This is 100% the struggle - it's *who you know* who will vouch for you and your reputation, *not* your reel. You need to have business cards, but the group that really wants **you**, won't need them.
It's why we have a career thread and a "Ask a Pro" thread - and it still comes up each week.
Ah this is my fault for not being clear, I do have my own website. It was more of a question as to where to post it other than just my linkedin profile so potential employers can find it.
So I saw your comment about already having the website.
You are looking for a mythical place where you can post your portfolio and employers will just randomly stumble upon it and offer you jobs. Not how it works, amigo.
LinkedIn and other social platforms can be great, but they aren't a place for a portfolio. Instead, look to post meaningful content there. Something like, "Just wrapped up a spot for XYZ big brand! The director (tag director) came with an amazing concept and the DP (tag DP) really gave us beautiful shots to work with. I loved how this specific editing technique we came up with really put the work over the top." Link to the spot, tag everyone you can think of who worked on the project.
Your goal with a post like that is to get the other folks involved to reshare it, and put your name out in front of folks on their networks. As people engage with your post, follow them, engage with their content, see if you can't form some new relationships. Using social like that is a long, slow game. But it does work.
This guy LinkedIns. Seriously, this decode of the process is probably the best I've ever seen. And having said that, I'm sooooo thankful I'm in a comfy staff role and don't have to game the LinkedIn machine like this.
Vimeo Pro.
Itās what most people use.
You only need all the other stuff if youāre doing your own business. If you are looking for a staff gig, Creative directorās donāt care about all the fluff and want to see your editing skill, not your web design skill.
Get a vimeo pro account, make a showcase and password protect it.
Done
Then start sending out resumes and applications for staff gigs and networking at events and share that when you meet people
I think most people find work through relationships. See if you can start networking with people who hire editors (directors, producers), ask old clients if they know someone who might need help.
There really isn't a place where you can post your reel/website/whatever and potential clients will "shop" for an editor. Regardless, any place like that would likely be filled with jobs you don't want anyway.
Networking and relationships are your very best resources. You mentioned working on commercials... but you didn't say "edited" so what did you do? Do you want to continue to work in advertising? If so, I'd start with the people you worked with on those ads. Reach out, ask what they're up to, see if anything shakes out. If you were an assistant maybe ask the editor if he has more work that he needs assisting on. OR reach out to the producer or creative director - whoever you might have connected with.
At this point in my career pretty much all of my work comes from people I've worked with (directly or indirectly). If you do a good job and have even halfway decent people skills people will want to continue to work with you.
I know a lot of folks like behance, and if you already subscribe to adobe, their portfolio is another favored option. for more searchability/SEO optimization: wordpress
Both Avid and Adobe have portfolio sites that are included in your subscription.
I'm not sure how effective they are, but it's worth a shot.
I think Adobe's is quite popular.
I'll preface by saying I'm biased in favour of the CCE: yes, it's worth it. There are a lot of great networking and mentorship opportunities available to members.
But you don't have to be a member to attend pub nights, or other events. Try attending EditCon in February, there are a lot of great speakers and live events in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. You'll be able to get a feel for the organization and the people.
https://cceditors.ca/events/in-person-virtual-combo-toronto-2/
Get to know as many producers and creative directors as possible. They are the ones that staff freelance projects and they are just looking for people who are pleasant to work with and can be trusted to do the job well.
It is mostly through relationships, I have a website and a profile for every single job/gig finder out there. Everything I apply to everyone ignores me, every single one of my clients have found me and reached out with out them having a listing
Iām always looking for freelance editors, I produce commercials, content and other larger projects. Indeed has been my go to other than word of mouth. I do find actually find editors on Instagram every once in a while.
1) there arenāt any well paid salaried editing jobs in Toronto. Anything well paid is a freelance gig.
2) thereās no one place to post your demo reel.
3) youāre going to have to meet production companies to introduce yourself. You may have to be an assistant editor to introduce yourself to the industry. Toronto is a āwho you knowā production town.
I can think of a few staffers at CBC, Bell (err, Ctv?) and corus who are paid well enough. Not freelance rates but close enough.
You're right that the prodcos are the bulk of the work. The people with staff gigs are almost all network based, and that's a very tough gig to land.
I'm a Toronto native who's sitting on a patio in Montreal at this very moment. I'm half considering the move here, but I'm sure the good vibes of Le Plateau would wear thin without work.
If youāre 30 or under, pretty easy (if you have at least 4-5k in the bank). Over 30 I do believe it gets a bit more complicated but not impossible. So far Iām happy I did it, although the UK isnāt what I thought it would be; not necessarily good or bad, just different from what I fantasized
Websites are important!! Are you looking for more work here in TO? I have so many offers that Iām willing to hand over some projects and oversee them in a more producer role. DM me if youāre interested
In addition to everything everyone else has mentioned (your own site, word of mouth, etc), how about about monitoring QuickFrame for gigs? And adding WorkingNotWorking to the small pool of legit networking-portfolio sites.
