Editing · GuideClaude can edit a talking head video from one prompt: cut the pauses, caption every word, add effects. The quality of the result depends on one thing, the language of your brief.
Write make it dynamic and cinematic and Claude makes the decisions for you, so you get the same template everyone gets. Write like an editor, jump cut every pause over 0.4s, punch in to 120% on the word "price", and you get your edit.
This guide is an editing terms card. Every term and effect comes with what it means, when it belongs, and the line to put in your prompt.
Anatomy of an edit brief
Professional editors get briefs in blocks. Brief Claude the same way and nothing is left to guesswork.
Size, length, frame rate.
9:16, 1080x1920, 30 fps, max 45 seconds
What to remove and what to keep.
remove pauses over 0.4s and filler words, keep breaths that carry emotion
How often the picture changes, and where it slows down.
visual change every 2 to 3s in the first 10s, slower in the explanation part
Font, color, position, words on screen.
word by word, [font], active word in [color], max 3 words, inside safe zone
Which effect, on which word or timecode, how many frames.
snap zoom to 130% on "[word]", 4 frames, no easing
Music, sound effects, levels.
music at -18 dB under voice, soft whoosh on transitions only
What to show you before rendering.
show me the edit decision list before rendering
16 editing terms Claude understands
- Hard cut. A straight cut from one shot to the next, no effect. The cleanest default.
hard cuts only between sentences - Jump cut. A cut inside the same shot that removes a pause, so the speaker jumps forward. The backbone of talking head edits.
jump cut every pause over 0.4s - J cut and L cut. In a J cut the next shot's audio starts before its picture. In an L cut the audio carries over the next shot. Both make transitions feel smooth.
L cut: let my voice continue over the B-roll - B-roll. Extra footage over the speaker: hands, screens, product. It shows what you are talking about.
cover 00:08 to 00:12 with B-roll [file] - Punch in. A sudden enlargement of the frame, usually on the face, that points attention at one moment.
punch in to 120% on "[word]", hold until the end of the sentence - Pacing. How often something changes on screen.
fast pacing in the hook, calm pacing in the explanation - Rhythm and beat. The pattern of your cuts and how they sit on the music.
cut on the beat of the music - Hook. The first one or two seconds that decide whether someone stays or swipes.
first 1.5s: show the result before I start talking - Easing. How motion speeds up and slows down. Ease in out is smooth, no easing is a snap.
ease in out, 12 frames - Frame and timecode. A frame is one still of the video. At 30 fps, 30 frames make one second. Timecode is the address of a moment.
at 00:07, 8 frames - Safe zone. The part of the screen Instagram's buttons and caption text don't cover.
keep all text inside the Reels safe zone, above the bottom 20% - Lower third. The bottom third of the frame, where captions and names usually sit.
captions in the lower third, never over my face - Overlay. Anything placed on top of the video: text, icons, graphics, another video.
overlay "[text]" top left from 00:03 to 00:06 - Keying. Removing a background by its color and replacing it. Chroma key is the green screen case.
chroma key the green background, replace with [file] - SFX. Sound effects: whoosh, click, riser. The right sound in the right spot is what makes an effect felt.
soft whoosh on transitions, no sound on hard cuts - EDL. Edit decision list: every edit decision with its timecode. Review it before rendering and fixes stay cheap.
give me an EDL: timecode, line, cut or effect, reason
20 effects and their prompt lines
Grouped by the job they do. For each: what it is, when it earns its place, and what to write. Fill in the [brackets] with your details.
01The hook: grab attention
What it is. A sudden punch in on the face on a key word.
When. On the sentence the video exists for. Once or twice per video.
Prompt line. snap zoom to 130% on "[word]", 4 frames, no easing, hold 1s, cut back to 100%
What it is. A circle opens near the speaker and the camera dives through it into a new scene.
When. When you really take the viewer somewhere: problem to solution.
Prompt line. at [timecode] open a circular mask to my right, push through it into [next shot], 12 frames, ease in
What it is. The frame shatters like glass.
When. On the exact word that breaks a common belief.
Prompt line. shatter the frame like glass on "[word]", shards fall in 15 frames, reveal [next shot] behind, add a glass SFX
What it is. News style "breaking" banners fly across the frame.
When. When the topic is real news. Fill the banners with your audience's actual questions.
Prompt line. 3 breaking news banners fly in from alternating sides between [start] and [end]: "[line 1]", "[line 2]", "[line 3]"
What it is. App and UI icons orbit around the speaker's head.
When. When you name tools. Only orbit the ones you actually name.
Prompt line. orbit these icons around my head while I name them: [icons], one rotation in 3s, icons pass behind my head on the far side
02Explain and make it concrete
What it is. Animated checklist items pop up beside the speaker.
When. When you list steps. Each item lands the second you say it.
Prompt line. pop each item to my right exactly when I say it: [items], scale in from 80% with a soft bounce, max 4 words per item
What it is. A growing chart behind the speaker, like "9x growth."
When. Only with a real number. A made up chart costs you trust.
Prompt line. draw a growth line behind me from [start] to [end], animates left to right, label "[real number]" appears at the peak
What it is. B-roll laid over the talking head, shown on an editor timeline.
When. When you explain a process. Your own B-roll always beats stock.
Prompt line. lay B-roll [files] over me from [start] to [end], L cut so my voice continues, show it on an editor timeline
What it is. A Claude chat window fills the screen, then the video takes it over.
When. When you show a real prompt viewers can repeat.
