The continued rise in popularity of long-form social media content and consumers’ expectations for high-quality marketing to include video content are just a few factors behind the high demand for Video Editors today. The career path has plenty to offer besides job security: the work is interesting, creative, flexible, and provides an increasing number of opportunities for growth and versatility across industries.
While some video editing job postings request a college degree, it's a field where skills and experience hold more weight than an academic education when securing work. A certificate program or certification preparation class can help aspiring Video Editors jump-start their career, allowing individuals to build the skills they need to succeed in the field for a fraction of the cost of a four-year degree. A certificate or certification on a resume, along with a demo reel typically developed over the course of a certificate program, tells hiring teams that a job candidate has the knowledge and skills needed to shine in entry-level video editing positions.
NYC Career Centers: Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate
Key Information: A leader in professional development and tech education for over 30 years, NYC Career Centers provides a Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate program that will prepare you to thrive in both video editing and motion graphics design. Tuition is $4,995 and covers 126 hours of hands-on instruction by industry experts. The program may be completed either in four months of part-time evening classes or two months of full-time weekday classes, which may be attended either in-person in NYC or online from Washington, D.C. or anywhere else in the world.Â
The Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate includes eight units that can be taken according to the recommended schedule or in the order of your choice. These units include two on video editing in Premiere Pro, two on motion graphics and visual effects using Adobe After Effects, and one with a deep focus on Cinema 4D in After Effects. A unit on Audition will leave you an audio editing pro. Finally, you’ll build an impressive demo reel in a video editing portfolio bootcamp and a motion graphics portfolio bootcamp.
Through this project-centered program, you’ll understand how the video editing and motion graphics design workflows utilize each application to help you journey from concept to polished final product. Thanks to the hands-on work you do throughout the course and the portfolio-building bootcamps, you’ll thoroughly master After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Audition and how to add animation to Photoshop and Illustrator files. By the end of the course, your overflowing demo reel will provide a window into your skills that will impress your future clients or employers.
Proprietary curricula and supplementary material are also included in the program's price, as well as one-on-one mentoring to support you in the next steps in your career and a certificate of completion. Online students will need to provide their own computers and install a free trial of Adobe Creative Cloud before the beginning of the course. The team at Noble Desktop—NYC Career Centers’ affiliate that hosts this certificate program—will provide any assistance you require in securing the software needed for the program. The only prerequisite for this beginner-friendly course is being comfortable with using a computer. You can make up any class you miss by watching a recording or taking advantage of the option to retake any class or all of the program for free within one year.
Noble Desktop: Video Editing Certificate
Key Information: Noble Desktop, a NY State-licensed technology training center, offers its Video Editing Certificate program live online and in-person in NYC. Tuition is $2,995, payable through a 12-month 0% interest financing plan or an installment plan. The beginner-friendly class requires that students be comfortable with a computer, but no other prerequisites are necessary. This certificate program’s 78 hours of live instruction can be completed in either four months when taken as a part-time course or two months when approached as a full-time student. If you miss a class, you can make it up by watching a recording or using Noble’s free retake option to revisit the course—or a module or the entire program—anytime over the year following your start date.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive training program to jump-start your video editing career, Noble’s Video Editing Certificate will do just that and more. The program includes not only hands-on education with the help of experienced instructors but also proven curricula, one-on-one mentoring that you can use as invaluable career coaching, and a certificate of completion that never expires.Â
During your video editing education with Noble, you’ll receive a thorough education in the workflows and processes involved in video and audio editing, including comprehensive training in Adobe Premiere Pro, Audition, and After Effects. You will also learn how to create many visual effects, as well as the foundations of animation and motion graphics. Noble’s program also covers audio editing, including using Premiere Pro to add voiceover and music to your project and mixing and cleaning up audio with Audition.
Throughout the video editing program, you will create several projects utilizing your new skills, forming a demo reel showcasing your skills that you can submit with your resume or share with your future clients. By the time you complete the program, you will be a highly competitive candidate for entry-level video editing jobs, ready to complement your resume and portfolio with confidence in your proficiency in many of the top applications used in the field.
Noble Desktop: Motion Graphics Certificate
Key Information: Noble Desktop’s Motion Graphics Certificate will help you stand out in your career as an Animator, Motion Graphics Designer, or Video Editor. Tuition for the program is $3,495, which may be paid in installments or via a 0% interest financing plan. In addition to 102 hours of live online instruction, the comprehensive program provides students one-on-one mentoring to help with career preparation, a certificate of completion, and all proprietary curricula and supplementary materials. Noble’s team can also assist you in securing a trial version of Adobe Creative Cloud. Required prerequisites for the Motion Graphic Certificate are a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and basic design skills, and knowledge of video timeline editing is recommended.