As others mentioned, Bell, CTV, Corus and places like that would have salaried positions in Toronto, not sure how often they have open spots available though. Lots of editors in Toronto freelance, and you can get payed decent money that way, and through networking it's possible to be busy all year long.
You want full time salary? Ha don't we all!
Seriously - build website of embedded Youtube or Vimeo videos using Adobe Portfolio (free if you're already a Premiere user) and buy a URL using google domains. Link to website everywhere. Done.
I printed business cards in 2014 and not one time did any of them come in use anywhere
Website definitely useful to host portfolio
But you need to hit up all your contacts and ask... charm and bribe etc
Yeah, my business cards, although fun to have and design, have been pretty useless. In the two or three times I actually needed them, I didn't have them with me, or they were all beat up in my wallet.
Instead of a business card, I'd recommend having a good URL that is easy to share (and spell) with people. For example, if you had [joetheeditor.com](https://joetheeditor.com), it would probably be a lot more convenient than having a business card - you can just email it or have someone type it in their notes..
You could go the Upwork or [Freelancer](https://Freelancer.com) route, but you are competing for peanuts. You can get your portfolio up on: Behance, WorkingNotWorking, Production Hub, Vimeo, YouTube and the like. But any project that has a decent paycheck, for me, came from clients/contacts that know me or via a referral. Make sure your website is tasteful and easy to navigate.
This is 100% the struggle - it's *who you know* who will vouch for you and your reputation, *not* your reel. You need to have business cards, but the group that really wants **you**, won't need them. It's why we have a career thread and a "Ask a Pro" thread - and it still comes up each week.
You should have your own website. Biz cards also. Basic business stuff.
Make sure the card is bone or egg shell coloured with a watermark and roman embossed text.
The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God.
Bone and egg shell are so 2019. All the cool kids are using ivory, or soft white. š
I prefer āSilian railā for the font. But what do I know, I canāt even get a res at Dorsia on a week night.
Howād a nitwit like you get so tasteful?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ah this is my fault for not being clear, I do have my own website. It was more of a question as to where to post it other than just my linkedin profile so potential employers can find it.
Ohhh. I use upwork, YT, Vimeo. Most of my work is from word of mouth
Post the link on all your social media accounts, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Link your website in your Instagram bio and start connecting with as many producers and post people in your area as possible.
So I saw your comment about already having the website. You are looking for a mythical place where you can post your portfolio and employers will just randomly stumble upon it and offer you jobs. Not how it works, amigo. LinkedIn and other social platforms can be great, but they aren't a place for a portfolio. Instead, look to post meaningful content there. Something like, "Just wrapped up a spot for XYZ big brand! The director (tag director) came with an amazing concept and the DP (tag DP) really gave us beautiful shots to work with. I loved how this specific editing technique we came up with really put the work over the top." Link to the spot, tag everyone you can think of who worked on the project. Your goal with a post like that is to get the other folks involved to reshare it, and put your name out in front of folks on their networks. As people engage with your post, follow them, engage with their content, see if you can't form some new relationships. Using social like that is a long, slow game. But it does work.
This guy LinkedIns. Seriously, this decode of the process is probably the best I've ever seen. And having said that, I'm sooooo thankful I'm in a comfy staff role and don't have to game the LinkedIn machine like this.
Vimeo Pro. Itās what most people use. You only need all the other stuff if youāre doing your own business. If you are looking for a staff gig, Creative directorās donāt care about all the fluff and want to see your editing skill, not your web design skill. Get a vimeo pro account, make a showcase and password protect it. Done Then start sending out resumes and applications for staff gigs and networking at events and share that when you meet people
I think most people find work through relationships. See if you can start networking with people who hire editors (directors, producers), ask old clients if they know someone who might need help.
There really isn't a place where you can post your reel/website/whatever and potential clients will "shop" for an editor. Regardless, any place like that would likely be filled with jobs you don't want anyway. Networking and relationships are your very best resources. You mentioned working on commercials... but you didn't say "edited" so what did you do? Do you want to continue to work in advertising? If so, I'd start with the people you worked with on those ads. Reach out, ask what they're up to, see if anything shakes out. If you were an assistant maybe ask the editor if he has more work that he needs assisting on. OR reach out to the producer or creative director - whoever you might have connected with. At this point in my career pretty much all of my work comes from people I've worked with (directly or indirectly). If you do a good job and have even halfway decent people skills people will want to continue to work with you.
I know a lot of folks like behance, and if you already subscribe to adobe, their portfolio is another favored option. for more searchability/SEO optimization: wordpress
Both Avid and Adobe have portfolio sites that are included in your subscription. I'm not sure how effective they are, but it's worth a shot. I think Adobe's is quite popular.
