# Assistant Editor

Source: https://storiara.com/roles/assistant-editor
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> An assistant editor runs the technical side of the cutting room so the editor can cut. They ingest and sync dailies, organize bins, log script notes, track VFX shots, cut temp sound and music, and after picture lock prepare the turnovers, EDLs, and lists that sound, VFX, and color need. Union assistant editors are Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) members.

## Setting up the room

In prep, the assistant editor builds the project before any footage exists. With the editor and [post-production supervisor](https://storiara.com/roles/post-production-supervisor) they settle the project frame rate and resolution, the editorial codec, the naming convention, and the bin structure. A common structure is one bin per scene (Scene 31, Scene 32, Scene 32A), a dailies bin per shoot day, and separate bins for sound effects, temp music, VFX, and cuts.

The AE also sets up the paperwork flow with the set. They need the [camera reports](https://storiara.com/glossary/camera-report), [sound reports](https://storiara.com/glossary/sound-report), and the script supervisor's notes every day, and they want to know how the [DIT](https://storiara.com/roles/digital-imaging-technician) or lab is naming files.

## The dailies routine

During production most of the AE's day is dailies. A typical sequence for footage shot on Day 7:

1. The lab or DIT delivers transcoded [proxy files](https://storiara.com/glossary/proxy-files) with the show LUT applied, usually overnight
2. The AE copies the media to the editorial storage and verifies the copy
3. Audio from the production sound mixer is ingested and synced to picture, by timecode or by the slate clap when timecode drifts
4. Clips are renamed to the scene and take convention: 32A-3 for Scene 32A, take 3, with camera letters where needed (32A-3A, 32A-3B for A and B cameras)
5. Circled takes and script notes from the [script supervisor's report](https://storiara.com/glossary/script-supervisor-report) go into clip metadata
6. Clips go into scene bins, and the AE lays out a script-integrated or lined bin if the editor uses one
7. The AE writes a dailies report: what arrived, what's missing, any sync or media problems

The dailies report is how problems get caught early. If the sound report says Day 7 had sound rolls 14 and 15 but only 14 arrived, the AE flags it by 9:00 a.m. so production can find roll 15 before the drive gets reformatted.

## A day in the room

| Time | Work |
| --- | --- |
| 6:00a | Dailies ingest and sync for Day 7 (Scenes 31, 32, 32A) |
| 8:30a | Dailies report to editor, post supervisor, and the 1st AD's team |
| 9:00a | Missing sound roll chased with production sound |
| 11:00a | Build temp gunshot and car-bys for the editor's Scene 28 cut |
| 1:00p | Lunch |
| 2:00p | Update VFX shot list with three new shots in Scene 64 |
| 4:00p | Export a review cut with burned-in timecode for the director |
| 6:00p | Back up the project and media |

## The math on media

The AE keeps an eye on storage. Say the show's editorial proxies run about 45 GB per hour of footage, and the production averages 2.5 hours of footage a day over 25 shoot days:

- Total footage: 2.5 x 25 = 62.5 hours
- Proxy storage: 62.5 x 45 GB = 2,812.5 GB, about 2.8 TB
- With a second copy for backup: about 5.6 TB

Check your actual codec's data rate before ordering drives. This is also where the [shooting ratio](https://storiara.com/glossary/shooting-ratio) matters for planning.

## After picture lock: turnovers

When the editor locks picture, the AE produces what everyone downstream needs:

- An AAF or OMF of the audio for sound editorial, with handles, plus a reference video
- An [EDL](https://storiara.com/glossary/edl) or XML for the online editor to [conform](https://storiara.com/glossary/conform) the camera originals for color
- VFX pulls: a list of shot IDs, source clips, frame ranges, and handles for each vendor
- Music cue timings for the composer after the [spotting session](https://storiara.com/glossary/spotting-session)
- Change lists if anything moves after lock

A mistake in a turnover shows up days later in someone else's department, so AEs double-check frame counts and handles before sending.

## Who the AE works with

The editor all day. The post supervisor for schedules and vendors. The DIT, lab, and production sound mixer for media problems. Sound, VFX, and finishing vendors for turnovers. On larger shows, an apprentice editor or post PA helps with ingest and deliveries.

## Getting the job

Most assistant editors start as post PAs, apprentices, or assistants on documentaries, reality shows, or commercials, where the volume of footage teaches the technical side fast. Union shows in Los Angeles hire Motion Picture Editors Guild members, and Contract Services lists IATSE Local 700 among the unions covered by the Industry Experience Roster. The Guild's rate lookup on its [wages and contracts page](https://www.editorsguild.com/Wages-and-Contracts) is mostly for logged-in members.

## Paperwork and tools

Camera and sound reports, the lined script, dailies reports, VFX shot lists, turnover lists, EDLs, and change lists. Storiara lists every scene from the script with its number, INT/EXT, time of day, and length in eighths, which is the same scene list an AE uses to build the scene bins before the first day of dailies.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does an assistant editor do on a film?

They prepare and organize all the media the editor works with. That means ingesting and syncing dailies, organizing bins by scene, tracking missing footage, building temp effects, managing VFX shot lists, and preparing turnovers after lock.

### Is assistant editor an entry-level job?

It's usually the step after post PA or apprentice. You're expected to know the editing system well, understand timecode, frame rates, and codecs, and troubleshoot sync and media problems without help.

### What's the difference between a first and second assistant editor?

On larger shows the first assistant runs the room, handles turnovers, and works closest with the editor. The second assistant often handles the overnight dailies ingest and syncing.

### How do assistant editors join the Editors Guild?

In Los Angeles, placement generally runs through the Industry Experience Roster administered by Contract Services, which lists IATSE Local 700 among its covered unions. Requirements are set by the collective bargaining agreement, so check with the Guild.

## Sources

- [Contract Services: Industry Experience Roster](https://www.csatf.org/rosters-lists/industry-experience-roster/)
- [Motion Picture Editors Guild: Wages and Contracts](https://www.editorsguild.com/Wages-and-Contracts)