Outsourcing Your Wedding Film Editing
One question I get all the time from other wedding videographers is ‘How do I get time back in my life?’
The answer is out sourcing. You can outsource SO. MUCH. in your business and the one thing videographers start outsourcing first is editing. Now, for some people outsourcing editing doesn’t sit right with them. They want full control over the whole process and that’s totally fine! It’s not for everyone, but most videographers and photographers will outsource their editing around 3 years in business (wether they talk about it or not). There’s also some videographers out there who tout that they edit their own films like its a flex and let’s be honest…. unless you have a very unique editing style, there’s no need for you to edit your own films. Especially if you’re buried in work and have trouble meeting deadlines and doing the admin side of your business.
If you do, truly, have a very unique editing style that cannot be replicated or taught to an editor, keep it! Charge for that. Most wedding videographers are producing the same types of films and are filming in the same way as each other, so if you have something unique that’s in demand, you should charge enough per wedding that you have ample time to shoot, edit, fun your business, and have free time. You can also hire an editor exclusively for your team and teach them the ins and outs of your style. For most of us, that’s not the case. If your editing style is pretty typical, outsource and get some time back to focus on your client experience so you can charge enough to live. (Check out my blog on client experience to learn how to charge more for your services: www.goldandsage.com/edu-blog/2021/7/19/crafting-a-client-experience)
And hear me when I say that having a ‘typical’ style is totally okay! It’s popular for a reason – people want it! Plus, editors already know how to work in that style so outsourcing is easier than ever! Here’s my advise for outsourcing your editing (this post may contain affiliate links, these links add no cost to you, but I may receive a small commission which helps me to create content like this for you!):
You’re going to stat with a wedding you’ve already finished; a wedding that is not on a timeline for delivery. You’re going to take this film (your most recent one), and you’re going to send it to three editors. You can find these editors on Fiverr, a freelancing website, or use an editing house like the leading service Wedditor or Viddedit. You can expect pricing anywhere from $100-$800 per highlight + extras. Be sure to ask before you send footage and adjust your package pricing as needed moving forward.
Pro tip: Never ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER, send a film that you need to delivered to a new editor. Just don’t do it. It’s not fair too the editor, or the client to experiment on their film. That’s why you’re going to send footage from a wedding that you’ve already competed. No one ever has to see – it’s just for your eyes only as a test for the editors you’re trying out.
You’re going to send your footage to 3 editors and see who comes back a film the closest or better to the film you already made form that footage. You’re also going to evaluate their process and communication to see who you like the best. Keep in mind that you will have to pay for these edits, although some series offer one trail edit for free. This is just the cost of doing business, so save up a couple hundred dollars to experiment with.
Wedding film editors should get you about 90% of the way there. You may still want to tweak a few things, add some sound design, color grade the way you like, or switch the music. But 90% of the way there = 90% off your time saved which is huge! As you keep working with the same editors, they’re going to pick up on your style. Don’t be afraid to send feedback, specific instructions, and the edits you make to their films to help them learn your style. It’s a partnership that will serve you well for years to come!
Another way to get time back in your life is outsourcing administrative tasks to Virtual Assistants! That’s a subject for a whole other blog and you can check it out here: https://www.goldandsage.com/edu-blog/2021/8/16/how-to-hire-virtual-assistants
Have any questions about outsourcing editing? Let me know in the comments!
