🎬 Emmy-winning editor Sam Billinge breaks down why music should never lead your storytelling—and how relying on it to create emotion is a rookie mistake. In this episode, we dive into the real craft of editing: story scaffolding, emotional pacing, and when to actually bring music into your cut.Whether you're making your first short doc or working with a composer, this conversation will challenge how you think about sound and story.
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6:15
How Do You Know If Your Story Is Actually Good?
Sam Billinge, Emmy-winning editor and author of A Practical Guide to Documentary Editing, shares what makes a story actually work—and why most filmmakers get it wrong. If your edit feels flat or drags on, it’s probably not your footage—it’s your story. In this episode, we break down the exact structure Sam looks for to know if a film will hold an audience’s attention, the biggest traps new filmmakers fall into, and how to craft a story that makes people care.
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5:30
Netflix’s Sam Billinge: Edit Footage for a Killer Story
Learn to edit footage like Emmy-winning editor Sam Billinge (Netflix’s Surgeon’s Cut, Apple+’s Make or Break)! 🎬 In this episode, Sam shares pro tips to craft a killer story by taming hours of footage. Discover how to define your story early, use transcripts to mark key points, create assemblies for organization, and ruthlessly cut irrelevant clips—even the beautiful ones! Perfect for filmmakers battling footage overwhelm and aiming for Netflix-quality narratives. Subscribe for weekly filmmaking tutorials to level up your editing game! Want to master documentary editing? Grab Sam’s book, Practical Guide to Documentary Editing, a game-changer packed with workflows to streamline your process and elevate your films! Perfect for filmmakers battling footage overwhelm and aiming for Netflix-quality narratives. Subscribe for weekly tutorials to level up your editing!
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10:41
No, Color Grading Won’t Save Your Film — Do This First
Most filmmakers rely on postproduction to fix things — but by the time you’re color grading, it’s often too late. In this episode, I sit down with colorist Enikő Edelsbrunner, to explore how color works emotionally — and why your lighting, mood, and prep matter long before you ever open DaVinci Resolve.We talk about the creative tension between director and colorist, common mistakes filmmakers make on set, and why trying to “save it in post” is often a losing strategy. Whether you’re shooting your first doc or want to level up your visual storytelling, this episode will reframe how you approach your next project.
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4:10
Why Most Filmmakers Regret Skipping This Step (Colorist Advice)
Most filmmakers think of color as the final polish — something you fix in post. But what if it’s actually where the vision begins?In this episode, I talk with Eniko Edelsbrunner www.magiclemur.com - a top-tier colorist with a PhD in mathematical biology, about how to design a film’s emotional tone from the ground up. We explore how lighting, LUTs, and communication between directors and colorists can save you time, elevate your visual style, and help your story land emotionally.Whether you’re shooting a feature or a doc, this conversation will change how you think about color — and might just save your next film.
I’ve made mistakes and felt lost on my journey to making documentaries, wishing someone had guided me. This podcast is my way of sharing lessons I’ve learned about documentary filmmaking and storytelling. Along the way, I interview Oscar, Emmy, and BAFTA nominees and winners to learn from the best. I hope all of this will help you in your filmmaking career.
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