I am extremely pleased to announce that in the past seven days, I have not only acquired a vocation (as in . . . gainful employment), but I have finally settled on my pro-wrestling name.
Both achievements required a lot of skill and took a lot, lot more time than I would have liked. A college educated person such as myself should have gotten a wrestling name years ago:
Announcer: AAAAANND in this corner, weighing a number of pounds and hailing from the green, green valleys of the beaver state--The Edi-TOR!
Cecily/The Editor: GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR!!
[PetiteSoeur, if you are reading this, please go get Madre, as she has probably collapsed somewhere in a heap of laughter. A heap of it.]
You see, I left my university with a degree in English. If you have ever been or ever plan on being an English major, you have probably encountered several conversations that go like this:
Non-English Major: So, you presume to be an English major, do you not?
English Major: [rolls eyes] Yes.
Non-English Major: Well, since I believe that field of study to be completely useless, vocationally speaking, I will assume therefore that you desire the profession of teaching.
English Major: [grinds teeth] No. If I wanted to be a teacher, I'd be an English teaching major. They're separate.
Non-English Major: [adjusts monocle] Well then, do you plan on living on the streets?
English Major: Actually, I'm using my major to prepare me for being a screenwriter/author/editor/copy writer/copy editor/journalist/publisher/grad or law student/well-educated person/etc.
Non-English Major: Ah.
Generally, when people asked me what I planned in doing/what I could ever possibly do with my major, I would pick option E, copy editor. This was my short-term, super-sensible option. On other occasions, I would tell them about my long-term/almost impossible option, which would be option B, author. When I left college, I planned on pursuing both--finishing my novel (HA!) while trying to find an editing job. Unfortunately, for my circumstances, there were no editing jobs to be found. Sad day for Cecily Jane.
Fast forward to an unspecified number of months later (I'm not embarrassed to tell you my age [23], but I will barely admit the time I spent unemployed to myself), and I found out that my uncle, who is one of the best wedding videographers in the country, wanted to hire me as . . . ta DA! an editor. But not the kind of editor that tell you that you can't form my previous sentence the way I just formed it--a video editor. Essentially, he shoots the weddings, loads the video on a hard drive, and mails the hard drive to me. I, in turn, edit the video and send it back to him. It's a pretty sweet gig, if I say so myself. I knew practically nothing about video editing when I got the job, so for the past week I've been staying with my uncle in California learning the art of wedding films. I'll be here until the end of the month, then will be turned loose just in time for PetiteSoeur's wedding.
So finally, after years of rudely correcting the grammar of people I despise, I have become an actual, bona fide, paid editor. It's a horse of a different color, but it's a horse, and I have decided that this makes me victorious.
Now I just have to figure out how to get that championship belt.
Regards, best wishes, and gainful employment,
-Cecily Jane
3 comments:
Congrats!!!
The conversation is roughly the same for history majors. The question is usually "What do you want to do with that?" with a strong emphasis on the word "that."
Hope it goes well for you!
Whoo hoo! Way to go Cecily!
Curious. I've never heard of Jensen before, but my company is Portland-based; no surprise there. The one sample clip (main page) that I viewed looks pretty good. Glidecam? Fancy.
I'm very interested in your "going rates" for editing, as well as how your finished work looks. I do of course understand the private nature of a couples' video; I wouldn't ask to see a finalized copy or anything of that nature, despite my curiosity; I'm fairly sure you'd be unable to send me one anyhow, even if you were willing (and as I'm opting to remain innominate, I doubt you would be). But is there any way to whet my appetite? Got any samples online, a demo reel, anything of that sort? Not a big deal, if the answer's no. I guess I'm still under the impression you're a burgeoning editor, and I'm always of a mind to critique and comment on a beginner's work (most notably my brother's; he's just starting out as a video editor and I LOVE telling him what he's doing wrong -- in a constructive way, mind you!). But perhaps you're not so much an amateur anymore and my magnanimous proclivities are better directed elsewhere.
On an unrelated note, English majour seeking to obtain one of many word-related professions, hm? And now you're editing video. Your phrasing is apt, the horse of a different colour bit. Still, if you enjoy riding at all, it's better to be in the arena than watching others canter about. I myself once dreamed of writing -- and, more to the point, being paid to write. And now I edit video for a living as well. Do you believe in fate? I don't, but I'm always entertained by those who do.
Cheers.
---anon
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