Filming may be finished, but the story is still taking shape. Editors select and arrange shots, deciding what audiences see, when they see it and how long each moment lasts. Their choices can completely change the pace, emotion and meaning of a scene.

Other specialists manage everything that happens after filming, known as post-production, refining the finished production, adding graphics and helping make it accessible to different audiences before it is ready for release.

Does this sound like you?

You might feel at home here if you enjoy shaping and refining creative work, noticing small details and experimenting with different ways to put things together. These roles can suit people who combine patience and concentration with a strong sense of story, language, timing and visual style.

Love

• Film and storytelling
• Puzzles and problem-solving
• Visual style
• Rhythm and timing
• Shaping ideas with others

Strengths

• Attention to detail
• Visual thinking
• Patience and focus
• Creative judgement
• Communication and collaboration

What kind of job would suit me?

Editing and finishing a screen production involves several different creative and production roles. Here are just some of them. Which of these could you picture yourself doing?

Shape the story

• Editor: selects and arranges footage to shape the story, performances, pace and emotion of the finished production
• Assistant Editor: organises and prepares footage and other materials for the editor, helping manage the technical workflow and keeping the editing process running smoothly

Finish the picture

• Online Editor: brings together the final high-quality picture after editing, incorporating completed visual elements and preparing the production for its final release
• Colourist: adjusts and balances the colour, brightness and appearance of footage, helping create a consistent look and the visual mood of the finished production
• Motion Graphics Designer: creates designed and animated elements for the screen, including opening titles, credits, graphics and other visual information

Make screen stories accessible

• Closed Captioner: creates accurately timed captions that communicate dialogue and important sounds, making screen content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Audio Describer: creates concise spoken descriptions of important visual information so people who are blind or have low vision can follow what is happening on screen

Keep post-production moving

• Post-Production Assistant: supports the post-production team by organising files and materials, tracking work and helping with the day-to-day tasks involved in completing a production
• Post-Production Supervisor: coordinates the different teams, schedules and technical processes involved in completing a production after filming
• Post-Production Producer: oversees the post-production stage, managing budgets and schedules and working with producers, directors and specialist teams to get the production finished

Script your learning journey

There are many ways to build the skills and knowledge you’ll need for a career in screen. Some courses offer broad experience across screen and media, while others have a more technical, creative or theoretical focus, and even courses with the same name can offer different experiences depending on where you study. No journey is the same: the best fit will depend on what interests you, how you like to learn and where you’d like your career to take you. Explore the training and education providers below to find the kind of learning that fits you.