Our Secret Sauce for a Great Edit

We live in the churn and turn of “content,” a word we’ve reluctantly embraced because, well, it helps sum up what we do. But let’s be honest: it doesn’t do justice to the love of the craft. Too often, content today moves so fast that watching it feels like doom-scrolling on your phone.

Now, we’re not saying you need to go full David Fincher and shoot 100 takes of the same line (we’ll save the Kubrick-style obsession for another day). But we are saying there should be a moment to pause, to understand the intent of the story being told, and how that story might connect brands and people.

So, what makes a good edit?

Ingredients Matter

To make a good meal, you need quality ingredients. Same goes for editing, you can’t create something great without strong footage, a clear brief, the right ideas, and a shared vision. Our DOP Charles C. Meyer never misses a beat, but even the sharpest eye can’t save a project if the raw materials aren’t there.

And just like a meal, a video is best enjoyed together. That collaborative moment, whether it’s Dom shaping the story or Blake making sure the brand narrative lands, is what transforms good ingredients into something people actually connect with.

Charles C. Meyer filming Guardians of the Wild Horse

Find the Anchor

Every edit needs a centre of gravity. For us, that means picking out one thing, a core image, a quote, a colour palette, something from within the brief, that becomes the anchor.

When the project starts to drift, that anchor recentres us. It reminds us what we’re doing, where we’re going, and above all, why. Why are we making this? What’s the purpose? Who’s watching? What do we want them to feel, to do?

Are we selling coffee? An idea? A service? Are we simply making people aware? And if so, again — why?

Sometimes that anchor is creative, a idea Dom builds the story around. Sometimes it’s strategic, Jacob, our Marketing Director, grounding the edit in the marketing objective so the story actually lands with the right people.

Details Matter (Especially in Sound)

“You want a splash, Mr. Smee?” — as Captain Hook would say.

An edit lives or dies in the margins. Whether it’s a frame here or a beat there, even the smallest percentages and the finest millimetres add up. Every detail contributes to the 100% that makes a story resonate, and we’ve found that sound brings the edit to life.

Yet many brand videos just pulse along to generic corporate rock, usually tracks with names like “Inspiring Innovation” or “Driving Success”, often without any sound design at all.

An edit needs room to breathe. It should flow like a piece of music, build tension, drop into calm, then lift into moments of impact. And there’s no reason a corporate video can’t make someone smile, or even feel something.

Think of Jaws without its score. The shark isn’t scary without the music. Same goes for your brand film: sound makes the story resonate.

Strategy Meets Sincerity

We’ve all seen the hyper-cut, captions-flying-at-you vertical reel, sometimes it works, sometimes it overwhelms. Vertical video and platform algorithms are powerful tools, but they shouldn’t dictate every creative decision.

The sweet spot is where strategy and sincerity meet. Yes, there’s a time to be bold and fast-paced, but lasting impact comes from moments that feel genuine. A vertical reel that’s creative and authentic doesn’t just play well with the algorithm, it connects with people too.

Ultimately, it’s not about chasing trends. It’s about using them wisely to create something memorable.

Dom capturing the sincerity of Ben Dessen and Oliver the Olive Python for the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary fundraiser video.

Why This Matters For Brands

Here’s the bigger point: the work that sticks is built for people, not just platforms. We slow down just enough to find the why, then cut for feeling.

For us, editing isn’t just cutting footage together, it’s where the story actually takes shape and starts to connect. It’s also where our values show up in practice: being transparent with our process, collaborative with our team and clients, and obsessive about the details that matter, every cut, every beat, every detail.

Because when an edit’s done right, it doesn’t just get watched, it gets felt. That’s what turns content into connection. That’s what brings brands and people together.

Feel free to check out some of the work we've done at Onyx Agency here.