But that assumption misses something important. Some of the most durable editing instincts come from music videos, and those instincts translate directly into long-form storytelling when you understand what to carry over and what to leave behind.In a recent Adobe MAX Luminary session, editor Vinnie Hobbs walks through his career editing music videos, commercials, and feature films – and along the way, he quietly outlines an editing philosophy that applies far beyond the music space. This article is written for film-minded editors who want practical techniques, not genre labels.Rhythm Is the Entry Point, Not the DestinationVinnie admits that early in his career, rhythm was everything. Cutting to the beat felt like mastery. Then someone told him, bluntly, that cutting to the beat isn’t hard—and that comment changed how he thought about editing.For film editors, this moment should sound familiar. Rhythm matters, but it isn’t the goal. What matters is why a cut happens. In features, the cut often follows breath, hesitation, or emotional shift—not tempo. Music video work forces editors to feel timing viscerally. Film demands that you slow that instinct down and aim it at emotion.The transferable skill here is not speed, it’s sensitivity. Learning to feel when a moment has said enough—and when silence is doing more work than another shot—is a muscle Vinnie developed in music videos and refined in film.Cut for Breath, Not Just ContinuityOne of the most film-relevant insights Vinnie shares is that continuity is emotional before it is visual. A shot can be imperfect...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 22 January