I Edited Over 500 TV Commercials and Learned This

Are you stuck on your editing journey? I can relate. I've been a professional editor for over 20 years, and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. After editing over 500 broadcast TV commercials with budgets of $100,000 and higher, I’ve learned some brutal truths that I want to share to help make your editing journey ten times easier than mine.

Here are 11 lessons that helped me get unstuck as an editor.

Lesson One
I’d say my first hundred or so edits were total crap, and I knew it. It was painful, especially because I was inspired by films like The Usual Suspects, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, Casino, and The Shawshank Redemption. Then I’d sit down to work on my own projects, and they felt like bad home movies.

Later, I came across a quote by Ira Glass, the host of This American Life on NPR. It’s a long quote, but the gist is that anyone starting a creative endeavor has to endure a long, tough period of not living up to their taste. So, lesson one is to stick it out. Finish project after project and get a little better each time. Eventually, you’ll start creating edits that get close to your taste—and there's nothing more rewarding in the creative world than that.

Every editor—and really every creative—goes through this.

Lesson Two
All types of editing can be stressful. You’re creating something out of nothing, there are tight deadlines, and often a team of people you’re collaborating with. Commercials, in particular, come with high budgets and high stakes. I often felt like everything lived and died with me as the editor, which led to serious burnout.

At one point, I took a multi-year break. During that time, I realized my anxiety wasn’t just tied to editing—it ran deeper. With support and mentorship, I started working on my anxiety. When I returned to editing, I faced the same levels of stress, but I was able to handle it so much better.

If you’re overwhelmed, consider doing some inner work. You might discover, like I did, that reducing your baseline anxiety can make the job far more enjoyable.

Lesson Three
When I started, I made the mistake of constantly comparing myself to other editors. I’d see someone editing a feature film or winning awards, and I’d feel behind. I later learned that comparison is the thief of joy. It only leads to your own joy diminishing, sometimes completely.

So instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to who you were yesterday. Are you improving? Great. That’s all that matters. This mindset shift is one of the healthiest things you can do as an editor.

Lesson Four
I’m an introvert, and I think a lot of editors are. There are upsides, such as the ability to spend long hours alone at our edit suites solving creative problems. But there are downsides too. Early in my career, I avoided people and tried to go it alone.

Eventually, I realized that this made the journey ten times harder, so I started investing in friendships with other editors. It made a huge difference. I had people to call when I had questions, we started recommending each other for jobs, and we could share in each other’s highs and lows.

No matter how introverted you are, having a supportive community of fellow editors will change your work and your life.

Lesson Five
In the beginning, I hated getting feedback on my edits. But I eventually realized that my most successful projects had the most feedback—from directors, peers, even live audiences. Once I connected feedback with achieving better results, my mindset shifted.

Now, I crave feedback. In fact, it’s one of my favorite parts of the process. Get so good at receiving and implementing feedback that you actually want it; it will profoundly affect your editing.

Lesson Six
As an introvert, I spent years trying to learn editing on my own. I equated editing with software, getting faster with tools but not learning real storytelling techniques such as emotion, rhythm, sound, and action. I rarely sought feedback and when I did, it was from people at my same level.

Things changed when I found a mentor—a real pro—who taught me actual editing techniques and gave me constructive feedback. My work improved more during that time than in all the previous years combined.

Find a mentor. It doesn’t have to be me, but find someone fast. It’s the only true shortcut. Anyone who gets great at a craft will tell you they had someone show them the way.

Lesson Seven
I used to set outcome-based goals: win an award, make a certain amount of money. The problem? You’re not in control of those outcomes. Instead, focus on input-based goals—things you can control.

For example, instead of saying "I want to win an award," say, "I’ll create a new creative edit every week this year focusing on a specific technique." Or instead of a revenue goal, say, "I’ll meet ten potential clients each month."

When you focus on input goals, not only do you feel empowered, but many of those outcome goals tend to follow naturally.

Lesson Eight
Early on, I worked on a commercial for a new director and wanted to impress. I packed the edit with flashy transitions, high-energy cuts, sound effects, and intense music. It flopped. I completely missed the emotional tone and story the director was going for.

More cuts or fancy transitions don’t make you a better editor. Serving the story does. Remember, you’re not paid per cut. Some of my best edits had just one or two cuts but hit all the emotional targets.

Lesson Nine
I once had to deliver a high-stakes commercial with a huge media buy. The pressure was insane. I worked day and night, barely made the deadline, and then got an email saying the quality control failed. It missed the air window.

I panicked—but you know what happened? Nothing. No one died. Editing is not life or death. Do your best, meet your deadlines, but don’t carry the anxiety like you’re in emergency services. We’re editors. Let the stress go.

Lesson Ten
Editing is challenging. The lows can be crushing, and surprisingly, the highs can be disappointing too. They might not feel high enough, last long enough, or satisfy you in the way you expected.

The only solution I’ve found is to have something in your life that’s more important than editing. For me, that’s my Christian faith and my family. With that in place, editing is more balanced. The lows don’t crush me, and the highs don’t inflate me. Having a passion for editing is great—but it shouldn’t be the only thing.

Lesson Eleven
One of my first editing jobs was brutal. I worked 16-hour days for three days straight in a building with bad air quality. I had an asthma attack. It was a nightmare.

I vented to a mentor about it, and after letting me go on for 15 minutes, he smiled and said, “It beats working.” I’ve never forgotten that.

No matter how hard editing gets, it’s a privilege to work in a creative field doing something you love. There are a lot of hard jobs out there, but we get to be editors. When things get tough, remember—it beats working.

Happy editing!

Austen is an ADDY award-winning film & commercial editor with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with global brands like Meta, KPMG, SAP, and Christianity Today. His PSA work has championed causes like school safety (with Matthew McConaughey), driving safety, and anti-tobacco. A thought leader in the editing field, his online lessons quickly amassed over 100K views after launch.