Justin ZagriEditor
Performance video editor · Social ads · Trailers · Commercials

Scroll-stopping social. Storytelling instincts.

I’m a performance editor with a filmmaker’s background. I cut paid social for health, wellness and finance brands, and every ad starts with a story people want to finish. Then I test it against the numbers and recut what wins.

Watch the ads Start a project
Marketing reel0:53
Marketing reel · 53 seconds Plays right here
Cut for
  • Netflix
  • Disney
  • A&E
  • Discovery
  • Bravo
  • Crypt TV
  • Marriott
  • Good Mythical Morning
+500%Performance of an ad iteration over the original it was built from
+50%Average viewer retention after rebuilding hooks for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
30/wkAd creatives delivered across Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat
50M+Cumulative views on web content I’ve produced and edited
Selected work

Ads with a story, and the numbers to back it up.

Social comes first. The trailers, commercials and films below are where the storytelling comes from.

V1 Social 9:16 · paid, UGC, celebrity
Health
American CheeseDr. Gundry · Performance editor
142% ROAS
Wellness
Morning RestoreWith Marisa Tomei · Performance editor
122% ROAS
Nutrition
Roundhouse ProvisionsWith Chuck Norris · Performance editor
118% ROAS
Finance
Debt ClearWith Robert Herjavec · Performance editor
112% ROAS
V2 Trailers 16:9 · series, film More trailers →
Dream ScreechersCrypt TV · Trailer editor
Fallen CardsTV pilot teaser · Trailer editor
Parole OfficersComedy · Trailer editor
V3 Commercials 16:9 · :15, :30, :60 More commercials & promos →
Residence InnMarriott · City Limit Films · Editor
Ultimate Dodgeball ChampionshipSky Zone · Editor
Dust2Glory DVD releaseDocumentary · Editor
V4 Narrative Shorts, features Video essays →
Ouija BroHorror comedy short · Burbank Film Festival winner
PowerlessHorror proof of concept · Editor
Severus Snape and the MaraudersFan film · Editor
How a performance edit runs

Story first. Then the data.

  1. Before the cut

    Find the story

    I look for the story in the footage first: who it’s for, what changes for them, and why they’d keep watching.

  2. 0:00–0:03

    Hook it and version it

    Several hooks that stop the scroll, then tight, captioned cuts in 9:16, 4:5 and 1:1 for every placement.

  3. Week 2

    Test and recut

    I read the ad data, find what holds attention, and build new iterations of the winners to extend their life.

AI in the workflow

New tools, same instincts.

I keep bringing more AI tools into both my editing workflow and video generation. They handle the repetitive work and fill gaps in the footage, so more of my time goes into the story. In my last role this raised creative output by about 20%.

In the edit

  • ClaudeScript breakdowns, hook ideas and iteration briefs
  • DescriptTranscript-based rough cuts and fast revisions
  • CapCutAuto-captions and quick social versions

In generation

  • RunwayGenerated shots, b-roll and visual effects
  • SoraText-to-video for concepts and missing coverage
  • ArcadsAI UGC-style actors for testing new angles
  • ElevenLabsAI voiceover and alternate reads
About

Justin Zagri

Justin Zagri, seated on a couch, hands clasped, looking at the camera

I’m a story-driven performance video editor with more than 15 years in production and post.

I started as a filmmaker, writing and directing short films and growing a YouTube channel to 150K+ subscribers. That background shapes every ad I cut today for health, wellness and finance brands, many of them fronted by well-known names.

I still cut trailers, commercials and narrative work for clients like Crypt TV, Marriott and Good Mythical Morning.

Edit
Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, Frame.io
Platforms
Meta, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat
Formats
9:16, 4:5, 1:1, 16:9, 2.39
Based
Burbank, CA · remote friendly
Contact

Have a brand that needs a story? Let’s find it.

jzagri@gmail.com