Noble’s certificate program provides exceptional flexibility in scheduling, allowing you to complete the five modules in the order of your preference. Live online classes are available both weekdays and weeknights, and you can make up classes you miss by watching a recording or taking advantage of Noble’s option to retake any program in part or whole within one year. You can earn your Motion Graphics Certificate as a full-time student in as little as two months or attend the program part-time and complete it in four months.
Mastery of the professionals' motion graphics workflows requires knowledge of Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Cinema 4D Lite, all covered in the certificate program. The Premiere Pro Bootcamp module covers all the tools necessary to edit and adjust video clips’ placement, speed, and color. You will also learn how to manage audio in Premiere Pro, including how to add music, voiceover, and dialogue. The Cinema 4D in After Effects Bootcamp covers creating 3D models, and the After Effects Bootcamp will have you animating those 3D models and 2D objects in no time.
The extensive hands-on component of the Motion Graphics Certificate includes the opportunity to create many projects, immediately applying the concepts you’re learning so you quickly master the applications covered in the program. By the end of the course, these projects will create a professional demo reel that you can use in your job hunt, along with the impressive motion graphics skill set and certificate that you can add to your resume.
Lumenbrite: Premiere Pro Training: Bootcamp
Key Information: Professional training and consultation company Lumenbrite is known for its Adobe training courses offered both online and in-person in Austin and Phoenix. Their online Premiere Pro Training: Bootcamp is ideal for aspiring Video Editors in Washington, D.C. This program costs $1,995 and includes one week of seven-hour live online classes, courseware, and class recordings. The only prerequisite for this bootcamp is basic computer skills with Windows or Macintosh operating systems. Lumenbrite’s Premiere Pro bootcamp is both a certificate and a certification preparation course, as students will earn an Adobe Premiere Pro Course Certificate at the end of the program and be ready to take the Adobe Certified Professional exam.
This bootcamp covers Premiere Pro’s essential tools and other Adobe applications necessary to the Video Editor’s workflow, including Audition, After Effects, and Media Encoder. As students learn the editing and producing process, they will gain hands-on experience with these new skills by creating a series of projects that will form a demo reel useful in demonstrating their talents to prospective clients and employers.
Students who complete the bootcamp will have an intermediate mastery of Premiere Pro. This proficiency will include a solid understanding of three-point editing, proficiency in audio and video effects, and knowing how to work efficiently in HD. Participants will also learn how to manipulate background music and foley, animate titles and graphics, and use the Slip and Slide, Rolling Edit, and Ripple Edit tools to make elegant edits every time.
Key Code Education: DaVinci Resolve Essentials (Online)
Key Information: Key Code Education is a Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education school offering online and in-person film, TV, and media post-production training from their Burbank, California home. Tuition for its remote Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Essentials program is $1,195. Live online sessions are four hours over four consecutive days. Students who complete the course will unlock the DaVinci Resolve Essentials Certified User exam. Prior experience with DaVinci Resolve is optional, but a working knowledge of Macintosh operating systems is a prerequisite for the course.
Throughout this program, students will learn the essential workflow, skills, and tools they need to use DaVinci Resolve to create professional-quality films. The instructor will teach participants how to work with titles, animate with keyframes, use PowerWindows, and track objects in a shot. The class also covers Fairlight audio tools, Fusion VFX, and Resolve’s wide variety of color tools.
Key Code’s DaVinci Resolve course is ideal for individuals preparing to work in video editing and Video Editors who would like to add the software to their arsenal of job skills. The program covers both the traditional edit page as well as the new cut page, so students will feel prepared to use either one. By the end of the course, participants will be ready to take for the Davinci Resolve Certified User exam. With their thorough knowledge of how to use the application to sweeten and mix audio, manage and manipulate color, and otherwise edit film, they will be among the most competitive applicants to video editing and other post-production job listings.
Training Houston: Adobe Premiere Pro – Essentials
Key Information: Online education center Training Houston offers a course certificate to all who successfully complete their Adobe Premiere Pro – Essentials workshop. For a single payment of $1,195 plus tax, students can learn everything necessary to edit digital video with Premiere Pro. The class features 21 hours of live online instruction over three days, a free retake option, and after-class support. The prerequisite for this course is basic computer skills.
