How Video Editor Megan Leydon Built a Career Mastering Storytelling, AI Tools and High-Impact Brand Work

- Sandra Kelembeth

Editors are often known by their work long before they're known by name. You don't remember who made the cut — you remember the reaction their work leaves behind; the emotions it stirs. It's the kind of response that defines Megan Leydon's work.

The Irish-born video editor and motion graphics designer has contributed to global projects where emotional precision carries real-world weight.

Leydon was the assistant video editor for the Cannes Lions-winning NHS "Waiting to Live" campaign, brought onto the project to help manage and structure sensitive real-life footage into a clear, emotionally coherent narrative that raised awareness of the need for pediatric organ donors in the UK.

The campaign significantly increased organ donation registrations among children and adults, with the NHS recording +5000 donor registrations in 3 months.

Leydon was also an assistant editor for the Canon "World Unseen" (shortlisted for Cannes), a campaign that reimagined photography exhibitions, making them accessible to the blind and partially sighted through braille and emotional storytelling.

For Leydon, editing is where meaning is formed: "You're shaping the story; deciding how the audience is going to feel. It's not just about making something look good visually; it has to connect on a deeper level."

It's a philosophy that runs through all her work and distinguishes it.

Mastering Storytelling as a Technical Discipline

Leydon's approach is grounded in her academic background. She holds a BA in Film and Documentary from Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Ireland, which she credits for her strong sense of audience perspective.

Before getting into commercial advertising, Leydon was a film and documentary producer and editor. She started creating films in her first year of college, giving her firsthand insight into the nitty-gritty of good film production. By the time she graduated, Leydon had released several short films that screened at festivals internationally and won awards.

She approaches editing as a form of authorship. Every cut, transition, and sound decision is made with the audience in mind: "I edit thinking about what I would want to feel as a viewer. What will the audience mostly connect with when they watch the campaign or advertisement?”

This translates into three core areas of focus: narrative cohesion, pacing, and motion graphics & design elements.

Each project begins with identifying the central message and then structuring footage to support it. After which, Leydon selects the music and adds relevant motion graphics that echo the main message.

"For me, it's not just about stunning visuals; the edit has to carry real emotional weight through pacing, structure, and sound."

Keeping the Story Tight Under Pressure

Leydon has worked with leading advertising agencies, including VML and Havas Red UK, contributing to editing and production across both broadcast television and social media for global brands such as Formula 1, Amazon, Ferrero, Reckitt, KitKat, HSBC, Duracell, Tanqueray, and Coca-Cola, with campaigns running across multiple international markets.

She is currently a full-time video editor at Havas Red UK.

She has also edited and animated content for New York City FC(NYCFC). After she completed her studies, Leydon applied and was accepted for an internship at Rooftop2 Productions in New York. One of her very first roles included editing and animating content for New York City FC, which was watched by thousands of fans at Yankee Stadium.

It is also where her ability to handle pressure was first tested.

According to Lindsay Ianna, who worked closely with Leydon during that time, the NYCFC account required constant output, multiple formats, and fast turnaround times. The kind of workload that can easily overwhelm many editors: "There was a lot of work to be done with the NYCFC account when Leydon took over. Honestly, many could have found it overwhelming. But Leydon didn't just handle it; she thrived. The client would request her by name. She became our go-to person to make sure everything ran perfectly."

In high-pressure environments like these, where timelines are compressed and creative direction can shift quickly, many editors default to speed over depth. Leydon takes a different approach:

"In many cases, clients come with raw footage and a vague brief. My work is to shape that into something that makes sense, is true to the brand, and still feels engaging and original. What I do is map the narrative early. What is the story here? Once I understand that, everything else becomes easier to build around it."

Her onset knowledge, production background, and animation & motion design skills inform smarter post-production choices. And she adds that using AI has also helped speed up the whole process.

Building Systems That Support Creativity and AI as a Partner

The conversation around AI in the creative industry oscillates between panic and hype. Some fear AI will take over and therefore opt out of using it, while others, like Leydon, see it as a great tool to help with their work.

