Why Editors Get Hired


A course for film and video editors who aspire to become supreme storytellers and valued collaborators. Go-To Editors are on speed-dial of directors, producers, and clients. They get to pick the projects they want to work on and can ask for premium payment rates.

Learning By Doing

Film and video editing doesn't stop with mastering software and workflow. It's about storytelling, social skills, and savvy career moves. Go-To Editors are in demand because they elevate the films they work on, turn clients and directors into euphoric fans, and keep the drama on the timeline (and away from the edit bay).

  • Learn film editing by working with dailies from real film projects. You get access to actual scenes from an A-list festival feature with an Oscar-winning actress, a documentary released in theaters by a big studio, and real branded content.

  • Work with your preferred editing software (e.g. Premiere, Avid, FCP) or follow along as I download, install and set-up the first project on the free professional editing software DaVinci Resolve.

  • All lessons offer on-the-job training, where you organize footage, cut scenes, and build a broader story arc. You get the scene dailies, audio files, and script pages. (NOTE: For educational purposes only. Footage & edited scenes MAY NOT be publicized, sold, put on your reel, or used as a work sample. See Terms of Service.)

  • Once we tackled the basics, we focus on the most important part of editing: Storytelling. Every lesson covers important aspects of shaping character, story, and emotions.

  • Next to storytelling, social skills are just as important to establish yourself as a Go-To Editor. That's why I developed a strategy for getting the right meetings, landing the job, negotiating rates, and leveraging up.

  • Yes, I cover reel and resume, but Go-To Editors get 90% of their jobs through word of mouth. This is where I share my step-by-step Career Master Plan that keeps my phone ringing.

  • We focus intently on the collaboration process and your personal branding strategies.

  • Participate in our regular Editing Bootcamps where real directors provide edit-ready scenes with the intent of hiring one or more of our students to cut the final film (with credit & pay)

Instructor

Sven Pape

Film Editor

I'm an ACE Award-nominated editor who cut for James Cameron (3D-Imax 'Ghosts Of The Abyss'), Mark Webber (Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee, 'The End of Love'), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Emmy-Winning 'HitRECord on TV'). Films I cut premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, and played theatrically across the nation. I worked as Supervising Editor on several TV shows on networks like Bravo, E!, and Fox. I was the Go-To Editor for companies like Fremantle Media (American Idol) and cut pilots for them for more than five years. My YouTube Channel 'This Guy Edits' has over 475k subscribers and focuses on creative storytelling and editing. I taught Film Editing at Columbia College Hollywood, and I am a regular guest lecturer at the UCLA Film Extension. I now designed this course where I teach you everything I know about becoming a Go-To Editor.

What clients, filmmakers & students write about me

“Sven is a fantastic editor and storyteller and a true workhorse. He is entirely without ego, gets the job done with integrity and autonomy. I trusted him 100% with my material and with my characters and story. He is also a great delegator, which is rare to find in an editor, meaning he works with a team of interns and assistants and manages them professionally and efficiently. It was a real pleasure having Sven cut my feature documentary Alt-Right: Age of Rage [SXSW Premiere, Netflix] and I'd jump at the chance to work with him again. ”

Adam Bhala Lough, Director, Independent Spirit Award Nominee, Filmmaker Magazine’s Top 25 Indie Filmmakers to Watch list

“About a year and a half ago I was laid off from my Video Director job due to restructuring. It was right around the time that you launched the Go-To Editor course and I signed up immediately. It turned out to be a really smart decision on my part. ; ) I've learned so much! I feel a lot more solid in my storytelling. The course has not only given me a deeper understanding of that process, but also a language with which I can discuss it with my clients, whether it be on branding, documentary or narrative projects. I had a great first year as a freelancer and edited a really nice variety of projects and all my clients have become repeat clients. The course's emphasis on how to work with clients and how to present myself to them, helped me immensely with that. And though this year has been challenging for us all, to say the least, I feel I have a very solid foundation with which to continue to build.”

Diana Panfil, Go-To Editor student

“Sven is an incredible editor; in fact, I would say that he is one of the best in the business. He is super creative when it comes to his editing approach, always offering fantastic solutions to any post production problems, and also has a stellar record at editing media together in a fluid, fun, and dynamic way. He's also super quick; I've seen him edit together short pieces in one day that took other editors over a week; and his version was 100 times better. He also has a natural ear for cutting to music. If you ever need an editor, Sven is your man.”

Justin Lacob, VP Original Series & Development, Paramount Network

“I've been a member of Sven Pape's "The Go-To Editor Course" for a year now... I've been an editor for 15 years, worked on content for a lot of worldwide brands and won a couple of awards in small film festivals for short films - but I never found myself on the right track for cutting feature films... I won't say it was all thanks to the course, but it really gave me the push and the confidence I needed to go after what I wanted... When I was in my 20s I paid a private cinema school around 6000 dollars a year, and I really don't think I learned nearly as much in three years there that I learned with the Go-To Editor course. It's crazy to say, but it's true. The private group on Discord is a huge plus that you just can't skip. Bootcamp gave the students a chance to cut an actual movie - the director wanted to hire Sven who wasn't available. ”

Erwann Kerroch, Go-To Editor student, France

“I have had the pleasure of working with Sven for over a decade. His creativity and mastery of his craft is second only to his work ethic and innovation. I have collaborated with Sven in developing courses and seen first-hand the care he puts into the student experience and the incredibly positive reception of his courses. Sven has graced my classrooms at UCLA Extension as an inspirational guest lecturer on many occasions and is always a highlight of the course. I have learned a great deal from Sven and am delighted he is making his knowledge and experience available to the filmmaking community on a large, accessible scale.”

