The first version is where most work becomes honest. Before the polish, before the motion, before anyone has a chance to fall in love with the wrong thing.

Start with the thing that matters.

When a cut is not working, the problem is rarely a missing transition. It is usually a missing decision. What does the viewer need to understand, feel or do next?

We look for that answer before we touch the timeline. It might be the first three seconds, the sentence that carries the argument, or the reaction that tells you the product is worth another look.

"If everything is important, nothing is."— A useful note for every timeline

Then remove the polite parts.

Good editing is not about making every shot look good. It is about making the right shots inevitable. The pauses that were there to be safe. The intro that explains what the title already said. The cutaway everyone liked but nobody needed.

Make the edit do the selling. The audience will do the rest.

Talk about your next cut