I’m a professional video editor with more than 20 years experience on Avid and, more recently, Adobe Premiere Pro. My work has been mostly for broadcast clients. In my previous career I was a TV commercials producer at the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson.
As well as editing work, I filmed, wrote and produced a short feature on Abbey Road Studios for ABC News Digital.
My objective when editing is always to communicate the client’s message and objectives to a defined audience in a compelling and attractive way. I score music that is distinctive, and work with graphics to reinforce those objectives.
No assignment is too small! I love to work on interesting projects – always mindful of your budget or, in the case of charities and good causes, just for the fun of it.
“Tim did a wonderful job editing our fundraising film. One of our major donors described it as giving him “goosebumps”. That’s because Tim’s edit captured the determination of our young beneficiaries so brilliantly. Vivid story telling at its best.”
Olivia Johnson, General Manager,
The Marketing Academy Foundation
Here are some of my recent projects
This was an interesting challenge. The client needed to promote a forthcoming art installation/visitor experience in advance of its unveiling. However, the project was shrouded in secrecy and apart from a brief interview with the artist, no footage existed.
So this video was built almost entirely from stock imagery and text – crafted in such a way as to convey the hidden aspiration behind the project.
I had the pleasure to edit this fund-raising video for The Marketing Academy Foundation. The video was produced to a tight, targeted brief: To get potential donors to appreciate what the charity does, and to feel genuine liking for and admiration for the young people.,
The video was hugely successful on the night – raising money even beyond the charity’s expectations! This version was produced for the charity’s Home Page.
Ukraine’s desperate shortage of soldiers for its war with Russia has led the country to introduce extreme measures to prevent men of fighting age from leaving the country. Much of the archive material was sourced by myself.
This from the reporter: “hey Tim, I just watched– I think you’ve done a lovely job so far! You’ve found so much excellent additional footage! And as usual you have done a really thoughtful, creative edit!”
A major cruise line company spends half a billion dollars to transform an island waste dump into a sustainable luxury resort and marine nature reserve. The project includes a program to restore coral reefs endangered by warming sea temperatures.
This piece was for ABC News’ flagship strand ‘Prime Focus’ – an example of close collaboration of editor, reporter, producer, conservation experts and show executives
A fascinating assignment was this profile of Yahya Sinwar – the Hamas leader widely believed to have been the mastermind behind the October 7th massacre.
Most of the archive and background material was sourced by myself.
This from the reporter: “Hey Tim – massive thanks again for such a great job – you were a joy to work with.”
Ukraine is relying heavily on support from the US to defeat overwhelming Russian forces. $175 Billion has been appropriated in military assistance so far.
But with a new incoming administration, will that support continue?
The reporter wrote: “Nice work Tim – you did a great job… Big thanks from me!”
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, western nations, including the US, imposed wide-ranging sanctions. Everything from McDonalds to Starbucks to Hollywood blockbuster movies were subject to sanctions.
But the Russians have come up with ingenious ways to get around them!
Could the October 7th 2023 massacre have been avoided? Israel had stationed soldiers, mostly young women, near the border with Gaza. Using sophisticated surveillance equipment, their job was to monitor activity inside the Gaza Strip.
Days before the attack, the young soldiers reported suspicious Hamas activity to their superiors. But why were their warnings ignored? And why did most of them die?
On 7th October 2023, Palestinian militants from the Gaza strip invaded the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel. It was thought that 180 of the roughly 400 residents were killed or abducted as hostages during the attack. It was my privilege to edit this remarkable piece.
This from the cameraman: “Wow. Very very powerful… Great editing and super strong writing.”
Tim Watson Editing 