Give each short video a clear goal
A product tip, a funny reaction, and a story from your day need different edits. Tell us what you want the viewer to learn or do. That gives the opening and ending a goal. It also helps us choose the shots, text, and sound.
Write a brief, which is a short note about the video you want. Use the list below for a group of clips. Tell us what must stay and where we can try new ideas. If you want more than one version, list them before the edit starts.
- Viewer: who is this for, and what should they learn?
- Files: where are the raw videos, and which takes should we use?
- Output: where will you post, and how long should each clip be?
- Shape: do you need a tall phone video, a wide video, or both?
- Style: send colors, fonts, and an example you like.
- Review: who will check the cuts, and when do you want to post?
Check that the style helps the story
Watch a sample once for the story and again for the small details. Does the first line make sense? Can you read the text on a phone? Captions are words on the screen that match the speech. Make sure they do not cover the face or the item being shown.
Leave room for the buttons that an app puts on top of a video. Check that the music is not louder than the voice. Watch our short clips and find a style close to yours. A calm tip may need a slower pace. A quick joke may need a sharp cut.
Tell us where the clips will come from
You may have filmed one short idea and want us to shape it. Or you may have a long interview and want us to find the best parts. Finding those parts takes work before the cut begins. Tell us which kind of help you need.
Turning parts of a full recording into short clips is called repurposing. Our guide explains that job. Decide who will choose each part and how much footage needs to be watched. A plan that includes Shorts does not by itself answer those questions.
Choose a plan for a normal month
Creator costs $4,499 per month. It includes four full videos, 10–15 Shorts, and A/B thumbnails. Thumbnails are video cover images. A/B means different designs you can compare. Empire costs $7,299 per month. It lists unlimited editing, A/B thumbnails, and everyday Shorts.
Both plans include an editor and a strategist, who helps with content plans. They also have file storage and a board to track edits. Talk with us about your footage, dates, and how much work needs to move at once. We do not list a plan just for Shorts. If that is all you need, tell us so we can check the fit.
Use the first edit to set the style
Creators who qualify can ask for one free sample edit. You do not pay, and it does not start a paid plan. Send a normal recording and the brief above. Check the facts and the style. Point to the time in the video when you ask for a change.
Keep the choices you like in one style note. For example, you might choose plain captions with a few key words in color. That gives the next group of clips a clear place to start. You can still change the pace to fit each idea.
Review a Short with and without sound
Watch the first pass on a phone with the sound off. Can you identify the subject immediately, follow the captions and see the important part of the frame? Then watch with sound. Music should support the voice, and a cut should not swallow the first or last word of a sentence.
The strongest short clip can stand alone. If it begins with “that is why” or “like I said earlier,” add the necessary context or start at a clearer sentence. A smaller export of a long video is not automatically a useful Short.
- Keep captions clear of the face and key demonstration details.
- Check names, numbers and specialist terms by hand.
- Give one clip one main idea and a natural ending.