I’ve heard it before –

“I just don’t GET editing!”

Nothing is more divisive in the creator economy than editing. You either absolutely love editing or absolutely hate it. From both the editor side and client side, editing can seem like an enigma, a mystery, a magical power that either blesses you or not – for instance, sometimes the cut works in a spectacular way that lights up adrenaline inside you! And sometimes the cut doesn’t work, and you don’t have the vocabulary as to why it’s falling flat.

Well, in here, I’m going to give you that vocabulary.

By the end of this masterclass you will learn the principles of editing that Hollywood has espoused for nearly 100 years…and–most importantly–you will learn how to modernize those principles for your YouTube audience.

Why this editing masterclass

is different…

Other editing ‘courses’ are software-specific. They force you to download the current trendy software and make you do a click-and-copy tutorial of cuts the tutorialist already made. I’ve always hated this, that’s not what editing is to me.

Edit like an Artist is the opposite of this. We teach you editing philosophies so you can discover your own cuts in the edit. Best of all, you can use whatever software you want – Final Cut, Premiere, CapCut, even iMovie– use whatever software you can afford and makes you feel good to edit on. The principles in Edit Like an Artist can be done in any NLE.

Other editing ‘courses’ teach you how to edit. We’re going to learn why to edit. Filmmaking is an editor’s game. If you can learn how to mesmerize your audience through the edit, they will watch every frame with full attention.

You don’t need to resort to cheap retention hacking or YouTube Guru tricks. (Those YouTube Gurus don’t know what they’re talking about anyways.)

There is no such thing as “retention hacking.” You simply need to learn why to edit.

Don’t believe that it works? Here are one of my retention charts for my clients:

Hayden’s Secret Editing Recipe

This is the recipe that has made creators like Logan Paul and MrBeast keep coming back as repeat clients.

• Hayden’s editing recipe can be used in any NLE and is only three ingredients.
• The Editing Recipe an be used in any form of media be it film, TV show, music video, or YouTube video.
• Once you see The Editing Recipe, you’ll never be able to unsee it as its impact can be seen across good storytelling and media.

Timeless Editing Principles

Unlock creative freedom and discover your unique editing style, applicable across various NLEs.

• Gain a deep understanding of the editing philosophies that Hollywood has successfully employed for nearly a century that Hayden has modernized for YouTube.
• Make the editing process a true expression of your artistic vision.
• Learn storytelling principles, not just “retention hacks”.

Learn To Be a Storyteller First.

Discover how to prioritise storytelling as your first step in editing.

• Gain an understanding of story structure that translates to effective cuts.
• Learn how to be a writer in the edit
• Find the method to prioritise editing OUTSIDE of your timeline, to help you see the story on a macro-level.

Hey editor,
I want to teach you how to tell stories.

Starting with this story:

I was never a very popular kid. I had a hard time expressing myself, my thoughts, and my feelings. Many people thought I was shy or awkward. Honestly, it was quite lonely.

There is a happy ending to this story, though. I was very lucky to grow up in the early 2000s, and in 2006, a scrappy website called YouTube came into existence. On this website, people were posting videos they had filmed themselves in their houses. Sure, they looked a little rough, but these people were making FILMS! FILMS!

I had always wanted to work in Hollywood, but it always seemed so unattainable. Now, with YouTube, Hollywood could be as close as my desk, a cinema camera as accessible as my smart phone, a movie premiere as frictionless as pressing upload. I became hooked immediately. And through my YouTube obsession I discovered something wonderful.

All those thoughts and feelings I thought were inexpressible, I learned that I could express through editing. By mixing together the right shots, with the right timing, with the right sound cues, it resulted in making someone feel the same thing that I was feeling inside of my head.

Editing became the biggest gift to me because of this.

I want to give that gift to you.

So I hope you will join me in telling this story.

Cheers,

Hayden Hillier-Smith