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FilmSkool — a free film school

How PRO Video EDITORS Cut COMMERCIALS (BREAKDOWN)

Austen Menges breaks down how a professional editor structures a commercial cut, including pacing decisions built around a fixed runtime.

Austen Menges · 7 min · Intermediate · EDT · Editing · 2025

What you take away

Cut your commercial to time first, then polish — do not polish a cut that is still too long.

Watch it

Filed under

Oscar winners for editing

Books on editing

Kit for this lesson

Aputure F10 Barndoors — Cuts the spill off a Fresnel — the cheapest control there is
Aputure MC Pro — Pocket RGBWW — an eye light that fits in a pocket
Aputure Light Dome Mini III — The Dome for small rooms and small fixtures
Amaran COB 60x S — Small, battery-friendly, a good first fixture
Rokinon Cine DS prime bundle — Geared manual primes — most people’s first cine set
Samyang XEEN CF 24mm T1.5 — Carbon-fibre cine prime, full-frame coverage

More Editing

Edgar Wright - How to Do Visual Comedy — Every Frame a Painting · 7m · Intermediate
Jackie Chan - How to Do Action Comedy — Every Frame a Painting · 7m · Intermediate
DUNKIRK: Editing the Suspense Snowball — This Guy Edits · 16m · Intermediate
The Spielberg Oner — Every Frame a Painting · 5m · Intermediate
The Book Every Editor Has to Read — Walter Murch and In the Blink of an Eye — StudioBinder · 15m · Intermediate
The Visual Comedy of ISLE OF DOGS | Criterion x Every Frame a Painting — CRITERION and Every Frame a Painting · 11m · Advanced
Elliptical Editing in Vagabond - Film Art video essay — CRITERION · 4m · Advanced
Pacing in Film Editing: Techniques Every High-End Editor Must Know — Inside The Edit · 13m · Intermediate
Post Production Sound for Film — How to Make Your Movie Sound Great — StudioBinder · 25m · Intermediate
Editor Joseph Krings Breaks Down a Scene from Captain Fantastic — Metrograph · 18m · Advanced
Parasite's Perfect Montage — Nerdwriter1 · 8m · Advanced
Andor - One Way Out Editor In-Depth Scene Break Down — Jonny Elwyn · 43m · Advanced

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