IF YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM, IT’S NOT THE RIGHT CUT

IF YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM, IT’S NOT THE RIGHT CUT

There’s a moment every editor knows:
The project’s “done,” but the client—or the director, or even your own gut—feels unsettled.

You explain it.
You justify it.
You say, “Just trust me—it’s in there.”

But here’s the hard truth:
If you have to convince someone the edit is right… it probably isn’t.

CLARITY DOESN’T NEED DEFENSE

Great cuts speak for themselves.
They land.
They resonate.
They feel finished—even when they’re subtle, even when they’re quiet.

If the reaction to a cut is confusion, resistance, or too many questions… you’re not done.
Not because they didn’t “get it”—but because it didn’t give it.

TRUST THE PAUSE IN THE ROOM

You don’t need applause.
But you should feel stillness. Resonance.
That moment when someone exhales and says,

“Yeah… that’s it.”

You’re not fishing for validation—you’re listening for alignment.
And when it’s there, you’ll know. It doesn’t need persuasion. It just lands.

WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH YOUR EDIT BUT NO ONE ELSE IS

This is where pride disguises itself as “creative conviction.”

Sometimes, we fall in love with a moment—
a transition, a voiceover line, a clever timing trick.
But if it’s serving you and not the story, it’s just noise.

You can hold onto it, sure.
But you may be editing for ego, not audience.

THE EDIT ROOM ISN’T A BATTLEFIELD

You don’t need to fight for every frame.
You need to fight for the right story.

And if the current cut is creating tension—
maybe it’s time to stop convincing and start re-listening.
To the client. To the moment. To God.

Because peace is part of the process too.

FINAL THOUGHT

The right cut doesn’t demand explanation.
It creates revelation.

You’ll know it when you feel it.
So will they.

And when you stop trying to win the room—
you make space to move it.