What Makes a Great Tour Film?

I’ve cut a lot of tour films over the years — from stripped-back artist docs to full-blown stadium epics. And the one thing I keep coming back to?

It’s not just about the performance.

It’s about how it felt to be there.

Here’s what I think makes a great one.

The rhythm of emotion

It’s never just about cutting to the beat. It’s about where you breathe, where you pause, where you let a lyric or crowd moment land. You’re shaping a story, not a setlist.

The crowd is the story

I always look for the fans. The faces, phones, tears, screams — that’s where the emotional spine lives. Without them, it’s just a really well-shot rehearsal.

Micro-moments matter

Some of my favourite edits are the tiny things: a glance offstage, a grin mid-verse, a cracked note. These moments remind you there’s a real person under the production.

Embrace the chaos

Tour footage is wild — 30+ cameras, flying cranes, pyro, handhelds, drones, GoPros. The trick is not using it all. What you leave out shapes just as much as what you include.

Pick a tone and lean in

Is it euphoric? Intimate? Gritty? Surreal? I’ve cut docs that feel like dreams and others that hit like punk zines. You just need to know what the film wants to feel like and commit.

A great tour film makes you feel like you were front row — even if you watched it on your phone, on a train, six months later.

That’s the power of the edit.

And that’s what I love about cutting them.