Leydon is focused on improving the systems that support her work, whether that is by integrating AI or other tools: "I see AI as a great support. Something I can use to streamline the process. Take over the minor repetitive tasks, not replace the creative. They expand my toolkit while I keep my own creative voice and emotionally driven style."

During her time at VML, Leydon implemented data organization strategies using AI tools that improved accessibility and streamlined editing processes, slashing editing time by 30%. She has also used AI on another project to animate static imagery through lip-syncing, an exercise she says required precise prompting, iteration, and technical control. The experience, she says, pushed her technical skills and taught her to integrate AI adaptively into branded content without losing narrative integrity.

Her AI tool stack includes ElevenLabs, Runway, LALAL.AI, and Gemini VEO 3. She says this is an area she wants to continue exploring. Leydon also co-created "Edit Enclave," a global community that connects editors across markets, enabling them to share knowledge, tools, and inspiration.

Impact As a Creative: Award Winning Work

Leydon has contributed to several high-impact projects. She served as the assistant video editor in the Cannes Lions- winning NHS' Waiting to Live' campaign, which raised awareness on organ donations among children. Leydon's role involved organizing footage, structuring the narrative, and refining the final edit to ensure emotional clarity: "It was important to approach the campaign with care. You're working with real people and real experiences, so every decision has to be thoughtful."

The campaign's huge success underscored the effectiveness of that approach, demonstrating the power of emotionally driven storytelling in public health communication. Of the 233 featured children, more than 50% received their life-saving transplants. The number of organ donors among adults and children also increased dramatically. According to the NHS, 5000+ new donors registered in three months.

Another defining project was Canon's "World Unseen". The campaign challenges conventional approaches to visual media by making photography accessible to the blind and partially sighted through braille, tactile prints, and audio.

"When telling visual stories, we mostly rely on images for an added impact,” explains Leydon.

“In this case, we are telling a story to an audience that cannot rely on sight, which means you have to be extra creative. Think differently about how the story is experienced. The whole process taught me a lot about timing, sound translation, and narrative choices that reflect real-life experiences."

Other notable projects she has been involved in include Coca-Cola's "Santa Stories" and Tanqueray's "Cocktail of Dreams" campaign.

Leydon played a key role in Tanqueray's "Cocktail of Dreams," working on the case study with only one other editor.

Daryl Yeoman, her former Lead Video Editor at VML UK Group, who worked closely with her from May 2023 to July 2025, acknowledges her effort and skill not only in this project but also in all others: "Leydon is really excellent in what she does,” he recalls.

“She's the kind of editor you don't have to second-guess. There is a new wave of hybrid talent, and Leydon was certainly riding that. She always looked to elevate her work. You could tell when Leydon worked on a project."

Continuing to Evolve in a Changing Industry

Leydon says her focus is on career growth. Her long-term goal is to contribute to industry change; to be a pioneer, not just an adapter.

From editing sports content that played to thousands at Yankee Stadium to contributing to a Cannes Lion-winning campaign like "Waiting to Live," Leydon has quietly become a trusted contributor within high-stakes advertising and branded content environments.

She represents a broader shift in what it means to be an editor today. It's no longer just good visuals and cuts; the edit has to connect on an emotional level. Her great mastery of storytelling and adoption of AI to streamline work have enabled her to build a career across three countries: Ireland, the USA, and the UK.

Leydon says: "I gravitated towards the edit suite because that's where the story comes together—shaping narrative structure, refining stories, and turning raw footage into impactful, emotionally resonant content that audiences connect with. For me, the edit has to carry real emotional weight."

About the Author

Sandra Kelembeth  is an experienced writer who specializes in healthcare, health technology, fitness, real estate, and sports. With a sharp attention to detail and a deep passion for wellness, she creates compelling content that educates, engages, and motivates her audience. Her writing skillfully simplifies complex medical concepts, making them accessible and relevant to everyday life. She is dedicated to empowering readers with practical knowledge that supports healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.