> First separate long recordings from loose clips and choose the kind of short video you need. Highlight extraction can suit a long conversation; a directed assembly can suit selected shots. A huge archive still needs a clear assignment. Source: https://shortyedit.com/guides/hours-of-footage-where-to-start --- # Hours of footage, no time: make the first selection smaller First separate long recordings from loose clips and choose the kind of short video you need. Highlight extraction can suit a long conversation; a directed assembly can suit selected shots. A huge archive still needs a clear assignment. The Shorty team · Updated 24 September 2026 ## Do not ask one upload to solve every problem Hours of material may contain interviews, accidental recordings, useful details, and several unrelated stories. “Find something good” leaves the editor to guess which audience and purpose matter. That can produce a lot of review work instead of removing it. Split the archive into sensible groups: one interview, one event segment, one product, or one day. Choose a first deliverable with an obvious purpose. The goal is to create a manageable entry point, not perfectly organise the entire archive before you begin. ## Match the tool to the first job A long-video clipping workflow, such as the one described by OpusClip, is worth considering when you need highlights from a recording. Shorty is an option when you have selected media and want a complete cut shaped by a brief or reference. Check current input and plan limits before committing a large job. Avoid assuming that a tool can ingest unlimited hours, understand every context, and produce finished work unattended. Start with representative material and see what review is left. Sources: [OpusClip: long-video repurposing](https://www.opus.pro/tools/long-video-to-short-video-ai). Feature descriptions checked 24 September 2026. ## Turn the result into a repeatable selection rule After the first useful clip, note why it worked. Perhaps a speaker answered one question completely, or a short sequence showed a satisfying transformation. Use that rule to find the next candidate. Keep a record of what has already been used so you do not repeatedly search the same files. A small, reliable process can gradually clear a backlog. Rendering dozens of uncertain clips at once may simply move the backlog into an approval folder. ## A brief to adapt to your footage Example direction. Replace the subject, shots, and wording with your own. Use this selected event segment to make one short video about the finished workshop project. Include the making action and the reaction to the result. Leave unrelated sessions out. Keep the story complete rather than trying to summarise the whole day. ## Keep the ideas coming ### You filmed it yourself. Your AI editor should use it. Yes. Shorty can build an edit from footage you upload, guided by a brief or reference. Make the source rule explicit: use the supplied clips, and leave out stock or invented scenes. ### Better B-roll is probably already in your camera roll An AI editor can help select supporting shots from your clips. The useful part is matching each shot to the point being made, so the viewer sees evidence instead of a random montage. ### More ways to finish your footage Practical answers for the part after the shoot: find the story, choose an editor, write a useful brief, and get the finished video out the door. ### Shorty product facts and limits Shorty turns your own video clips and photos into an edited MP4 from a written brief or optional reference. You can review the result and request revisions. This page collects current product facts, fit, limitations and canonical sources. ### Current plans and allowances Explore this editing workflow in Shorty. ## Your next video starts here. Bring the footage. Tell us the idea. Shape the edit. --- Published by Tools Products FZ-LLC. Canonical HTML: https://shortyedit.com/guides/hours-of-footage-where-to-start