How to Become a Movie Editor in Alaska

These days, more and more multimedia artists in Alaska are choosing editing as their main area of focus.  All motion pictures and media broadcasts need editing.  Editors cut away extraneous information and appropriately arrange audio-visual media into coherent, well-timed presentations.  Recent global technological advances have increased the number of available jobs in Alaska for film and radio editors.

Alaska Schools and Training Programs for Movie Editing

Many aspiring media editors acquire skills at various Alaska film schools.  Popular local educational options include University of Alaska at Anchorage.  Other Alaska artists seeking training in professional editing enroll at one of many accredited online art colleges.  Among the most prolific of these are the Academy of Art University, Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute, DeVry and University of Phoenix.  Other ways to learn the necessary skills include private lessons and on-the-job training.  Some editors are “grandfathered” into the industry by producers, directors or other editors.

Working as a Movie Editor in Alaska

Alaska-based companies that hire professional media editors include film schools, broadcasters, advertising agencies, feature film makers, game designers, animation studios, website consultants and info tech firms, among others.  Alaska video editors sometimes work for local TV stations like Alaska-Broadcasting-Company, Alaska-Public-Telecommunications, KTUU-TV, WB-Channel-3 and KTBY in Anchorage or KFXF, KTVF and KUAC in Fairbanks, for example.  Alaska sound editors often join local radio stations such as KBRJ, KWHL, KEAG, KFQD and KMXS in Anchorage, or New Northwestern Broadcasters in Fairbanks, to name a few. 

Some Alaska editors team up with local motion picture producers.  Acclaimed Alaska film makers include Digital-Ice-Media and E-Street-Audio-Visual in Anchorage, Pacific-Century-Productions in Fairbanks, Polar-Art-Productions in Kaktovik and Dutch-Harbor-Online in Dutch Harbor.

Most media editors in the United States earn between $40,000 and $75,000 annually.  However, this figure does not apply to the unreported incomes of part-time editors or local freelance professionals. 

Skills of Professional Editors

Preferred attributes of professional editors include keen attention to detail, extreme visual clarity and perfect pitch (if sound editing).  Editors must also follow directions from directors and producers, so advanced communication skills (especially listening) are a must.  Technical qualifications include proficiency with media editing software such as Adobe-Premier, Unreal-Editor or Final-Cut.  Professional media editors are also entirely familiar with traditional editing techniques such as cutting and taping film clips.  Traditional techniques are still in use for professional instruction and information transfer, among other things.