#490 – Cut/daily Meets... Editor David Webb

I've been holding out to publish Editor David Webb's Cut/daily Meets... interview because it's just so darn good.

It's witty, thought-provoking and honest. Everything you want in an editor to learn from.

David is both an award winning editor and the Global Managing Director of Final Cut — the post house, not the app – which cuts a huge number of your favourite adverts.

Having started his career in commercials and music videos editing for a whose-who list of directors including Edgar Wright, Vaughan Arnell & Anthea Benton, Traktor, Malcolm Venville, Walter Stern, and Philippe André – he then moved into TV with director Jim Field Smith.

To date highlights from his IMDB credits include:

• Hijack – Season 1 and 2
• The Gentleman
• Joy (feature)
• Sex Education
• Litvinenko
• Truth Seekers

David also serves on the ScreenSkills High-End TV Post Production Advisory Board, helping to shape national training and industry standards.

A committed mentor, he has supported numerous assistant editors who have gone on to build successful, award-winning careers. Some of whom have been featured in Cut/daily before!

Before we get into some bonus questions, a quick shout out to the other editors who worked on David's team for the incredibly popular Hijack:

• David Webb — lead editor – 7 episodes • 2023–2026
• Robert Frost — 2 episodes • 2023
• Natasha Wilkinson — 2 episodes • 2023
• Ben Whitehead — 2 episodes • 2026
• Johannes Bock — 1 episode • 2026
• Carmela Iandoli — 1 episode • 2026

When I asked David what he was most proud of on the show he said:

We always pay great attention to detail with the authenticity of the world building, in season 1 of Hijack the final crash scene was replicated on an flight simulator so that all of the cockpit alarms and warnings were as they should be, for season 2 we have applied the same level of detail, with a bit of creative license when needed of course.

What do most editors (who don’t cut ads) not understand about how to cut commercials?

That it’s not easy! Much like the dreaded “recaps” some episodic shows demand, short form can be kryptonite for certain editors. Condensing almost everything while still maintaining rhythm and flow is a highly specific, acquired skill.

You can’t just switch lanes. An Oscar for Best Picture doesn’t guarantee you a gig cutting a 30-second TV spot. Advertising is horrendously specific: IMDB credits mean nothing if you haven’t, say, cut a 30-second car commercial featuring, a red saloon, in the desert,  with a purple frog delivering the voice over.

What skills does an editor who wants to get into commercials need to hone?

Resilience.

If you think broadcaster notes are tough, wait until you face advertising.

• Take one frame off every shot just to squeeze it to time
• just have fun with it
• FXXX it up a little
• have you tried it in
  • reverse
  • upside down
  • black and white
  • inverted….

The process can be relentless, and you need both patience and thick skin.

What’s been a favourite memory from your time in the edit suite cutting so many commercials? What keeps you in the chair?

I don’t cut as many commercials these days, but I’m lucky to work in an environment surrounded by some of the best in the business. I occasionally get to fill in for peers and collaborate with their long-time creative partners.

I also met some of my longest collaborators cutting commercials, Jim Field Smith, Edgar Wright, Ben Taylor, all of them were first introduced to me in short form.

Ultimately that’s what keeps me in the chair: the collaboration.

When you’re in sync with creative peers, the process is not only more enjoyable - it also makes the work better.