The industry professionals who lead this Premiere Pro workshop allow ample time for hands-on practice of the workflows and skills students learn in the program. In addition to basic editing skills such as setting up a sequence and adding b-roll, participants will learn to effectively use Premiere’s trimming tools and other advanced editing techniques. Audio editing is also covered, especially the addition and manipulation of a soundtrack.
Going beyond the basics, Training Houston’s course also features instruction on working with stills and graphics, color correction, titles, and manipulating clip speed. Finally, students will learn the ins and outs of exporting their project. By the end of the course, participants will have the essential skills necessary to use Premiere Pro professionally in a video editing career.
FAQ for Video Editing Certificates
What is the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?
Certificates and certifications can both play a valuable role in enhancing a video editing resume. However, they are very different things. Certificates are earned by completing an educational program, much like a diploma. They are frequently offered by standalone training schools but also more and more frequently as part of a university’s offerings. College certificate programs may be undergraduate or graduate level, and they allow students to focus on the skills needed in a single profession through a semester or two of classes.
Certifications, on the other hand, are earned following the successful demonstration of expert knowledge of a particular software or application. Software companies typically award these, and unlike certificates, they expire and need to be renewed as the programs are updated over the years. Classes are not necessary for most certifications, but they are encouraged. Adobe, for example, expects individuals to need about 150 hours of instruction time to ace their Premiere Pro certification exam for Video Editors. Other popular video editing certifications include Apple Certified Pro in Final Cut Pro X and Avid Certified Professional in Media Composer.
Should I Pursue a Certificate or a Certification?
Certificates and certifications are both positive steps for aspiring Video Editors. Certifications in specific applications can also be helpful for the mid-career professional whose employer is changing the editing workflow to include a new software. A Video Editing Certificate, however, is likely to do little for the resume of someone with extensive field experience.
For an individual preparing to apply for their first entry-level Video Editor job, a certification in a single software can be all they need if they already have some freelance or internship experience. Earning a certification is typically a significantly smaller investment of time and money than attending a certificate program, even if one chooses to take a certification preparation class. However, the investment in a certificate is typically a fraction of the cost of earning a four-year degree and is often worth it for those brand new to the video editing world. It’s also an exceptional place to build a demo reel, which is vital for any video editing job candidate to showcase their skills.
Do I Need to Become Certified to Find a Job?
Though not necessary to secure a job, a video editing certificate can be an attention-grabbing feature of a resume. Certificates and certifications can be vital for an entry-level candidate, as they communicate to hiring managers who despite a lack of experience on the job, this individual has demonstrated their dedication to excellence in the field by investing in quality training. In addition to the certificate, students also gain fundamental skills and experience in the classroom, which they can list on their resumes. More often than not, certificate classes also provide the opportunity for students to build an impressive demo reel that is typically required in the job application process to demonstrate the candidate’s skill set.Â
While certificates function much like diplomas on a resume, certifications work somewhat differently. Like certificates, they are not necessary for finding a Video Editor job. Still, they can be instrumental in establishing a candidate’s expertise in software like Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro for job candidates with little to no experience.
What Certificate Program is Right for Me?
Which is Better: In-Person or Online Classes
As many in-person tech classes went online during the 2020 quarantine and never returned to the classroom, Video Editing Certificate programs that meet in brick-and-mortar classrooms are few and far between. However, the few still available offer an experience difficult to replicate in online classes, often providing all equipment and software in professional-level labs. Some people prefer the instruction and assistance of a teacher in the same room, as well as the community aspect of classmates working on a similar project just feet away.Â
With the continued threat of Covid, however, many prefer online classes to minimize their exposure to the virus and other germs. Remote classes also cut the commute time, allowing students to attend from the comfort of their own homes or another location of their choice. A potential downside to online tech classes is that students must provide their own computers and software. However, many students interested in learning video editing will want to own these things to practice their skills and work remotely from home.
Which is Better: Live Online or Asynchronous Classes?
Live online and asynchronous classes can both offer rich educational experiences, but an individual may prefer one over the other for personal reasons. Live online courses boast many of the same benefits as attending an in-person class, including the opportunity to interact with an instructor and classmates in real-time and the accountability of a set schedule. Some live online courses offer customizable schedules, allowing you to take modules in the order of your choice or to take your pick between weekday, weeknight, or weekend classes.
Asynchronous classes, on the other hand, allow for maximum flexibility. Often referred to as on-demand or self-paced, asynchronous classes allow students to watch recorded lessons and work on assignments anytime that suits their schedule. While asynchronous training programs rarely allow students to ask questions or interact with live instruction in real-time, teachers are sometimes available via email as a support system through the educational experience.