Why an Editor Is Essential in the Creative Process.

(And Why You Probably Shouldn’t Do It All Yourself).

Editing is one of those parts of the creative process that everyone knows is important — even if they massively underestimate it and often under-appreciate it.

At its core, editing is about taking raw ideas and footage, organising the chaos, and shaping it into something that actually works. Something watchable. Something polished. Something that doesn’t look or sound like it was filmed in a cupboard by your mum after one too many wines on that Christmas FaceTime call (if you know, you know).

That much is obvious.

So the real question isn’t what editing is — it’s why you’d hand it over to someone else instead of doing it all yourself.

Let’s get into it.

Time (AKA The Thing You Never Have Enough Of).

Creative work already fights against the clock at the best of times.

Deadlines are tight, relevance windows are short, and there are only so many hours in a day — no matter how much caffeine you consume. Filming alone takes time. Yes, it’s often the shortest part of the process, but that’s assuming everything goes perfectly. Which it never does.

Mistakes happen.
Re-shoots happen.
Batteries die.
Audio clips.
Someone walks by in the background barely dressed and completely unaware of their surrounding.

Then comes the real time sink: editing the timeline.

Let’s say you have 20 minutes of raw footage. That might get cut down to 10… or 5… or even less. Now add:

• Two or three camera angles

• B-roll

• Location changes

• Cutaways

• Graphics

• Text

• Captions

Suddenly, a “quick edit” isn’t quick at all.

And that’s before you’ve even thought about sourcing music, sound effects, assets — or in my case the occasional early 2010’s era meme to keep things interesting.

Then there’s colour grading and audio processing — because no one is watching a video that looks washed out or sounds like it’s being broadcast over a HAM radio.

All of this takes time. Time you could probably be using elsewhere.

Skill (It’s Not As Easy As It Looks).

Now — and I say this with love — editing isn’t as easy as people think it is.

Sure, some of it is logical. Some of it is technical. But a big chunk of good editing comes down to creative judgement.

Pacing, rhythm, visual balance, and knowing when to cut before something overstays its welcome.

That kind of instinct takes time to develop.

A lot of time.

And a lot of trial and error.

Learning the software itself is relatively straightforward. Using the tools well is another matter entirely. There are dozens of features that get overlooked, misused, or forgotten altogether — and mastering them takes practice.

And practice takes… you guessed it. Time.

Some people also just don’t click with editing — and that’s completely fine. Not everyone needs to be good at everything. That’s why editors exist in the first place.

Your editor’s job is to take what you meant to create and turn it into something you’re actually proud to publish.

Equipment (Yes, It Matters).

You don’t need the most expensive kit in the world to create great content — some of the best footage I’ve ever shot was on a sub-£500 camera, handheld. But editing is a different beast.

The software you use determines how much creative control you actually have.

Industry-standard tools like:

• Adobe Premiere Pro

• Final Cut Pro

• DaVinci Resolve

All of these are incredibly powerful — but they come with learning curves, costs, and hardware demands.

Premiere requires a monthly subscription.

Final Cut is a one-time purchase — but Mac-only.

DaVinci Resolve is free, but expects your brain to work even harder than your machine for it.

None of these are running happily on a £400 Black Friday laptop, trust me.

An editor, on the other hand, already has:

• The software

• The hardware

• The storage

• The workflow

You’re not just paying for their time — you’re paying for their setup.

An Outside Perspective (The Underrated One).

This is the big one.

You’re creating content for other people — so having another person’s perspective is invaluable. An editor isn’t emotionally attached to every shot or line in the way you are, which makes their feedback far more objective.

They’ll spot things you miss.

They’ll suggest ideas you wouldn’t have considered.

They’ll trim the bits you’re too attached to cut.

It becomes a collaboration — a back-and-forth that pushes the content further than it would ever go on its own.

Over time, this feedback loop improves everything:

• The edit

• The filming

• The pre-production

• The final result

I could write an essay on how valuable a second (or third) perspective is in creative work — but I’ll spare you.

Just know this: it’s borderline invaluable.

So, Why Hire an Editor?

Because a good editor is worth their weight in gold.

They save you time.

They reduce stress.

They improve quality.

They let you focus on what you actually enjoy doing.

You’ll often end up with a better result — in less time — and with far fewer headaches.

Just remember one thing: fast doesn’t always mean good.

Turnaround time matters, but rushing and being efficient are very different things.

Set realistic deadlines. Trust the process. Let people do what they’re good at.

Your content will thank you for it. So will your audience.

(It’ll also put food on someones table - so that’s an extra bonus, wink wink, nudge nudge.)