In this video, I break down five music-driven techniques that pro editors use to make transitions feel effortless. To help me do it, I brought in veteran director and film professor, Scott Rice. And to keep things fun, we’re studying every example from one of my favorite films of all time: Raider...
If you’ve ever sunk hours into a big, showy effect—only to realize it doesn’t actually help your edit—you’re not alone. After two decades cutting broadcast commercials, I’ve learned that the simple visual effects are the ones pros reach for every day. In this video, I walk you through five easy V...
If you’ve ever wondered why Star Wars—and so many other classics—feel so perfectly paced and emotionally satisfying, there’s a reason. In this video, I break down the hidden storytelling formula that every world-class edit taps into, alongside veteran director Scott Rice. It’s the same mythic str...
Ever finish an edit that looks flawless but just doesn’t feel right? I’ve been there. After 20 years cutting broadcast TV spots, I’ve learned that emotion isn’t something that just happens—it’s built, cut by cut. In this video, I break down one of the most emotional scenes in Interstellar and sho...
Have you ever lost hours digging through music libraries trying to find the “perfect” track for your video? I’ve been there too. After more than 20 years editing broadcast TV commercials, I developed a simple five-step system to find music that hits the right emotion—fast. In this video, I break ...
Ever notice how Oppenheimer pulls you in—even in its quietest moments? Most people think it’s all about fancy technical effects, but after 20 years of editing TV commercials, I’ve learned that great cinematic sound design comes down to simple, emotional steps.
The first—and most overlooked—step ...
If you’ve ever struggled to create real tension in your edits, I’ve got a simple pro trick for you: cross-cutting. This is one of the most effective ways to make your scenes feel more intense and keep your audience locked in.
Here’s the idea. Imagine a forest fire—flames spreading, smoke filling...
If you want to hook your audience from frame one, there’s one story beat you absolutely need to get right: the inciting incident. It’s the moment that breaks up the “ordinary world” and kicks your story—or your edit—into motion. And where you place it makes all the difference.
To explain it, I l...
Ever feel like your edits fall flat, but you can’t quite figure out why? In this video, I break down one of the simplest but most powerful tools pro editors use: changing tempo to match emotion.
Most beginner editors run at a constant pace, like a commuter driving with cruise control. But pro ed...
When we’re editing, it’s easy to fall into the habit of dropping one long ambience track under a sequence of shots. It works, it creates flow, and honestly, it’s a totally valid approach. But if you’ve ever felt like your sound design is stuck in a rut, there’s a simple trick that can make a huge...
Ever run into the problem of trying to switch music tracks in the middle of a scene without it feeling jarring? In this video, I walk you through a pro-level trick I’ve used for years in broadcast TV editing—and it’s surprisingly simple once you see it in action.
The key is interruption. Instead...
Most beginner editors focus on where to cut between scenes—but pros know the real magic is in how you transition between them. In this video, I sat down with director and former editor Scott Rice to break down four powerful scene transitions from our short film Treasure Imagination. These aren't ...