What is essential to move from hobbyist to semi-pro editor?

(If this is the wrong thread section, I apologize. I didn't know where to place this.)

I currently have:
Mid-2011 iMac
3.5 GHz i7
AMD Radeon HD 6970< 2048MB
FCPX (obviously)
Motion
Compressor
Neat Video Plugin
Red Giant Mojo + Universe plugin
External 3TB G-Drive (but could use another)

I have some potential first paying editing gigs and I'd like to start out with things in good shape to lead to more paying gigs.

Talent? lol.. kidding! Seriously, it sounds like you've got a decent set up. Just make sure you've got a drive for backups and I'd recommend an app like pro versioner or Backups for FCP X.

npassociatesllc.com/backupsforfcp/

The ability to keep things together if everything blows up is really important when doing paying gigs. Hopefully it won't, but if it does you need to have "airline pilot" mentality. Be prepared. I'd grab Pixelmator, and maybe Sound Soap (or Izotope-$$) as well if you haven't got them. Then you've got Editing, GFX, Export. Photo editing and Audio Repair covered.

Good Luck!

My best piece of advice, never edit off the client's drives. You never know what kind of shape they are in and sometimes that is the only copy of the footage.

Make backups to your own drives that you can vouch for. (Actually, make two backups if you really want to be safe.)

BACKUPS! NIGHTLY! Or you WILL find yourself screwed. And a client can sue you for damages if you lose the only copy of their media that they have.

Not really adding anything the previous posts didn't. BACK UPS! BACK UPS! BACK UPS! Also make a clone of your internal hard drive and apps... make a back up of that if you can.

I have all media on an external firewire which is cloned every night. I have Time Machine back ups for my internal AND a clone of it as well so that if the internal takes a dive, i can boot up form the clone and continue working...a bit slower but still working till i can get the internal switched out. Please take our advise on back ups. I learned the hard way.... some unknown something wiped out three hard drives in just a couple weeks. I lost very very precious footage of my family and kids. Irreplaceable. Also lost original footage of some paying gigs. Luckily they were closed out months prior but i hate deleting anything.

Anywho...

This is all excellent advice. I'm lucky, we are lucky to have this community here.

I will look into the storage for making backups.

This will also be the first time I've edited something that I haven't shot so that will be a new experience.

What are methods for reviewing footage to save time? Do you have the client pick out clips and edit from there?

I appreciate all the responses.

I have the client communicate to me the story they want told, the emotional content, the important points of information to relay to the viewer. I try to keep them away from the edit bay as much as possible.

A rough cut, and I upload to either my own FTP site, or Vimeo, with timcecode burn in. You can use any online service you want. Email the client and instruct them to write the timecode, and comments, notes, corrections, etc.

They only come to my office, or I to their's, when I am close to a final print.

But everyone has very different ways of doing things, which is cool.

Just remember that mine is the ONLY correct way!
But don't tell my wife I said that....

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions on this thread.

I have downloaded Sound Soap which works really well for the price. I tested it out before I bought it and it should be a worthy investment. I also bought Backups for FCPX and FCP Library Manager.

Looking forward to expanding my abilities (and make a little cash on the side).

Feel free to keep adding to this thread as you discover it or think of something.

Many thanks.