You want a video, not an empty timeline

An empty canvas is still work

A new project can look clean and promising while leaving every important decision with you. Which shot opens? What comes next? How long should it stay? If those decisions are the bottleneck, another timeline with more buttons may not help.

A directed editing workflow starts with the intended result. You describe the audience and the story, supply the material, and inspect a first version. This can suit someone who knows the message but does not want to build the sequence manually.

Give the first version a fair chance

Choose a manageable set of clips. Include the footage needed for the opening, the main action, and the ending. Tell Shorty which detail must remain visible and what wording must be exact.

Do not ask a vague brief to resolve every uncertainty in a large archive. The more unresolved decisions you hand over, the more likely you are to spend review time discovering that the editor guessed differently. Clear constraints are useful even when you want the software to make creative choices.

Keep control through review

Watch the output from beginning to end. Ask whether it tells the right story before checking individual details. A focused revision can change a shot, pace, or editable element, depending on the composition.

Shorty’s preview timeline is for playback and inspection rather than a full manual editing workstation. If your job requires precise hands-on trims, complex masks, or detailed layer work, use a workflow designed for that. Avoiding a timeline is a preference, not a reason to give up the controls a particular job needs.

A brief to adapt to your footage

Example direction. Replace the subject, shots, and wording with your own.