> Add your clips or photos, describe the edit, and optionally add a reference video. Review the canvas and credit estimate before submitting. Shorty prepares the cut; you can review the result, request changes, and download the MP4. Source: https://shortyedit.com/help/start-your-first-edit --- # How do I make my first video in Shorty? Add your clips or photos, describe the edit, and optionally add a reference video. Review the canvas and credit estimate before submitting. Shorty prepares the cut; you can review the result, request changes, and download the MP4. [The Shorty team](https://shortyedit.com/about#editorial-team) · Updated 15 September 2026 ## What should I prepare? | Bring | What it supplies | | --- | --- | | Your clips or photos | The people, products, actions, and places the edit can show. | | A written brief | The audience, opening, story order, ending, and details to preserve. | | An optional reference | An example of pacing, framing, captions, or treatment. | | An output canvas | The shape of the finished video, such as 9:16 or 16:9. | ## How do I start? - Add your source media in the editor. Choose a reference if it helps explain the direction. - Write one clear goal and any exact wording or shots to keep. - Review the selected media, canvas, and displayed estimate. Sign in and submit when ready. - Open the result in Edits. Check the whole sequence before revising or downloading it. ## What makes a useful first project? Start with clips that tell one story: a product demonstration, lesson, or event recap. Include a clear opening and ending. A written request cannot supply a missing view of the product or recover an action you did not film. ## Keep the ideas coming ### Edit your video with a text prompt: describe it, get the MP4 Yes. Upload your raw clips, write what you want in plain words (length, format, story order, captions, music, pace) and Shorty plans the cut, edits your footage and renders a finished MP4. To change something, say what should change and the rest of the edit stays. You never open a timeline. ### Use a product brief Build a short product video around a visible benefit: introduce the item, show it working and end on the result. Use this brief with your own approved footage. ### Use an event brief Turn an event folder into a short story: establish the place, show the main activity and finish with a genuine reaction. This worked brief helps you select footage and direct the first cut. ### Prepare your files Add source video clips or supported photos that show your story. One edit can use up to 150 clips, 8 GB in total, and each uploaded source video can be up to 1 GB. An optional reference can be MP4, MOV, or WebM up to 256 MB. ## Questions, answered. ### Do I need a reference? No. A written brief is enough. A reference can help explain pacing, captions, or treatment. ### Does opening an example start a paid edit? No. It fills in the brief. You still select media, review the estimate, and submit the edit. ## 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/help/start-your-first-edit