Tips For Working With a Trailer Editor
The relationship between a trailer editor and the client makes the difference between a smooth experience and a tumultuous one. The client of course, wants a trailer which achieves their goals, and the editor wants to be a creative problem solver whose input is respected as a professional. I've been fortunate enough to have only EXCEEDINGLY rare cases where I never wanted to work with a particular client ever again. That said, I have a range of experiences which plot a spectrum of frustration levels.
Whether you're an editor or a client, this post will help you make the trailer making experience as smooth as possible!
Establish the Relationship
Not every client is looking for the same thing in a creative collaborator when they need a trailer. Some want to hand over a creative brief, and stay hands off until it's time to look at versions and give some notes. At the other end, there are people who really just want a button-pusher who knows video editing software and will execute on a tightly planned vision. Where the clients' needs sit on this spectrum should be clarified during the first initial conversations so the editor can understand what is expected of them and then decide if the project is a good fit.
I think an inexperienced editor will be hungry for any work they can get, which may make them eager to do anything the client says. If my experience is at all similar to other early-career editors, there's so much to think about in the first jobs that I almost didn't have time to think about the creative process. I also certainly didn't feel like I had much standing to assert my own creative input as either worthwhile or significant in any way. But of course, any creative person will want to contribute in a way that has more of an impact than if they were just acting as someone else's hands.
Me, an inexperienced editor looking for work
A more experienced editor is likely to be less interested in a "button-pusher" job because they've already spent years doing jobs where they're more or less told what to do. There are certainly high-level editors who aren't at all interested in creative direction, but there are also editors like me who want to feel like a collaborator at the conceptual level. As an editor, the most satisfying projects for me are often the ones where the client goes in thinking they know exactly what they want, but I end up finding my own solution which gives them what they want in a way they hadn't thought of. This is why I'll often seek projects which give me a lot of creative freedom; that is a big part of what makes a project a good fit for me.
It is also perfectly possible a client can go into a job thinking they want the editor to hold the reins, but as they receive versions, realize they actually had something very specific in mind, and end up trying to take tighter control. This can be very stifling to an editor who wants to make interesting creative decisions. Video editing software to a professional is second nature, so when we're told "Edit PRECISELY like this with this shot length, this pacing, and this timing" it's technically easy to do, but soul crushingly boring, especially if we went in expecting to be a creative collaborator. It might sound like an easy paycheck, but it's like hiring an artist to fill in a coloring book with pre-determined colors.
But if this is really how things are going, I know I would appreciate the client flat out saying something like: "I think this isn't working, I appreciate your creative input, but I would just like this to be edited [in this specific way]." In my opinion, this is much better than me continuing to spend time and energy finding my own creative solutions, only to find they're all going to get thrown out. There are SO many ways to be creative as an editor, but once we're being told: "This shot order with this pacing and shot length" there's really not much left for us to do other than finish the job.
Me, when I don’t need to take every job that comes my way.
Know What You Want
The most dreaded phrase for a creative person is: "I don't know what I want, but I'll know when I see it." If you're the client, you don't need to have a full storyboard, music choice, mood board, script, and graphics. But you do need to have an idea of what you want. It can be as sparse as a list of goals for the trailer to achieve like:
The viewer understands the main game mechanic
The viewer can summarize the basic plot
The viewer remembers who made the game
Or it could be one of those pillars plus a handful of your favorite shots. But if you are unsure of what you want, you need to be very clear and open to the creative process needed to find it. In the ideal scenario, the editor comes up with an idea and it works perfectly. But the more likely scenario is the client will have notes. If as the client, the cut isn't headed in the direction that feels good, it's on you to provide some idea of where the editor should take it next. It can be about focusing on specific story beats, game mechanics, a different mood or tone, different pacing, etc.
Knowing what you want is the first step to getting it.
