Hi anyone have any hints and tips on starting a video editing business? I plan to distribute on dvd and video and use ulead studio 9 and have a sony DCR-HC22E mini camcorder. Ill most probably need a more powerfull editor.

You should get a more powerful editor like Adobe Premiere Pro or Avid. Do you plan on filming it as well? If so then it's not only a video editing business. You should have it registered and then you will be allowed to print business cards and the like.

-Kegan

One way to film stuff for money is in weddings...I'd start buying some adspace in church bulletins or something advertising your services.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

yes great ideas! Yes I would film weddings etc but to start off i would only prefer to edit and yes I will have to get adobe or ulead media studio or someting better. But what about tax for the business, is that an issue?

My advice is to stay away from Ulead and try and get either Avid, Final Cut Pro, or Premiere Pro if you want to be taken seriously as an editor. Unfortunately there is a snobbery of sorts in the biz when it comes to editing software. I agree that weddings is agreat place to start. Plus you can make some decent money while you are learning. As for taxes, I'm no expert I would think your business would be considered a small business per se. Do you know any small business owners in your town? If so I'd ask them. I would assume the taxes would be similar to what they pay.

You should file for taxes. I am part of a small business thedigitalreel.com
(yes the website was recently just thrown together, so hush =P). Weddings are good for some money to buy new equipment and such.

We are doing a big budget wedding soon and renting 3 very expensive cameras. We will have an extra day or two to shoot a short with this really good equipment... this is another good thing to use weddings for.

usually a production rental place will rent equipment for an entire weekend, so you end up with some extra time to use the equipment compared to week rentals.

so we end up with the use of 3 27,000 dollar cameras. We arn't getting rich here, but hey its a perk.

If you really want you can make a nice profit from weddings or use it as a way to work towards commercial work, or just get more hands on experience.

My advice is find some friends to help you out.

Oh, also don't worry about what you edit with. Chances are that the bride and groom will have no idea what Avid or Final Cut Pro is. If your program has some basic effects/ transitions, and you have a basic DVD authoring program, then you are fine.

When you make a profit, then use the money to fund some new software/hardware.

I work with Avids in news editing- we don't use 75 percent of the systems capabilities. Same thing go's for my FCP set up. You shouldn't need a high end system for a local wedding.