Tommy Hill and the Storytelling Power of The Editor
Tommy Hill studied media arts and management at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, UK. He began his career on the other side of advertising, with a job in media planning for Sky TV, and then a similar role at Discovery Channel.
While at Discovery, he realised that editing was what he wanted to pursue, and he started a role in-house there as a content editor. With an eye on the commercial industry, Tommy joined Whitehouse Post in March 2020 one week before the Covid lockdown began.
Tommy has gone on to build his skills cutting adverts for top global brands including Samsung, Bombay, Expedia, Star Alliance, and Telekom.
LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?
Tommy> Organisation is king! Before I even touch the timeline, I’m sorting through the footage, making sure I know exactly what I have. I’ll watch through all the takes, seeing how things evolved on set and the journey the director went on. That’s when the story starts clicking in my head.
Knowing your footage, that’s the foundation for everything. When it comes to the first cut, it’s not about perfection, it’s just about getting the bones of the story down and seeing how it all comes together.
After that, it’s vibe check time. I’ll drop in some temp music or a rough VO to feel out the rhythm and mood.
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?
Tommy> People often think editing is just about knowing the software and pressing buttons. But the real craft? It’s in drawing out the emotion. You’re shaping how people feel, second by second.
Sure, technical skills get you to a rough cut. But emotion comes from finessing how it flows and feels. I’ve been lucky to learn from great editors, watching how they make those decisions taught me how to find those moments myself.
But you’ve also got to trust your instinct and know when to find those little moments that actually make you feel something. If it doesn’t hit you in the edit, it’s not going to hit the audience either.
LBB> How important is an understanding of storytelling and the mechanics of a narrative?
Tommy> Editing’s really about controlling pace and perspective. You’re deciding what the audience sees and when. That’s pure storytelling power.
I found that cutting a documentary is a great way to develop this. There’s no script, so it’s on you to dig through the footage and build the narrative. You start finding little details, unexpected moments, and suddenly the story takes shape in ways you didn’t plan for.
It forces you to ask: why does this story matter? Why should people care? You’re building a story from scratch, which is super rewarding.
But once you have that mindset, you can apply it to anything – whether that’s narrative, music videos or commercials. The craft of shaping a story very much stays the same.
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 feel out the beats of a scene or a spot when you’re editing? And do you like to cut with music on?
Tommy> Rhythm is so important. Even when there’s no music, there’s always a rhythm, it could be in the performances, the pacing of the dialogue or even in the silence.
Cutting to music? I love it. A good track can help elevate the edit just like a bad track can kill it. It’s not just about hitting every beat perfectly. Sometimes I follow the rhythm to give energy.
When putting together my first cut, it’s great to experiment and throw on different music tracks to see what works – it allows you to get a feel of the pace and what works with the footage you have.
LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.
Tommy> I worked on a music video that ended up being more VFX-heavy than originally expected. The set-up was simple with the artist performing solo in a white room with some props. The challenge was to keep those three minutes fresh and engaging without it getting repetitive.
We had to be creative in the edit with how we moved around the space. Finding interesting transitions and multiplying the artist in the frame – it ended up as a carousel effect with different performances interacting. It brought a cool dynamic to an otherwise minimal setup.
The director had a strong vision, so we worked closely to bring that to life. In the end, it was all about taking something simple and making it feel fun, dynamic, and visually exciting.
LBB> How important is your relationship with the director and how do you approach difficult conversations when there is a creative difference of opinion?
Tommy> Editing is collaborative and you’ve got to feel comfortable throwing your ideas out there and seeing how they play out in the cut. Sometimes it can be difficult but at the end of the day, we all want the best version of the story, so having that space to experiment is really important.
The director chooses you for your creative eye, not just to press buttons. So it’s about bringing your ideas to the table confidently, but respectfully.
Sometimes you try a few versions and find a solution neither of you expected. A strong relationship makes the edit stronger.
LBB> What’s harder to cut around – too much material or not enough? (And why?)
Tommy> Both can be difficult, but honestly, I’d always rather have too much footage than not enough. More footage means more options, different angles, takes, little moments you can use to shape the story how you want. It gives you room to get creative.
That said, if you’re not organised from the start, it can get overwhelming fast. Being thorough with your selects and keeping things tidy makes a massive difference. As I mentioned previously, with a good system in place, even a mountain of footage feels doable.
LBB> Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?
Tommy> I feel proud of every project I’ve worked on because they all take a lot of time and effort. When it finally comes out and you see it out there, it feels great to know you helped make it happen.
If I had to pick one, it would be ‘A Teddy Bear’s Dream’ for Sandy Hook Promise. It’s a PSA that raises awareness about school shootings in the US and encourages change. The work they’re doing to try to stop these tragedies is amazing, so being part of a project that helps highlight their message in such a powerful way was really meaningful to me.
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?
Tommy> Social media and online content is huge. You’re seeing a lot more scripts made specifically for social platforms. Sometimes these social-first ideas are so strong they could even work as short TV commercials.
At the same time, because online platforms don’t always have strict time limits like traditional TV, you’re sometimes given more freedom to tell the story without worrying about fitting into a specific timeslot. That opens up a lot of creative opportunities to dive deeper and really connect with the audience without time restraints.
LBB> Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?
Tommy> For me, good editing is when you’re so absorbed in what you’re watching, you don’t even think about the edit. Whether it’s a film, a commercial, whatever – if it holds your attention, makes you feel something, and you’re not sitting there noticing the cuts, that’s when you know it’s been done right.
As for my own editing heroes, I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible editors during my time as an assistant editor at Whitehouse Post. Not to sound like I’m sucking up to my employers, but genuinely, the editors I’ve worked with and learned from there have had a huge influence on me. They’ve mentored me, shared their experience, and really helped me develop as an editor.
LBB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?
Tommy> Commercial editing moves at a totally different pace. The turnaround’s fast where you finish one job and you’re straight onto the next. You’ve got to be quick with your edits, quick with feedback, and just keep it rolling.
Since most spots are short – you can make a change, hit play, and instantly see how it feels as a whole. But with longform projects, every little change can affect an entire scene or even the overall story when stepping back and looking at how everything flows together over time.
LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years
Tommy> Yeah, for sure – there’s been a big jump in VFX across commercials. Whether it’s subtle clean-ups or full-on effects-heavy spots, it’s everywhere now. And now AI is starting to creep in too for things like voiceovers, clean-up tools and even generating images. The tech’s moving fast.
New tools show up, workflows evolve, but our job doesn’t really change. At the end of the day, we’re here to tell a story in the best way we can. The software might update, but the craft stays the same.
