Resources
ISE Webinars
ISE organised an Assistant Editor Webinar in September 2021 with Siân Fever, Fiona Starogardski and Eoin McGuirk on the panel. The purpose of the webinar was to provide information and insights for people considering getting into the editorial world as an assistant editor and ISE is pleased to say that it was very well attended.
A video recording of the webinar can be seen here and a transcript can be viewed or downloaded here.
ISE organised two editing webinars in February 2022,
An Introduction to Drama Editing and An Introduction to Documentary Editing.
The drama webinar had Nathan Nugent (Swan Song, Normal People), Victoria Boydell (Operation Mincemeat, The Last Vermeer, Saltburn) and Mags Arnold (Big Little Lies, The Trip) on the panel.
The video recording can be viewed here and the audio of same can be heard here.
The documentary webinar had Connie Farrell (New York Our Time, The End of Romance), Maeve O'Boyle (The Devil's Advocate, The 8th) and Mick Mahon (Nothing Compares, Gaza).
The video recording can be viewed here and the audio of same can be heard here.
Both webinars offer excellent insights into the working lives and knowledge of highly experienced drama and documentary editors.
ISE presented a webinar in April 2023 which was a detailed look at the tasks, skills and general daily requirements for assistant editors on TV drama and feature films. It was presented by Shane Woods, who has worked on high end dramas such as Peaky Blinders and The Crown. This was presented live on 22nd April 2023 and the recording can be viewed here.
Screen Skills Ireland resource pages
Screen Skills Ireland have created a crew availability list page where freelancers can show when they will be available for work. There is also a general skills page which will gives insights into Screen Ireland's skills training opportunities.
24/7 Mental Wellbeing Support
Giving access for the creative community to experienced team of trained counsellors and psychotherapists who can offer medium-term intervention and advice covering practical, day-to-day issues that cause anxiety and stress.
Podcasts, websites & online edit tools
There are a number of podcasts and websites that give great insights into the world of editing and post-production while providing valuable educational and practical resources for editors and assistant editors. These are not endorsed officially by ISE but they have been very useful! Please contact us at info@irishscreeneditors.com with any suggestions to add to the list.
Podcasts
Websites
Contract/Agreement guide
In response to a number of queries from members we have put together some information that may be helpful when starting a new job or beginning to work with a new client or employer.
ISE recommends that the following should be agreed before starting on a new project:
• Extent of editing to be carried out (offline/online/finishing/grade/titles/audio mix) and deadline for completion
• Weekly and daily rate
• Working hours per day
• Project overrun contingency
• Fee for working from home and use of editor’s kit if applicable
• Time frame for payment
• Any additional expenses (travel costs, accommodation and subsistence)
Covid T&C's:
• In case of self-isolation by editor/director/other crew
• In case editor contracts Covid and can't work (paused vs. replaced)
• In case there's a suspected case in the facility
• Measures being taken on site regarding social distancing/contacts in the edit suite
A good protection for editors and assistants is having an agreement/contract in place for medium to long term projects. This ensures that the fees, conditions, hours etc for the editor/assistant have been discussed and agreed by all parties.
A guide agreement/contract can be downloaded here - this is not a definitive contract, but it is intended as a template to use in negotiations with clients and also to give ISE members who have little or no experience of contracts an idea of what they generally contain. Naturally there will be different and/or additional clauses depending on the project and the production company.
ISE stresses that contracts are not necessary for every project, for example in the situation where the editor/assistant has an ongoing relationship with clients.
Workshops
We had a number of in person workshops open to ISE members before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic put paid to these types of events. You can read about these workshops here. We hope to organise more workshops in the near future.
Mentorships
The ISE Mentoring Scheme was designed to provide up-and-coming editors with an opportunity to experience how more experienced editors work. This scheme differed from “assistant” placements or “work experience” in that the mentee was not expected to contribute to the work of the edit suite: they are there to see how the mentor works, how they approach their day, and how they deal with directors and producers over the course of that day. Due to the pandemic, however, we have had to suspend the programme until further notice.
The format of the mentoring is built on observation and dialogue. The recipient of the mentoring spends two days in the edit suite of the mentor as they work. The setup is informal, and intended to be be unobtrusive; it is vitally important that the mentor’s work should not be compromised by the presence of the mentee. More information is available here.
The first participant in the scheme was Dave Thorpe who spent time with acclaimed editor Tony Cranstoun A.C.E. - you can read his piece about his experience observing Tony at work here.
Another participant was Luke Byrne who shadowed Derek Holland as Derek was editing the TV series Blood. You can read about his experience here.