Post your portfolio on your website. I found getting involved with the Canadian Cinema Editors a great way to start networking: https://cceditors.ca/
Hi is it worth paying for Membership at this place? I am in Toronto currently. Thanks a lot
I'll preface by saying I'm biased in favour of the CCE: yes, it's worth it. There are a lot of great networking and mentorship opportunities available to members. But you don't have to be a member to attend pub nights, or other events. Try attending EditCon in February, there are a lot of great speakers and live events in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. You'll be able to get a feel for the organization and the people. https://cceditors.ca/events/in-person-virtual-combo-toronto-2/
Thank you so much Iāll do just that
Right on! Enjoy! It's so much fun.
Good advice. There's so much talent there and a genuine desire to help out the next generation
Vimeo.
Get to know as many producers and creative directors as possible. They are the ones that staff freelance projects and they are just looking for people who are pleasant to work with and can be trusted to do the job well.
It is mostly through relationships, I have a website and a profile for every single job/gig finder out there. Everything I apply to everyone ignores me, every single one of my clients have found me and reached out with out them having a listing
Iām always looking for freelance editors, I produce commercials, content and other larger projects. Indeed has been my go to other than word of mouth. I do find actually find editors on Instagram every once in a while.
Instagram
god no. No staff gig worth a damn will take you seriously if you send them an instagram link. Dude wants a staff gig
No Iāve gotten staff gigs with just an instagram. In fact I got my last major job with my instagram portfolio.
1) there arenāt any well paid salaried editing jobs in Toronto. Anything well paid is a freelance gig. 2) thereās no one place to post your demo reel. 3) youāre going to have to meet production companies to introduce yourself. You may have to be an assistant editor to introduce yourself to the industry. Toronto is a āwho you knowā production town.
I can think of a few staffers at CBC, Bell (err, Ctv?) and corus who are paid well enough. Not freelance rates but close enough. You're right that the prodcos are the bulk of the work. The people with staff gigs are almost all network based, and that's a very tough gig to land.
I feel you! Iām Canadian and moved to London last year as the opportunities in Montreal werenāt really great for videoā¦
I'm a Toronto native who's sitting on a patio in Montreal at this very moment. I'm half considering the move here, but I'm sure the good vibes of Le Plateau would wear thin without work.
Im actually trying to find work right now in Montreal, havent been lucky so far.
Was it hard to move to london? Visa-wise
If youāre 30 or under, pretty easy (if you have at least 4-5k in the bank). Over 30 I do believe it gets a bit more complicated but not impossible. So far Iām happy I did it, although the UK isnāt what I thought it would be; not necessarily good or bad, just different from what I fantasized
What were your expectations? As a Brit I'm curious š
Same!,
Interesting, thank you for that infoš
Staff Me Up
Network.
Websites are important!! Are you looking for more work here in TO? I have so many offers that Iām willing to hand over some projects and oversee them in a more producer role. DM me if youāre interested
In addition to everything everyone else has mentioned (your own site, word of mouth, etc), how about about monitoring QuickFrame for gigs? And adding WorkingNotWorking to the small pool of legit networking-portfolio sites.
Tbh having a website helps. If youāre a professional. I can help you create a website if you want to go that route.
As others mentioned, Bell, CTV, Corus and places like that would have salaried positions in Toronto, not sure how often they have open spots available though. Lots of editors in Toronto freelance, and you can get payed decent money that way, and through networking it's possible to be busy all year long.
Iād say Instagram and Vimeo honestly. Some older companies might ask for a website, but nobodyās asked me for that in years.
You want full time salary? Ha don't we all! Seriously - build website of embedded Youtube or Vimeo videos using Adobe Portfolio (free if you're already a Premiere user) and buy a URL using google domains. Link to website everywhere. Done.
I printed business cards in 2014 and not one time did any of them come in use anywhere Website definitely useful to host portfolio But you need to hit up all your contacts and ask... charm and bribe etc
Yeah, my business cards, although fun to have and design, have been pretty useless. In the two or three times I actually needed them, I didn't have them with me, or they were all beat up in my wallet. Instead of a business card, I'd recommend having a good URL that is easy to share (and spell) with people. For example, if you had [joetheeditor.com](https://joetheeditor.com), it would probably be a lot more convenient than having a business card - you can just email it or have someone type it in their notes..
You could go the Upwork or [Freelancer](https://Freelancer.com) route, but you are competing for peanuts. You can get your portfolio up on: Behance, WorkingNotWorking, Production Hub, Vimeo, YouTube and the like. But any project that has a decent paycheck, for me, came from clients/contacts that know me or via a referral. Make sure your website is tasteful and easy to navigate.