What Does An Editor Do?

For a movie, it's the editor's role to take all the raw footage that was shot on set, look over every individual piece to pick out the best ones, and compile the final selections into a format that resembles the final product. The process of editing is often overlooked because it's the best when it can't be recognized, but it takes countless days in front of a computer with hundreds of creative decisions that are being executed. Specifically, some roles that editors have are deciding if a clip should we added or taken out, if it should be tightened or left to breathe, and enhancing the performance of others. Because the editor wants to create a certain feeling with every decision he makes, there are numerous times when a clip just doesn't fit in, and the editor must make the executive decision to get rid of it, or modify it. Also, some shots portray better acting performances than others, so the editor must hold himself accountable for looking through every clip to find the best one, in order to enhance the movie altogether.