Working as a Ghost Editor
You may have seen in other blog posts that I occasionally use the term ‘ghost editing’ or refer to myself as a ‘ghost editor’. But what does it mean?
Simply put, I consider myself (in some cases) to be similar to a ‘ghost writer’ when necessary. If you’re unfamiliar, the term is used when a writer is hired to write a book or other material for someone else, often a public figure, who would then be named on the finished work as the author. The principle is similar, but for video editing!
This came about fairly organically, as I am frequently hired by wedding filmmakers for whom style, image and aesthetic is paramount. They are working directly with clients to capture what is often the most important day of their lives, and are frequently booked for their distinct method and ‘look’ to their films. For a lot of wedding videography clients, the personal touch is an important aspect to their business.
However, many find themselves with editing backlogs due to other responsibilities, lack of time, and some simply hire me because they don’t enjoy editing as much as they love filming. This is where I come in.
My role in this scenario is to create an edit in a very similar style to my clients’ other films. When I begin work for a new client, I will watch two or three example films of theirs and then get to work creating something with a look and feel that is as similar to these examples as possible, allowing clients to maintain a consistent brand and aesthetic without needing to worry about editing. This means that wedding filmmakers can spend more time marketing, filming and spending time with friends and family without a mountain of editing hovering over their heads. I only share wedding films with permission, so if you don’t want them to, no one need know the secret ingredient to your newfound time management skills!
As a fair proportion of my work is within the wedding industry, I felt it was important to highlight this aspect in the blog and explain my role amongst it all. Some filmmakers look down on wedding work, but I don’t see why. As far as I see it, weddings can be far less predictable than many other projects. There’s no script, I genuinely never know quite what I’m going to see from one day to the next, and there really isn’t a rulebook any more!
Modern wedding videography is incredibly varied and different, mostly owing to the accessibility of amazing equipment and editing solutions that have become widely available in recent years. It’s a far cry from the overlong wedding films of previous decades. However this also means that a huge part of what I do is based in adaptability. I need to be able to pick up new styles and techniques very quickly as they are needed. I really enjoy this part of the process, and I feel that working in this area has made me a better editor over the years.
If you are a wedding videographer or filmmaker looking to streamline your process, would like to know more about outsourcing video editing or other techniques to improve your overall workflow, I’d love to chat to you! My calendar is often busy, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch ASAP if you can see a mountain of work looming towards you. I’m here to help.