Finding the Rhythm in the Editing Suite with Magdalena Hernández

Magdalena Hernández is a commercial and documentary editor from Bogotá, Colombia, based in Chicago, Illinois. Her work has screened at multiple prestigious film festivals, including Sundance Film, DocFest, Chicago International, Blackstar Film Festival, MSP International, SOHO International, Bogota Experimental, and many more.

Currently, Magdalena is part of Cutters' roster of editors, where she has worked on numerous high-profile commercials for brands such as T-Mobile, Nissan, Walmart, Modelo, and Ford. Outside of work, Magdalena enjoys baking, playing D&D, and speaking Spanish to her bilingual cat.

Magdalena sat down with LBB to discuss her creative process, carrying the emotion of the cut, and her latest documentary ‘Brewer’.

​

LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project

Magdalena> For me, the real first cut happens long before the timeline. I usually have a cut inside my head before I even sit down in front of the computer, and then I let the footage challenge it. While watching and selecting dailies, something always clicks. And once I find that emotional pulse, I let the footage speak for itself and tell me how the story needs to be built.

LBB> Non-editors often think of editing just in technical terms but it's integral to the emotion and mood of a film. How did you develop that side of your craft?

Magdalena> By paying attention to life as much as films. Going for walks without headphones, reading by the lakefront, engaging in small commuting conversations. Emotion has its own pacing and logic.

As editors, we’re carrying not only the emotion of the film but the emotion of the viewer, and humans are very quick to sense when something feels off. Paying close attention to the small details of life helped me learn how to chase that invisible thread that carries emotion from shot to shot.

LBB> How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?

Magdalena> It’s everything. You can have beautiful shots, incredible performances, a perfect soundtrack… and if the story structure isn’t working, none of it lands. Even in a 15-second spot, there’s a beginning, middle, and end. When troubleshooting a scene I often ask my clients and collaborators ‘what are we trying to tell?’ Once I understand what the goal is, I know what the core of the problem is and I’ll have a better shot at solving the puzzle.

LBB> Rhythm and a sense of musicality seem to be intrinsic to good editing (even when it's a film without actual music) – how do you think about the rhythm side of editing, how do you feel out the beats of a scene or a spot? And do you like to cut to music?

Magdalena> Rhythm lives in everything. In dialogue, in silence, in the way someone shifts their weight in a chair. Every scene has a tempo you can feel in your chest once you tune into it.

Cutting to music can be deeply satisfying especially when the track becomes a character of its own. But I don’t like to relinquish the edit to the beat. I like to find tension around the music, playing just ahead of the downbeat or just after it. A little syncopation never hurt anybody.

LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.

Magdalena> ‘Brewer’ is the latest documentary I worked on, a short film highlighting women and non-binary brewers in the craft beer industry. We wanted the visuals to focus on the physicality and grit of the brewers in their industrial environment. No talking heads, no interviews. We wanted their work to speak for itself.

But over time, we realised the film had become a beautiful homage to their labor but was missing their literal voices. So we decided to juxtapose those poetic visuals with reflections from the brewers, and suddenly the film took on a new life.

LBB> In the US we know that editors are much more heavily involved across the post production process than in Europe – what's your favourite part of that side of the job?

Magdalena> I love being the connective tissue. Being involved early enough to help shape tone, but also present (whenever possible) through sound, colour, VFX, and all the layers that complete the idea. And honestly, I just love collaborating with artists from other disciplines. Every stage adds a new colour to the palette.

LBB> What's harder to cut around – too much material or not enough?

Magdalena> Both can be frustrating, but not enough material is definitely tougher. When there’s too much, you have places to look for solutions and there’s usually a gem hiding somewhere. When there’s not enough, you’re problem-solving in fragments. I love the satisfaction of pulling off a miracle fix, but I’d still rather have a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ moment than stretching footage from thin air.

LBB> Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?

Magdalena> A few years ago, I worked on a few spots for Nissan’s Hispanic Heritage Month campaign, focusing on three Latin American chefs who came together to celebrate the diversity of their cuisine and culture. I love when commercial projects go beyond advertising, when they celebrate culture, community, and human nature.

More recently, I worked on a similar project for the NFL ‘Por La Cultura’. Two spots that follow four Latin American players inspiring a new generation of fans and athletes around the world. Those are the kinds of stories that stay with me, and hope stay with some viewers.

LBB> There are so many different platforms for film content now, and even in advertising something can last anything from a few seconds to a couple of hours. As an editor, are you seeing a change in the kind of projects you're getting from brands and agencies?

Magdalena> Absolutely, I think social media and the way people consume content plays a big part of the way advertising is behaving these days. Brands still want emotion, authenticity, and texture, but the format is now wide open: verticals, squares, longform, micro-cuts. Pushing editors to think about story modularly, like building blocks that need to work in multiple shapes. It can be challenging, but I’m not one to shy away from creative challenges.

LBB> Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?

Magdalena> Two of my biggest heroes are Joi McMillon and Jennifer Lame. I’m honestly not sure I’ve fully recovered from ‘Moonlight’ yet. The way McMillon lets scenes breathe, contract, and breathe again feels almost like a heartbeat. There’s an incredible softness in the way she shapes time and uses silence to navigate mood. Her attunement to the emotional currents running through the film is both precise and captivating.

On the other hand, Jennifer Lame’s editing feels like beautifully organised chaos. In Oppenheimer, a film that demands wildly different emotional textures, she builds tension by layering timelines and perspectives with incredible precision while still maintaining a cohesive emotional thread. The way the momentum keeps accelerating even during quiet scenes is fascinating.

LBB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?

Magdalena> Commercial editing is a sprint, while film feels more like a marathon. In commercials, you’re compressing a story into a tiny container, making every frame precious but not more important than the next one. In film, you get to live in the world longer. There’s space to breathe, explore, and build nuance. Both forms have taught me incredible lessons. Commercials sharpen my instincts, while films strengthen my patience and determination.

LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years?

Magdalena> I’m seeing two trends emerge. One leans toward authenticity, ‘less polish, more texture’ vibes. Brands want things to feel human, imperfect, intimate. The other embraces ultra-precise, hyper-stylised editing for high-energy, often music-driven spots.

Fortunately, that range means editors can lean into what they love and hone their skills, or shift gears and experiment more than ever.