COMMAND Z - A BLOG BY A VIDEO EDITOR

TRIM THE FAT: HOW TO MAKE YOUR FILM SCENES TIGHTER AND STRONGER
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TRIM THE FAT: HOW TO MAKE YOUR FILM SCENES TIGHTER AND STRONGER

A big mistake filmmakers make is including bloated scenes—full of dialogue or moments that don’t actually move the story forward.

In this post, I’ll show you how to sharpen your scenes and cut them down without losing any story power—using a real example from the first film I made 10 years ago.

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THESE COMMON MISTAKES WILL RUIN YOUR FILM!
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THESE COMMON MISTAKES WILL RUIN YOUR FILM!

When filmmakers set out to make a film, they all have the same goal in mind: making a GREAT film. However, there are some common mistakes that many new filmmakers make, that create NIGHTMARES in the editing room and that also ruin the quality of the film. So in this post, I want to talk about what those lethal mistakes are and how you can avoid them in your next production.

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I EDITED A FILM AT SXSW. IT WON THE AUDIENCE AWARD! HERE’S WHAT I LEARNED
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I EDITED A FILM AT SXSW. IT WON THE AUDIENCE AWARD! HERE’S WHAT I LEARNED

I edited a short film titled Sweetbriar, by director Danny Rivera, which premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2025 and won the AUDIENCE AWARD in the Texas Short category.

So in this blog, I wanted to discuss what I learned from editing this film, and impart any nuggets of wisdom I may have to share.

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HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT VIDEO EDITOR
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HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT VIDEO EDITOR

In my previous post I discussed where you should look if you want to find a good video editor. In this post, I’m going to be covering how you can make sure you hire the right editor for the job. The right video editor isn’t always the one with the best website, the most impressive work history, the best rates or the coolest desk setup.

So I’m going to give you my top tips (as a video editor) on what to look out for, so that you can make sure the next editor you hire is perfect for the job. 

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WHERE TO FIND A GOOD VIDEO EDITOR
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WHERE TO FIND A GOOD VIDEO EDITOR

Before you can even consider how to hire the right video editor for your project, you need to know where to look for them. The problem is, there are tons of websites claiming to have the “perfect” editor for you, and it can be hard to know which ones are legit.

In this blog post, I’m going to cut through the BS and point out, from an editor’s perspective, where you’re most likely to find a high quality editor for a price point that works for you. 

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