Case studies: Freelance film editor: Michael Ho

Michael is a freelance film editor who completed an MA in Film Editing at the National Film and Television School. He also has a degree in media and information studies from the University of Brighton...

I worked as a web designer part time while attending university and went full-time after graduation. As I wanted to move into film and video I changed jobs after about a year and moved to a company specialising in delivering video over the internet (at the time a fledgling technology). This was a technical role but I was more interested in the story-telling aspects of film, specifically editing, which I was already doing in my spare time, making short films and VJing.

After some research I decided the best fast-track route for me to enter the film industry as an editor was to do a postgraduate degree, so I applied to the National Film and Television School. The NFTS only accepted six applicants per year at the time so it was definitely not the easiest route. Before starting the course I got a job as a runner in a Soho Post-House (taking a massive pay cut). This is by far the most common route into the industry, even for a graduate and I'm glad I got this experience as it helped me to leave the film school with realistic expectations.

I am freelance so I work on a variety of projects in the role of both editor and assistant editor. Projects vary in duration, genre and location and to be honest there is no typical day. I have worked on a Hollywood feature film with a large crew at a studio for two years, but I have also worked in my spare room on trailers which I cut in a day.

Broadly as an assistant editor you work to support the editor. You organise and maintain the project on whatever editing system you are using, you liaise between the different post-production departments, and you produce deliverables at various stages for the director and executives.

As an editor you work with the director to shape the story and solve problems. You are a 'fresh set of eyes' and hopefully an objective viewer whose job is to help the film, even if that means losing things that the director loves. You will be involved in choosing which shots to use and in what order, creating the sound and music track. You might even be required to completely change the structure of the film and use visual effects to solve story problems.

I enjoy the creative and collaborative process, and having a job which requires constant learning. I also enjoy being immersed in a world of storytelling, moving images and sound and I really enjoy the feeling of sitting in an audience that is taking pleasure in something I have helped to create.

The more challenging aspects of the job are that often the working hours can be long, deadlines short, and the environment can be quite stressful. You have to be a skilled politician at times to mediate between strong personalities. Also sitting at a computer all day is not good for you.

If you're looking to enter this career be sure that you really want to do it, as it's not an easy path. Have a passion for filmmaking and be a perfectionist. Make all the contacts that you can and maintain them, that's how you'll stay in work.