How to turn footage into short videos
for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
What a short-form video needs
Shorts, Reels and TikTok all play videos in the same shape: vertical, 9:16. They are watched fast, often with the sound off, by people who decide in the first seconds whether to stay. So a short video needs a few things to work. A strong first line. No dead air. Captions people can read without sound. And something moving on screen, so a face talking to the camera does not sit still for thirty seconds.
How short videos are usually edited
By hand, it goes like this. You film several takes on your phone. You import them into an editor, watch each one, and pick the best version of every line. You cut the pauses and the false starts. You reframe the picture to vertical if it was filmed wide. You type or correct the captions, style them, and place them line by line. You look for B-roll to cover the long stretches. Then you export, check it on a phone, and fix what looks wrong. A one-minute video can take an afternoon.
How an AI short-form video editor helps
The steps do not change. What changes is who does the tedious part. With Montage, you drop the takes and say what the video is for. It compares the takes, keeps the clearest one for each sentence, and cuts the pauses. It adds captions, big and easy to read, in your brand's fonts and colors. It adds B-roll at the right moments, matched to what you say, so the video keeps moving. It can open on a title that moves. And it sends back a vertical video, ready to post.
Change anything by asking
Nothing is hidden. Every cut comes back when you ask. You can open it, move a clip, change a take or swap a piece of B-roll. Just ask: “Keep the second take of the intro.” “Make the captions smaller.” “Start on the product shot.” Each request makes a new version, so you can always go back.
Turning long footage into Shorts and Reels
The same goes for a long recording. Drop a talk, a podcast or a livestream, and ask for a vertical clip from it. Montage finds the moments worth keeping and cuts them to the vertical shape, with captions on. You choose which ones go out. If the footage was filmed wide, the picture is reframed so the speaker stays in the shot.
Tips for short videos that hold attention
- Say the point in the first sentence. Ask Montage to start on that line if it is buried.
- Film more takes than you think you need. More takes means a better pick for every line.
- Keep captions on. Many people watch with the sound off.
- Cover long stretches of talking with B-roll or a title, so something changes on screen.
- Watch the result on a phone before you post. That is where it will be seen.