How to make Shorts from a long video: a step-by-step guide
Got an hour-long podcast, vlog or webinar and want Shorts from it? Here is exactly how to extract the best moments and turn them into vertical clips that perform.
A single long video usually contains 5 to 15 moments that could work as Shorts. The problem is not a lack of content — it is the time and effort it takes to find, cut and caption them. In this guide I will walk you through the full process, from raw file to ready-to-post clip.
1. Pick the moments worth cutting
Not every second of a long video makes a good Short. Look for passages that have one of these qualities:
- A strong hook — a statement that stops the scroll in the first 2 seconds.
- A complete story — with a beginning, tension and an end, in 30-60 seconds.
- A concrete idea — an immediately actionable tip, easy to remember.
- Emotion or controversy — moments that trigger a reaction share themselves.
If you cut manually, you will have to re-watch the whole thing. If you use an AI tool, transcription and moment selection happen automatically — saving you hours.
2. Reframe to vertical (9:16)
TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are vertical formats. A horizontal clip dropped in as-is looks small and amateurish. Proper reframing keeps the subject centered and ideally adds a clean background instead of black bars.
3. Add synced subtitles
Over 80% of people watch clips without sound. Burned-in, word-synced subtitles are the difference between an ignored clip and one watched to the end. Pick a readable style consistent with your brand.
4. Put a hook in the first 2 seconds
The first seconds decide everything. A big on-screen text — a question or a bold claim — stops the thumb before the viewer scrolls past.
5. Write the title, description and hashtags
Every platform needs metadata. A hook title, a short description with a call-to-action and 3-5 relevant hashtags increase your chances of distribution.
The golden rule: you do not need more content, you need a faster way to cut it.
Manual vs. automatic: how long does it take?
Manually, 10 clips from a one-hour video can take you 4-6 hours (watching, cutting, captioning, exporting). With an AI tool that handles transcription, selection and rendering automatically, you reach the same 10 clips in minutes.
If you want to skip the manual part, upload your first video and let AI find the good moments for you — the first credits are free.