Kickstart your editing career with Master the Workflow

As a craft, editing is much more about creativity and storytelling than it is about knowing how to use software and understanding workflows, but learning the right editing software and embracing the workflows for the industry you wish to work in (Adobe Premier for the most part is used by commercial and branded content editors and AVID is used by TV and Film editors) is still a key part of any editors career progression. For those wishing to start a career in TV and Film editing, rising through the ranks of assisting is a well trodden path to achieving those goals.

So if you’ve thought about starting on your path to becoming an assistant editor but not known where to start, Edit Girls can highly recommend starting with online course, Master The Workflow. The course is also a brilliant resource for those already in assistant editor positions.

Master the Workflow ‘provides in-depth training & information for people aspiring to become feature film and television editors. Their flagship course Feature Film Assistant Editor Immersion now has students in over 40 countries & has become the de facto standard for those wishing to learn everything about the editing craft.’

In early 2021, Lawrence Jordan, ACE, one of the creators of Master The Workflow reached out to Edit Girls to offer two members of the Edit Girls community the opportunity to take part in their ‘Feature Film Assistant Editor Immersion Course’ free of charge. Francine Leach and Jasmin John, the two ‘Edit Girls' who took part in the course share their experiences;

At what stage in your assisting career were you when you started the course?

Jasmin: I was working on Becoming Elizabeth (Series 1) for STARZ as 1st Assistant Editor across Eps 1-3 and 7&8 when I started the course. At that stage of my career, I had only worked as a 1st Assistant Editor on one occasion previously so I still felt like there was lots to learn. 

Francine: I was a 2nd Assistant Editor at the time, I was stepping into my second role in this position and the first time I would work the entire way through on a project. So reaching the finishing stages of delivery, which I was unfamiliar with. 

How has the course helped you in your day to day work life?

Jasmin: Over the years, I've picked up little nuggets of wisdom from other AEs I've worked with and adapted my workflow to incorporate new learnings. The MTW course has also provided me with many new nuggets. I now work more efficiently (smarter, not harder!) and have various methods to troubleshoot common Avid errors under my belt. This course is all-encompassing with invaluable and in-depth information ranging from project management and organisation to turnovers and VFX tracking.  

Francine: It was a great tool to refer back to. Even for terminology and understanding what the next stages in the Editorial process would be. I've work through Dailies and partially into Post but I had limited knowledge on the DI and final delivery stages. It helped me to stay organised and had great tips about MX and SFX organisation.

Tell us about some of your favourite parts of the course. 

Jasmin: There is a lesson which covers Avid Project Layout & Bin Organisation. A handy tip I picked up here was to create a 'ROOT CLEANUP' folder. I actually implemented this during my time on Becoming Elizabeth and still use it today. There's nothing that bugs me more than a messy top level of the project but equally, I hate deleting anything so this was one of my favourite learnings - so simple yet so effective. I also loved learning about the Codebook - it's not something I've used before (or yet!) but it looks like it will be particularly useful and I plan to use it soon!

Francine: It was very detailed, well put together, easy to understand and explained very well. It helped me to get a better idea of the entire Editorial process and having the assets available to download I can work along with the video, especially the Codebook section. A key area is Editorial Diplomacy, something that can be over looked but it's really important, something that you won't learn elsewhere. This is the first course I've seen that shows the entire Editorial process from start to finish, It's not solely focused on the technical aspects of using the Avid but also about the organisation parts of the role, the meetings and paperwork. It truly is a unique and fantastic course for anyone interested in Assisting Editing. It's literally like working in the cutting room alongside a 1st AE. Spot on.

What's next for you in your career and in what ways has the course helped your growth as an Assistant Editor?

Jasmin: I'm keen to step up to Assembly Editor. This course has helped me to streamline my workflow and processes so that I can be as efficient as ever in assisting my Editors thus having more spare time to assemble a scene or two! I also feel like becoming more technically well-versed as a result of this course will enable my own AE(s) to get more involved in the creative side with me when I do eventually step up to Editor. I'd highly recommend this course to both experienced 1st Assistant Editors as well as those working their way up to 1st - there's value in this no matter what stage/level you're at. 

Francine: I'm hoping to step up to a 1st AE soon. I still want to pursue a career as an Editor but I'm enjoying Assisting at the moment. This course has giving me an understanding of the whole workflow process from an experienced AE. Even just getting more familiar with the terminology is extremely helpful! I worked as a freelance Editor before, but an Assistant Editor in the Film/TV Industry is a completely different ball game. I feel better equipped to step into my next role and into this industry.

Get a $100 discount on the Feature Film Assistant Editor Immersion course when using the code EDITGIRLS22 at checkout.

Find out more about the Master the Workflow Feature Film Assistant Editor Immersion here.

Find out more about Master the Workflow mini-course here.

Find out more about the Master the Workflow Digital Codebook here.

Watch Jasmin John share her career story on the Edit Girls YouTube channel.

Read Jasmin John’s career story here.