When it comes to video editing, Dylan Reynolds is challenging us to think deeper. In his video “Give me 11min, and I’ll Improve Your Editing Skills by 176%,” Reynolds lays out a compelling case. The best editors don’t just stitch clips together—they control human attention, emotion, and perception. By shifting focus from technical tricks to storytelling mastery, Reynolds argues, editors can dramatically elevate their work. And by doing so, impact audiences more deeply and build thriving businesses. His fresh approach is a call to action for creators ready to move from surface-level edits to transformative storytelling.
Editing Video to Capture Human Attention
In the digital attention economy, Dylan Reynolds offers a reminder many editors need to hear: technical mastery alone isn’t enough. In the video, Reynolds reframes editing as a powerful exercise in psychology and emotional influence, not just a technical craft.
“Editing is not just about making things look cool,” Reynolds explains early in the video. “It’s about controlling human attention.”
Drawing from years of experience editing for major creators, hiring editors himself, and running his own educational community for aspiring editors, Reynolds emphasizes a critical shift: great editors don’t merely cut footage. They translate emotion.
He contrasts the habits of novice editors—who often focus on trendy motion graphics or expensive plugins—with the practices of true professionals. According to Reynolds, “The question isn’t what shot comes next… it should be what should the viewer feel next.”
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Video Edits That Shape What Viewers Feel
To illustrate the concept, Dylan Reynolds breaks down video editing in a scene from The Dark Knight, where a strategic reaction shot to actress Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character, Rachel, heightens the emotional weight of the Joker’s monologue. Without that cutaway, Reynolds demonstrates, the scene feels flatter and less menacing. This, he says, is the essence of editing: shaping what viewers feel, not just what they see.
Beyond technique, Reynolds urges editors to embrace what he calls “mind control” through editing. Attention, emotion, and curiosity must be actively cultivated. He highlights the Zeigarnik Effect—a psychological principle stating that people remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. Applied to video editing, this means leaving certain narrative threads unresolved for longer stretches, driving viewer retention through a carefully managed sense of curiosity.
“Make the brain itch for the next frame,” Reynolds advises, emphasizing that strategic withholding of information can be more powerful than overwhelming viewers with effects.
Dylan Reynolds Pushes for a Strong Foundation of Storytelling
He also critiques the overreliance on AI-assisted edits and flashy animations without a strong foundation of storytelling. “You can’t build a house on sand,” he says. The real power of editing, Reynolds argues, lies in cutting A-roll footage with intentionality, so that the edit feels like an uninterrupted stream of thought rather than a mechanical checklist.
Every cut, Reynolds stresses, is a decision that influences perception. Subtle edits—like trimming awkward pauses or shifting a breath—can transform a speaker’s entire demeanor, making them seem more confident, vulnerable, or authentic.
Importantly, Reynolds redefines the true goal of editing: it is not to dazzle viewers with technique but to disappear into the story so seamlessly that the audience remains locked in emotionally without consciously noticing the craftsmanship. “The best video editing is invisible,” he says.
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A Call to Action From Dylan Reynolds for Video Editing
Reynolds’ call to action is clear: editors who master attention, emotion, timing, and intent will set themselves apart. The flashy effects have their place, but genuine mastery comes from understanding—and shaping—the human experience behind every frame.
For creators and professionals looking to build a deeper, more resilient connection with audiences, Reynolds offers both a strategy and a mindset: editing is not decoration. It’s emotional architecture.
