Is digital video editing a good career to get into

Well I have had my macbook pro for about a year now and really enjoy using it. I was working as a real estate agent and using the editing features to make videos of my listings. Some of my co-workers really liked what I was doing and started asking me to make videos for them. I have recently moved to charlotte,nc and was thinking of going back to school or someplace that had programs for digital video editing. Is this a good career to get into, and could anyone recommend any schools that would be good to attend. I was thinking of trying to go to school for this while working at the same time. I went on a tour of the art institute down here in charlotte and really liked it. Last night I went on a tour of connecticut school of broadcasting, but really wasn't impressed(also read bad reviews online about that place). I have another tour coming up at carolina school of broadcasting. It seems as though alot of programs for this type of career teach you being in front of the camera as well as behind the camera. I am only basically interested in the editing side of things. Sorry if this post is not in the correct forum. I didn't know where exactly to post this. Thanks.

Editing Careers

I went to art school so many of my friends were video editors and film-makers. However, none of them could find permanent work in their field and many are actually turning to real estate to support themselves. That's funny you're thinking of going the reverse route.

However, I think there could be a good market for video editing in the real estate field (as you've already found out.) Editing jobs for tv and film are very competitive and usually temporary, as there are so many aspiring film-makers who aren't making any money and look for this kind of work as their day job. I was hoping to support myself as an artist but currently earn my living doing real estate photography. All of these fields seem to cross over, but from my experience, advertising is where the money is.

I would definitely recommend an art/film school over a broadcasting school if you're looking to focus on editing. There you can gain more technical information, while I'd imagine a broadcasting school would be more about being in front of the camera.

No, broadcasting programs are much more engineering, technical than an art program. But, that degree won't do you any more good than learning to edit via other routes. Even with a degree, jobs are hard to find. We producers look at your demo reel, and your interview, and your experience. I could care less about a degree program, as most of the people I've worked with from them know much less about what the real world of media production is than those who learned by working in the industry.

If you're using Final Cut Studio (now over 50% of the professional post production market), the Apple Authorized Training is great, or just get the Apple Pro Training Series books (which are what we use in the classes) and do them on your own. If you first starting out, that Final Cut Pro end user certification (levels 1 and 2) will help in getting work at first. But eventually you need to build up a resume of work and a good demo reel.

Film/broadcast schools are being acknowledge by the broadcast and film industries now as having fallen very far behind the times. Most are garbage and do more harm than good. About the only place I'd recommend is Full Sail in Orlando, FL. Pretty much the best program in the U.S, and will do more to help you get work than any college or university.

Get a camera, start doing work on your own, attend all the seminars you can, join your local Professional Vidoegraphers Association (PVA), and yes, most film and broadcast folks work between jobs as freelance videographers. Also look for your local Final Cut Pro Users Group. My group has our own support forum, too.
S. LA. FCP Users Group Network - Support for Final Cut Studio Users in South Louisiana

Film/broadcast schools? Most are inadequate today. Art programs? Not for an editor to get work, but will teach you about art in general. Buy some books, teach yourself, take some seminars (myself, Larry Joran, many of us do them all over the country), let other local videographers and studios know you're interested in working. You may have to do some very underpaid or even free work at first for them. But when they see you're a hard worker and dedicated, and really learning, they'll pay you pretty well. A job in a TV station is the only really stable work now. Independent studios mostly contract out. State agencies are pretty stable production studios to get a full time job in, too. Also consider being independent, self employed. Just go find those temp jobs and get real work for other folks under your belt. Word of mouth and a good demo reel/resume are what you need, not a degree.

Sorry, but that's the cold, hard facts of life for media production these days.