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How to create a first cut from raw footage
Upload footage, describe the video, and Novacut builds an editable first cut.
Getting started · 2/8Upload your clips, describe the video you want, and Novacut edits a first cut you can keep refining. It uses both what is said and what is shown in your footage.
Steps
- Click New Project.
- Drop your files onto the page, or click Browse. You can mix videos, audio and images.
- Make sure the clips you want are selected. New uploads are selected automatically.
- Describe the video in the box at the bottom right: the format, the length, what to keep and how it should feel.
- Click send. You don't have to wait for uploads to finish; Novacut starts as soon as your footage is ready.
- The project opens straight away. You can watch the timeline fill in while Novacut builds the cut.
- When it finishes, the chat explains what it made. Press play to review it.
Good first prompts
- "Make a 30 second vertical listing reel for Instagram. Open on the pool deck, walk through the kitchen, living room and bedroom, and end back outside. Keep it calm and elegant."
- "Make a 90 second widescreen highlight of this podcast for YouTube. Keep the clearest explanations and the funniest moments."
- "Make a 60 second travel recap cut to the music, with scenic shots, food and reactions."
What to expect
- Analysis takes a few minutes for short clips and longer for hours of footage. The first cut is built as soon as it's done.
- The first cut is a strong starting point, not a final video. Ask for changes in chat or edit the timeline directly, then export.
- If Novacut can't find what you asked for in the footage, it asks you a question instead of guessing.