The editor is more of a post-production position, but it is really cool if you can get one that wants or is willing to be on set.
With short films, sometimes the editor doesn’t even come on to the project until long after the project is shot. Unless there are really good script supervisor notes from the shoot or the director remembers exactly which shots she liked the best, your editor is going to have to wade through all the material in order to edit it. Even the crappy stuff.
If you don’t have a real script supervisor, having your editor serve in this regard will be helpful to both you and him. He will be watching for what he can use and what he can discard in the editing room anyway, so why not have him pick up a clipboard have even more clarity by writing all of his perceptions down. Even if he just writes down which are the preferred takes, it will help the editing process down the road.
Most editors edit on computers using Final Cut Pro (for Apple Computers) or Avid (for PCs). I would recommend you gravitate toward the editor that works on the type of computer you own or use the most (or intend to use the most in the future). My preference is Final Cut Pro (FCP) because I love Apple Computers and find them much more simple and more stable, especially when editing big files like digital video.
Additionally, though I’ve referred to the editor as a “film” editor, most likely your short will be shot on digital. The process of actually sitting down with a roll of film and editing it together is a completely different task than editing on a computer. I might create a post later regarding editing film (like 16mm or 35mm) but I believe a majority of the people using this site will be focused on digital editing.
Also, I have had a few projects where I have not been able to find a suitable editor so I have sat down and done it myself. I do not consider myself an editor, but I can do it and do it well (it just takes me a bit of time.) I have used Apple’s basic program iMovie which was simple, stable and got the job done.
