ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills & ScreenSkills Film Skills fund Assistant Editor Best Practice programme

The need for UK HETV and Film Assistant Editors to understand the implications of their role outside of the edit suite and to develop a set of skills to cope with competing priorities is becoming paramount.  

These intensive 2-day workshops, delivered by current BFE editors, build personal and professional development skills to enable you to become more proficient, efficient and vocal within the editing process and within your wider production and post production teams. Exercises, group work and discussions will support you to build competencies in time management, communication, decision making, and resilience as well as understanding the impact of budgets and schedules on the editing workflow.

The training reflects the professional behaviours, commercial awareness and collaborative skills that productions increasingly expect from assistant editors working within the UK HETV and Film sectors.

This training is supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund with contributions from UK high-end TV productions and by the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund with contributions from UK film productions. 

Step away from the edit suite…Refresh, Relate, Ruminate, Refine, Reclaim

This course is run with support of the BFE Governance team


WHO IS IT FOR

We are looking to recruit 40 participants – 20 from UK HETV & 20 from Film Production.

The programme is aimed at experienced Assistant Editors with 2 credits.  

The content focusses on professional development in a classroom setting to build time management and communication strategies and support you to build coping mechanisms in pressurised situations. An industry-led course that is about being an effective Assistant Editor, rather than using editing software. It reflects the professional behaviours, commercial awareness and collaborative skills that productions increasingly expect from Assistant Editors working in UK HETV and Film.

The training programme will be held at 3 locations across the UK; London- Sunbelt Film & TV Wembley, Glasgow- Film City, Bristol- Bottle Yard Studios

We always welcome applications from under-represented groups, including, but not limited to: those from minority ethnic backgrounds; people with a disability; people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We offer inclusive training. If you have any needs which we can accommodate during the recruitment process and beyond, or would like support completing the booking form and/or would like us to send it to you in an alternative format please email the pipeline here.

You will need to be able to attend both days of the in person training to be accepted onto the course.

WHAT IT COVERS

Day 1 focuses on communication, boundaries and managing up with active discussions on the contrasting pressures of UK HETV v Film through group activities. Understanding the evolving responsibilities of the Assistant Editor on different productions, budgets and team structures. The impact of budgets and schedules on busy-turn round situations, and boundary setting to support positive workplace health and burnout avoidance.

Day 2 focuses on dealing with competing priorities through group exercises with real industry-led scenarios, dealing with others’ mistakes diplomatically, strategy, risk mitigation and problem solving under pressure, managing conflict and understanding soft skills through small group work.    

Learning Experience: The training will be participant-focussed throughout the 2-days with an open forum approach to allow continued question and debate with immediate feedback, allowing the cohort to troubleshoot issues related to their own situation.

Outcome : The overriding aim is to provide training to help assistant editors in UK HETV and Film  to be more confident about their role and the wider implications of the complex and demanding workflow which they are working in.

TRAINER BIOGRAPHIES

Lead Trainer – delivering across all 3 workshops

Olly Stothert BFE

Olly began his editing career in London, working alongside Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper on commercial campaigns in Soho’s advertising industry. Over the years, he has edited UK and international advertising campaigns, branded content, documentaries, and high-end music videos for global clients and leading creative agencies. In 2013, Olly moved into feature films, where his work has received recognition at film festivals across the UK and internationally. His feature My Pure Land received widespread critical acclaim and was selected as the UK’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. His wider feature film experience also includes providing editorial support on Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning Dunkirk. Alongside his work as an editor, Olly is a member and Governor of the British Film Editors (BFE) and serves as the UK representative to TEMPO, the Federation of Film Editors, supporting and promoting the craft of film editing both nationally and internationally.

Course dates:

This training will run across three cohorts. Each course will involve 2 days of face-to-face training. You must be able to attend both days.

Please only apply for the one closest to where you live or intend to work.

  • London: 4-5 November 2026
  • Glasgow: 24-25 November 2026
  • Bristol: 9-10 December 2026

Deadlines for applications:

  • London: 19 October 2026
  • Glasgow: 9 November 2026
  • Bristol: 23 November 2026


Times: 9:30- 17:30 both days
Cost: Free
Age: 18+
Locations: London, Glasgow, Bristol

Apply now…

(This link will take you to the ScreenSkills page to apply)