Leikkajat

Leikkajat is a Finnish noun that can refer to people who perform cutting tasks. The term is most commonly associated with the film and television industry, where it denotes editors who assemble and shape raw footage. In standard Finnish, the job title is leikkaaja and its plural is leikkaajat. Leikkajat is therefore often encountered as a nonstandard variant or misspelling, though it may appear in informal writing or as a brand or institutional name in some contexts.

In the film and TV industry, leikkaajat are responsible for turning filmed material into a coherent narrative. Their work includes selecting takes, determining the order and duration of shots, shaping pacing and rhythm, ensuring continuity, and coordinating with directors, sound editors, and colorists. They may perform rough cuts, fine-tuning, and the final cut, and they often use non-linear editing software such as Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro. A strong sense of storytelling, timing, and collaboration is essential, as is understanding the director’s vision and the project’s emotional arc.

Outside media, the word leikkajat is rarely used in everyday Finnish to describe professionals in other crafts; more precise terms exist for specific disciplines—for example, kampaajat (hairdressers) for hair cutting or various trades for material cutting. Consequently, leikkaaja/leikkaajat remains the standard term in Finnish for the editor role, while leikkajat appears mainly as a nonstandard form.

See also: Leikkaaja (film editor), Leikkaus (editing), Editointi.