Prompt line. at [timecode] show my chat screenshot [file] full screen, type the prompt in at reading speed, then scale my video back over it
What it is. The video plays inside a phone screen.
When. When you talk about an app or your page. Show your real page on it.
Prompt line. place [file] inside a phone frame, centered, 5° tilt, from [start] to [end], soft shadow
03Change the scene
What it is. The video shrinks into a tilted photo frame over a dark background.
When. When you step back: a memory, "how it used to be." Give it one fixed meaning.
Prompt line. at [timecode] shrink the video to 60% into a white photo frame tilted 6°, dark background, ease out 10 frames
What it is. The room swaps to a studio with softboxes and an "ON AIR" sign.
When. When you move into the serious, expert part and your tone shifts too.
Prompt line. on "[word]" replace my background with a studio: two softboxes, lit ON AIR sign, wipe transition 10 frames
What it is. The speaker is cut out with a white sticker border on a flat graphic background.
When. Light, playful moments. Background color always from your brand.
Prompt line. cut me out with a 12px white sticker border on a flat [brand color] background from [start] to [end]
What it is. The background stretches while the face stays the same size. Hitchcock's Vertigo effect.
When. A moment of realization. Once per video.
Prompt line. dolly zoom on "[word]": background stretches over 1.5s while my face stays the same size
What it is. A cut hidden inside a fast zoom into the next shot.
When. When you change place or topic and don't want the pace to drop.
Prompt line. zoom fast into [object] at the end of shot A, cut inside the zoom to shot B, 8 frames total, motion blur on
What it is. The background is keyed out and replaced, here with a night city skyline.
When. When the background is part of the story. Your city beats a stock skyline.
Prompt line. key out my background and replace it with [file], match the light color on my face to the new scene
04Build credibility
What it is. The frame becomes a magazine cover with masthead and cover lines.
When. Showing results or a client story. Cover lines carry real facts.
Prompt line. freeze at [timecode] and turn the frame into a magazine cover: masthead "[brand name]", cover lines "[fact 1]", "[fact 2]"
What it is. Frosted, glassy UI elements over the video.
When. Showing data or an interface. It ages fast, so use it sparingly and in your colors.
Prompt line. add frosted glass panels with [data] in the lower third, 20px blur, [brand color] tint, white text
What it is. A camera viewfinder overlay (REC, zoom level) with a punch in.
When. For a live feeling: backstage, reportage. Keep the details real.
Prompt line. add a viewfinder overlay (REC dot, running timecode, zoom level) and punch in to 150% on "[word]"
05Close and recap
What it is. A closing recap list ticking off, like "20/20 effects."
When. At the end of long, save worthy videos. Make the last item the viewer's next step.
Prompt line. end with a recap list of [n] points ticking off one by one, 6 frames apart, last point: "[next step]"
6 rules of a professional edit
- Numbers, not adjectives. Instead of "cinematic," give percent, frames, seconds. That is how Claude stops repeating everyone's template.
- Every effect has an address. A word or a timecode. "Add some zooms" gets you a zoom every three seconds.
- One signature effect per video. Everything else is hard cuts and jump cuts. Viewers should remember one moment, not five.
- EDL before render. Review the decisions as a list. Fixing after rendering is slow.
- Give notes with timecodes. Not "I don't like the zoom" but
at 00:12 the zoom is too slow, make it 4 frames. - Keep a style sheet. Colors, font, signature effect, SFX. Paste the same one into every brief and people will know it is you before they see your name.
Check before you render.
Ready to copy prompts
Fill in the [brackets] with your own details.
You are a professional short form video editor. Edit the attached talking head video.
FORMAT: 9:16, 1080x1920, 30 fps, max [length] seconds.
CUT: jump cut every pause over 0.4s and every filler word. Keep breaths that carry emotion.
PACING: visual change every 2 to 3s in the first 10s, calmer in the explanation.
CAPTIONS: word by word, [font], active word in [brand color], max 3 words on screen, lower third, inside the Reels safe zone.
EFFECTS: one signature effect only: [effect] on "[key word]", [frames] frames, [easing]. Everything else hard cuts and jump cuts.
SOUND: music at -18 dB under my voice, soft whoosh on transitions, nothing on hard cuts.
STYLE SHEET: [colors, font, signature effect, SFX].
OUTPUT: before rendering, give me an EDL: timecode, line, cut or effect, reason. Wait for my approval.Read the transcript below. Mark the 3 moments that carry the meaning: the key claim, the number, and the turn ("but", "here's the thing").
For each moment give me: timecode, the exact word, one effect from this list [Snap Zoom, Growth Curve, Frame Break, Dolly Zoom, Checklist Pop], duration in frames, easing, and one line on why it fits that word.
Rules: max 3 effects in the whole video. Nothing in the first 0.5s except a snap zoom on the hook. List the effects you would NOT use here and why.
Transcript: [paste]Revision notes for the edit. Change only what is listed, keep everything else exactly as it is.
1. 00:03 the snap zoom starts late, move it to the first frame of "[word]".
2. 00:12 the transition is too slow, make it 6 frames, no easing.
3. 00:18 to 00:22 captions cover my face, move them to the lower third.
4. 00:27 remove the whoosh, use a hard cut.
Show me the updated EDL lines only, then render.Quick summary
- Claude edits as well as you brief it.
- Brief in seven blocks: Format, Cut, Pacing, Captions, Effects, Sound, Output.
- Replace adjectives with numbers: percent, frames, timecode, the exact word.
- One signature effect, an EDL before render, and your style sheet in every brief.