
- Cutting a short trailer for financiers or to be screened at the wrap party
- Turning over reels for Sound and Music either during the edit, or when the film is locked
If the project has a large VFX budget, the team may well include a VFX Editor, whose job it is to be responsible for everything VFX-related that goes in and out of the cutting rooms. If the number of VFX shots are in the dozens rather than the hundreds, or the budget of the film is small, then most likely the 1st AE will be responsible for management and tracking of the VFX shots, and will complete the following tasks:
- Supplying master camera files to VFX Vendors
- Building and updating a VFX List which contains info on all VFX shots
- Adding versions of VFX shots received from VFX Vendors to the current cut for checking by the Editor and Director
- Creating basic VFX mock-ups
Editors will sometimes get their Assistants to cut scenes. If the Editor is up against things time-wise then Assistants may assemble scenes during the Assembly, and an Editor may let the Assistant work on an individual scene throughout the edit, giving feedback and notes to help them shape the scene.
Many Editors will show cuts to their Assistant and ask for their thoughts and feedback, and are usually happy to try out suggestions. The edit department can become a close-knit group, especially when they’ve worked on multiple projects together, and many Editors are happy to guide and mentor their Assistants, involving them in not just the technical work, but the “creative” too.
During the Shoot
The AE will often be responsible for ensuring that all the kit in the cutting room is set up and working correctly at the beginning of a project, especially when shooting on location. Once the shoot starts, paperwork and rushes will generally pass through the AE’s hands before reaching the Editor. They will check and organise rushes ready for the Editor to begin cutting, check paperwork from camera, sound and the script supervisor, and ask any questions that need asking. An eye will be kept on the schedule in order to inform the editor when material for a scene is being shot across multiple days. They will also begin to build a library of temp music and sound effects ready for the editor to add to the cut.
Once the Shoot is Finished
After wrap, the daily routine of dealing with rushes changes. There may be less daily time pressure, but in a busy cutting room there are still a wide variety of tasks that need completing, both for the Editor, and for others outside the department, whether that’s delivering work-in-progress reels to the composer, turning over shots for VFX work, or sending rushes on to the trailer company. The landmarks of the edit (Director’s Cut, Execs Cut etc.), are of vital importance, and getting ready for these may involve the assistants doing everything from making tweaks to a scene, adding new VFX shots, to running the equipment in the screening room.
After Picture Lock
Once the edit is finished (ie “locked”), it’s the AE’s responsibility to make sure that everything the other departments need to do their work is available to them. Material will need to be sent to the Composer and his/her team, to the Sound dept for work to begin on the film’s sound if it hasn’t already. Shots will continue or start to be sent out for VFX work, and picture elements will need to be delivered ready for work in the grade. If the edit is tweaked after locking (which happens a lot), then the AE will need to re-deliver sequences to all of these departments plus info on what has changed. The AE may also be responsible for collating and delivering final deliverables on behalf of the producers once sound and picture post has been completed.
A Key Role
As you can see, the role of the Assistant Editor, or the AE and their team, is varied and challenging. Some AE’s will become career Assistants, enjoying the demands and opportunities of the job, working their way up the budget ladder, often working with the same Editors, until they’re responsible for the cutting rooms on the biggest and most expensive films and TV shows.
Most AE’s however, are trying to make their way into the Editor’s chair, learning as much as they can about post-production in general, and editing in particular, taking the skills and relationships they’ve built up along the way to prepare themselves for taking the step into their new role.