Giving and Receiving Notes
Consolidated feedback is the most ideal for the editor. My friend Suzanne Wallace did a talk about working with a game trailer editor which discusses this (and more tips). This means receiving notes from one person instead of multiple. This makes it much clearer what the editor should revise for the next version. The problem with receiving a plethora of notes from different sources is we don't know which ones to pay attention to, especially if some contradict each other. Do we follow consensus? Do we prioritize notes from the head of the studio!? Do we even remember who is head of the studio? The downside of consolidated feedback is it's more work for the client, but it's deeply appreciated by the editor!
Rating notes by significance is also very helpful. On Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, they rated each note as LOW, MED, or HIGH priority. This let me know what was critical, and what wouldn't be a dealbreaker if it shipped in the final trailer. This is especially useful when deadlines are approaching, and I want to make sure I'm allocating time to the most important notes. In most cases I still did all the notes regardless of priority, but if we ran into a worst-case-scenario, the most important ones would've been taken care of.
When I have a cut ready for the client, I send it via a frame.io link which is a website which allows them to leave notes at specific timecodes. They can even annotate by drawing onto the frames with boxes, arrows, or just drawing in freehand. If you're the client and the editor sends you a link via something like frame.io, PLEASE leave the comments there! A text document or email with timecodes like 0:22, 0:43, 1:20, can be very inaccurate! Especially if the note doesn't have contextual information for what shot it's referring to. AND, a tool like frame.io lets me import the comments back into my sequence automatically. So, please do not send emails or documents or spreadsheets if given a very handy tool for keeping track of notes. Quick tip tutorial for editors making client note changes.
Example of frame.io feedback I left the capture artist I worked with on the launch trailer for Shadow Gambit: The Curse Crew
Pick Your Battles
Inevitably, you as the editor, might receive notes you disagree with. Do you explain why it won't work, or do you just do it? If time is permitting I'll do the note so they can see it, but also provide my alternate version so they can see my take. Because I've spent so many years explaining my thinking in articles and videos, I can get up my own butt about why a cut needs to be my way, but because I want to be a good collaborator, I think it makes more sense to just do it and let the client see. The exceptions are if the note is a tremendous amount of work that will throw off the schedule in a significant way, but this is usually not the case (unless it's a music change...)
It's also helpful if the client can be aware when giving contradictory notes across versions. As the editor, it can be frustrating to go back and forth, especially on something very small. A quick: "So sorry, I realize I asked you to change this already..." can go a long way. Also, it's not uncommon to see something which existed in all versions, but not give notes on it until later. This can spark thoughts of: "Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" in the editor. If the client acknowledges their oversight, I know I'm much less inclined to be frustrated not to have heard the note sooner.
To the editors out there, it's also good to establish how you like to receive notes, AND with each version to provide guidelines for what notes you're looking for. For example, indicate if the version you're sending is just to receive notes on the dialogue changes. Or maybe you just want to see if there are any aspects of the game which were overlooked. If you're not ready for notes on the game capture, just say this so the client doesn't spend time saying the capture doesn't look finished, and you don't get frustrated receiving notes on things you had as placeholder.
Don’t let the battles come to this
You're Paying Them For a Reason
If you're a game developer new to hiring a trailer editor it's difficult to know how much creative control you should trust them with. This is why I encourage editors to write case studies and articles about their work, because they help clarify the editor's creative process. But that said, I think it's important to see what the editor can do and listen to their opinion. Game dev and film editing are very different disciplines, and if someone has spent years of their life editing, it's likely they have insight the game devs don't.
I've been called to consult on projects where I found out my suggestions were the same things the editor already tried out (and were changed by the client). This tells me there's a lack of confidence in the editor. Beginner editors might welcome feedback from someone more experienced, but I'm sure it can be ego-bruising if an editor of similar experience is consulted just to validate.
Knowing how much to trust your editor can be difficult, especially when deadlines are tight. If you're unsure whose approach is more effective, it's a really good idea to show the cut to some impartial people who have no relation to the project. Here's my list of questions to ask for test screenings.
In the End
If you're a trailer editor, what the client wants is ultimately the most important part of the project. Sure, you want something that looks good on your reel which you feel 100% satisfied with, but they're paying the bills and it's their baby. In the end, I think a satisfied client is a good feeling, but a great feeling is one where everyone is happy with the collaboration!
