Barry Farrell is an editor at Smash Editorial, Toronto.

A good editor can save a bad director, but a good director can’t save a bad editor.

How does one choose an editor: on experience, on trust, on style? Or perhaps on the ability to raise the bar – from creative to rushes to final master – on par with the language of the film and its message?

For many it’s simple – they take whoever’s cheapest. Far too often I have heard the phrase ‘Company x will do it for less.’ Fair enough, but do what for less? What is the measurement of each editor’s offering? What is the distinct difference between each editor? Whose reel is clearly better? What level of director and creative teams has each editor successfully worked with?

More often than not the phrase should read: ‘Can you match the price of this editor who will hack my spot to bits and over-use the most recent technique, the one we will all despise in the next two months and add nothing to the process but a good firm kiss on my ass?’

The value of each editor can be incomparable or completely comparable, but currently there exists only some esoteric distinction. Usually it’s schmooze-ability or association. Let’s face it, most creatives do not have the time to explore all of the editorial reels in the market. Each and every job requires an enormous amount of effort and energy, and having to view 25 editorial reels is not always possible. As well, some people have no idea what to look for in an editor’s reel. Any two editors will have a different style and/or skill level – or a lack thereof. What is lacking is an industry [read: world] standard classification among editors.

Directors are classified as a-level, b-level, etc. Each level carries a varying degree of price, and more importantly, talent. In editorial, there is no such categorization. Job bidding is weighted towards price, not talent. Without any classification, editors that would be a-level seem to be regarded as expensive compared to editors falling into b-c levels.

For any given job, you can assess the level of creative required by a-b-c. The process of matching the director to the editor would be much easier if there was such a distinction. a-level editors would not be expected to match the price of b- or c-level editors, nor would their talents be mismatched with the directors.

Certainly a b-level editor could do a good job with an a-level director, but an a-level director and editor combination is the best way to raise the creative bar. If the agency was to match a b-c-level editor to an a-level director, then it would know what it is buying. It would not be a matter of price, but simply what level of talent you are able, or willing, to pay for and accept.

Without any classifications, an a-level editor can exist in our business without ever having been exposed to many of the a-level directors or creatives. An agency will pay an editor the same rate for working with an a-level director (who is more than likely to shoot 10,000 to 20,000 feet of film) as they would for a b-level director (who may only shoot 4,000 to 6,000 feet). The ability to exceed expected flow, pace and photographic excellence can only be achieved when the director and editor are at the same level.

Is it not our business to acquire talent? To put together teams that can exceed the script and go beyond expectations? To continue raising the bar so the craft becomes the focus? Until editors can be classified, we will always be faced with the pricing war – a war in which there are no winners. *