Stephen Ellis, ACE has been editing documentaries for over ten years and knows a thing or two about crafting a compelling story – but also recognises that editors work without a storytelling instruction manual.

In this video Stephen talks about how rookie editors start out trying to find ‘the rules’ of film-making, but practice – and making mistakes – allows them to see the bigger picture of shaping a story.

He also addresses the fear of “is it any good?” and the invaluable feedback to be gained from watching your work with an audience to see how they react – and how invariably they will surprise you.

“As an editor, you are always trying to struggle with what the right thing is – the irony is there is no right thing if you’re an editor.”

—Stephen Ellis, ACE, editor Fire in the Night, Ronaldo