Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Video/DVD Editor

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A video/DVD editor transfers older media (VHS tapes, 8 mm film, photographs, etc.) to DVDs. An editor might also create DVDs from a variety of materials, such as video footage, still photography, music, etc.

Education: None required.

Skills: The ability to create DVDs or other media from materials supplied by clients.

Job outlook: Video/DVD editors fall under “Motion Picture and Video Industries.” The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “wage and salary employment in the motion picture and video industries is projected to grow 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, compared with 11 percent growth projected for wage and salary employment in all industries combined. … Opportunities will be better in some occupations than in others. Computer specialists, multimedia artists and animators, film and video editors, and others skilled in digital filming, editing, and computer-generated imaging should have the best job prospects.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details

Possible employers: Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, organizations, companies, etc., all have different needs when it comes to video/DVD editing. For example, family or friends might need a tribute DVD for a significant birthday or graduation. Companies and organizations could need a DVD to celebrate a milestone or anniversary.

Preparation: Make sure you have the equipment to transfer older media onto DVDs if that will be part of your business. Also ensure that your equipment is up-to-date enough to handle requests from clients.

Get your foot in the door: Start out by offering a discount on your services to a select group of companies or friends. Troll for corporate clients by reading up on the histories of local companies and seeing which might be having an important anniversary coming up.

Testimony: “Working at home was a better fit than trying to operate out of an office or with an organization,” says Tiffany, who works out of her Reston, Va., home. She and a partner create video or DVD tributes for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions using photographs and film materials. They also convert reel, 8mm, and VHS tapes to create digital archives for their clients. She states that she “wouldn’t have gone looking for a job like this outside of the home, but the fact that I can do it from home makes it all possible.”

Until next time,

Sarah