How Jim Helton Finds Rhythm, Emotion, and Story in Every Frame

​Jim Helton is an editor and partner at Final Cut whose work has spanned the worlds of advertising, film, and television. Jim first made a name for himself cutting independent documentaries and television shows and working with director Derek Cianfrance, a longtime collaborator. The pair worked together on acclaimed films 'Blue Valentine' (2010), 'The Place Beyond the Pines' (2012) and 'The Light Between Oceans' (2016). Helton’s talent expands beyond the realm of editing, having also designed the memorable title sequence for Blue Valentine, composed some of the music for 'The Place Beyond the Pines' and designed the sound for Cianfrance's debut feature, 'Brother Tied'. More recent longform endeavors include HBO series 'I Know This Much is True' (2020).

As a commercial editor, Jim's talents have been recognised by some of the world’s most prestigious advertising awards bodies and festivals. His 2019 campaign for the New York Times, 'The Truth is Worth It,' received Gold for Editing at the Clios, the One Show and D&AD. It received the coveted Film Grand Prix at Cannes Lions and was widely celebrated as one of the decade’s most powerful advertising campaigns. More recent standout projects such as 'Cost of Beauty' for Dove, Montefiore Einstein’s 'There’s Magic in All Of Us.' and Xfinity’s campaign in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games were widely celebrated amongst advertising and production awards. In 2024/2025 his campaign 'Gonna Dance' for Everlast won a Silver Sports Clio and scooped up Best Editing achievements at D&AD and AICP.

​LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?

Jim> I like to watch all the footage before I start editing. This isn't always possible and I do a bit of editing while watching and organising footage. But the real fun is after I have an idea of the entire scope of the project and understand where everything is. I call this reading the menu before ordering.

LBB> Non-editors often think of editing just in technical terms but it’s integral to the emotion and mood of a film. How did you develop that side of your craft?

Jim> I believe that it developed by watching movies, listening to music, and working in documentaries. Watching lots of movies gave me a sense of how a movie should look and feel. Listening to music helps to access emotion. And working in documentaries taught me how to improvise, invent story, and tap into emotion.

LBB> How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?

Jim> It is essential, though it can also create traps. Knowing the mechanics of story is a good guide, however there are things that are discovered in an edit that shouldn't work but they do. Be open. Be aware of the guides but get lost sometimes. Cinema has its own language that sometimes defies story.

LBB> Rhythm and a sense of musicality seem to be intrinsic to good editing (even when it’s a film without actual music) – how do you think about the rhythm side of editing, how do you feel out the beats of a scene or a spot? And do you like to cut to music?

Jim> I don't cut to music unless someone asks me to and even then I usually mute the music until I get the picture in good shape. It isn't easy but the results are a picture that tells a good story and has its own rhythm, a picture that has a dialog with the music rather than something that works in lock step to the music.

LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.

Jim> I'm currently wrapping up a feature film directed by Derek Cianfrance called Roofman. It has been a great experience, also incredibly challenging. It is ambitious, Derek likes to say it has a high level of difficulty - like most of his work. There are many moving parts that I can't really talk about until the movie comes out. And yet I believe the end product feels easy - that is part of the challenge. How to make things feel deliberate, effortless, and invisible so the audience can fall into the story. A great challenge in all work is the repetition, the changes, how to keep it fresh. I've learned over the years to accept the changes, to roll with them, to align my creative spirit with solving the problems, and exploring new ways of doing things rather than getting stuck on old cuts.

LBB> How important is your relationship with the director and how do you approach difficult conversations when there is a creative difference of opinion?

Jim> Director relationships and creative relationships in general allow me to play in the best sandboxes in the world. I try to remind myself of that spirit of play when I disagree with my collaborators, it is fun, give it a try, and be open. Also I've been wrong enough times to know that most things are worth trying.

LBB> What’s harder to cut around – too much material or not enough? (And why?)

Jim> It really depends on time. In general it is better to have more material though it takes a lot of time to sort through. I like to say about footage - I need to read the menu before I can order. So a tight schedule and a lot of footage is a huge challenge. Not enough material can be interesting because you may need to create something that isn't there and that could be with sound or titles, it can be fun in a different way.

LBB> Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?

Jim> Probably the New York Times campaign. Great collaborators - directors TJ Martin and Dan Lyndsay as well as agency creatives Toby Treyer-Evans and Laurie Howell, tons of challenges, great pieces of work. So much care, thought, and conversation went into every cut. Sound design is a huge part of my process and I felt free to bring it into the storytelling.

LBB> There are so many different platforms for film content now, and even in advertising something can last anything from a few seconds to a couple of hours. As an editor, are you seeing a change in the kind of projects you’re getting from brands and agencies?

Jim> I've been fortunate to always have a broad mix of work from features, TV, Documentary, and ads of varying lengths. I think my experience in other forms attracts clients that may want to try different kinds of projects.

LBB> Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?

Jim> There are really too many to list but I'll throw out a few inspirations: Paul Hirsh, Dede Allen, Walter Murch, and Thelma Schoonmaker. I'll just list a few films edited by these incredible editors: Ferris Bueller's Day Off was a revelation as a kid as well as Star Wars (Paul Hirsh). Dog Day Afternoon and Reds (Dede Allen), The Conversation and American Graffiti (Walter Murch - who is also a sound hero for me), Raging Bull and Goodfellas (Thelma Schoonmaker). Let me add that the sound work by Ben Bert on Star Wars and Frank Warner on Raging Bull had a big impact on me. There are so many wonderful films... somewhat recently the work of Blair McClendon on Aftersun blew me away.

LBB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?

Jim> They are all different and the same. Editing, time constraints, collaboration - these are the same. Also there are almost always layers of approval, they look a little different in each instance but they are kind of the same. Notes are often opportunities for creative solutions and the real skill is transforming a note into something more. The difference is usually with who has the final say, in advertising it is a combination of the director/agency/client, in TV it is often writer/producer/network, and in film it varies but often is the director collaborating with producers.

LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years?

Jim> Schedules have changed a bit, they seem to be faster and faster. However, as I explain to everyone I work with, the better the set up and organisation the faster and easier it is to make changes. So though it seems counterintuitive to wait a beat for the agency to come in, the process is faster and more fun. I'm flexible though, if people want to see me review footage I don't mind. I just need to read the menu before I start my order.