Tyler Danna, Filmmaker, Instructor UCLA Extension

“I purchased Sven's course and became a member right after he first launched it and I can definitely say I have no regrets... I found it to be exactly what I needed to take my editing to the next level. Last year Sven threw out a potential job opportunity to those of us in the course when an indie filmmaker was looking for a new editor to help rescue a film he had shot. I applied and nearly got the job - I even had a phone interview with the director. Though I ended up loosing the gig to another talented editor in our group who had more professional experience than I did, that experience was the thing that finally gave me the confidence to say, "hey! I can cut! I can do this for a living if I want to!" and now because of that I'm moving forward with setting up my own freelance editing business.”

Carlin Parkin, Go-To Editor Student

“Before the course, I was stuck in editing promo videos and commercials. I've also done a few independent documentaries. But when I came across my first feature film, I knew that I wasn't ready. I took on the project anyway. When COVID happened, I had 3-4 months of free time, and I wanted to advance my editing skills since I haven't had proper training. What convinced me to take the course was that there was a guarantee that I could be refunded (after going through all the modules) if the course wasn't worth the price. I decided to give this course a try. Now, after going through the lessons, what sold me is having the Discord community, the camp counselors, and online group sessions for life! I've been able to grow, get past basic, and into advanced editing skills for feature film as well as other projects. I highly recommend this course.”

Zachari Medina - Go-To Editor student

“ I just wanted to thank you so much for helping me get my first ever job offer. I got the opportunity to work from home as a remote video editor. I wouldn't have got this without you. I'm moving cautiously with this opportunity, but the fact that I was able to use what you taught me from the course and apply it to a real-world scenario is incredible. You're right; getting the interview was the critical part; everything else was pretty simple. There's one more thing I want to say, and it's after taking this course, there are some things that I now naturally notice in editing (whether it's watching films or helping my friends edit theirs), and I can see why 'selecting' is the essential part of editing. I can go on and on about this, but I simply want to say thank you.”

Eldrick Greenaway - Go-To Editor student

“HUGE thank you to Sven! I am currently making a feature-length documentary and desperately needed an editor- but not anymore! Per the suggestion of my former UCLA professor, I reached out to Sven without knowing what to expect, and I am so glad that I did. Not only was he eager to help me find the best editor, but he also proposed that I participate in an Editors' Bootcamp that brought together the brightest talent who would then cut a scene from footage I had provided. I ended up selecting the editor who I felt understood the assignment and grasped the concept of the documentary the best, but making the decision on which person to choose was tough because they each brought a high level of passion, connection, and storytelling in their unique way. So grateful for Sven, and I would recommend the Editors' Bootcamp to anybody.”

Deidre Jericho - Director (Hired a Go-To Editor Student During Editing Bootcamp 4.0)

“ I joined the course after being out of film school with several short films under my belt. What struck me was the community. The course is a living thing. The lessons revolve around opening yourself to critique and encouraging everyone to share, question, and discuss their work. Not only is the course a source of learning, but also that of real-world opportunities. The Bootcamp challenges Sven organizes are a fantastic bonus to vie for a chance at real editing jobs. I participated, and though I did not make it to the final round, I'm so glad to have challenged myself alongside a crack group of editors. Ultimately, through the course, I got to get in on the ground floor of a feature-length project with an amazing director. Someone who I look forward to working with long into the future. The Go-To Editor is a place to try, fail, and grow as a storyteller.”

Nick Sweetser - Go-To Editor student

"I Felt Creatively Stuck!"



Since joining the Go-To Editor, Alyssa went from news-editor to working with director Alexander Payne (2x Oscar-winner) and editor Kevin Tent, ACE, on their upcoming film, 'The Holdovers.'


"I Cut A Feature Because Of Sven's Course!"


Since joining the Go-To Editor, John went from absolute newbie editor to cutting his very first feature film (with half million dollar budget) and now working on a Netflix movie. He accomplished that within six months of joining the course.

"The Key Was To Become A Better Storyteller"


Since joining the Go-To Editor, Jarivan went from cutting commercials to editing his first feature film that premiered and won at the prestigious Philadelphia International Film Festival. He leveraged the course to build relationships with narrative and documentary directors for more work.

What are the exact lessons?

The course consists of 6 modules and a bonus section. We start with the basics and work our way up to becoming a full-fledged Go-To Editor with storytelling and branding tools at the ready.
Lesson Plan & Pricing

Become The Go-To Editor

Craft - Career - Creativity

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In 2022, The Go-To Editor was in the Top 1% of all Creator Educators (ca. 7.7K) on Thinkific's TCommerce in terms of sales - making it one of the most successful education products on the platform.

The video footage, audio files and script pages provided in this course are for educational purposes only. 
Footage & edited scenes MAY NOT be publicized, sold, put on your reel, or used as work sample. See Terms of Service
The course features real success stories from me and other participants, but you should not expect the same results. Building an editing career (and/or becoming a go-to editor) takes hard work, dedication, and significant time. There is no guarantee that you will be successful or make any amount of money.