Story Cutter Assistant
Story Cutter finds the best soundbites in your footage and places them directly into your Premiere Pro timeline — saving hours of manual scrubbing.
Story Cutter analyzes your transcript, identifies the best moments based on your goals, and assembles a rough cut directly in your Premiere Pro timeline. Works with interviews, podcasts, tutorials, vlogs, event recaps, and any footage with dialogue.
Dialogue-only tool. Story Cutter works by reading spoken word from a transcript. It selects and arranges soundbites — it does not analyze, identify, or insert b-roll, graphics, or visual-only footage. After your rough cut is in the timeline, visual coverage is added manually in Premiere Pro as a separate step.
Getting Started
Step 1: Prepare Your Source Timeline
Before you export anything, set up your footage in Premiere Pro the right way. This is the foundation everything else depends on.
Put all your footage onto a dedicated Premiere Pro timeline — this is your source timeline
If you're working on multiple videos, create a separate timeline for each
If you're using multiple camera angles, sync your clips before you transcribe — Story Cutter can pull from stacked synced video tracks when you insert (especially Insert Rough Cut). See Multicam and multi-angle footage below.
Do not move clips on this timeline after transcribing. Timestamps are locked to clip positions. Moving clips breaks the sync and requires a new transcription
Multicam and multi-angle footage
Does Story Cutter work with multicam? Yes — if by “multicam” you mean several cameras synced on one source timeline, each camera on its own video track. Story Cutter reads regular timeline clips on that sequence; it does not drive Premiere’s multicam angle editor inside a single multicam clip.
How to set up your source timeline
Sync every angle first (timecode, audio waveform, Merge Clips, etc.), then transcribe. If clips drift or you move them after export, timestamps won’t match — you’ll need a new transcript.
Stack cameras on separate video tracks from the bottom up: put your primary angle on V1, the next on V2, then V3 if needed. Don’t leave empty video tracks below your cameras (for example, don’t leave V1 empty while cameras only live on V3/V4). Empty gaps in the stack make it easy for an angle to be missed when inserts run.
Confirm the linked source sequence (purple pill) is exactly the timeline you transcribed.
Rough cut vs. one-line insert
Insert Rough Cut walks all video tracks at each moment and tries to bring multiple angles into your edit when they’re different clips stacked at that timecode.
Inserting a single soundbite (the ↓ on one line) picks video starting from V1 upward — so put the angle you want as the default for those inserts on V1.
If you only have one Multicam clip on one track
Premiere’s multicam source sequence often appears as one clip on one track. Story Cutter will treat it like one piece of media — it won’t switch angles inside that multicam clip. For true multi-angle inserts, use stacked synced clips on V1/V2/… as above, or stay on one angle for that project.
If it “doesn’t look right”
Check the purple pill → correct source sequence.
Check you didn’t move clips after transcribing.
Try V1 + V2 (and up) with no empty tracks under your cameras, then Insert Rough Cut to verify multi-angle output.
Pro tip: Name your source timeline clearly (e.g. "Interview - Story Cutter"). Story Cutter uses this name to auto-link your transcript when you upload it.
Step 2: Export Your Transcript
In Premiere Pro, open the Text panel (Window → Text)
If your footage hasn't been transcribed yet, click Transcribe
Once transcribed, click the three dots (⋯) in the top-right of the Text panel
Select Export as transcript file
Save as a
.jsonfile (this is important, not a .txt file) — recommend saving in your project's Documents folder to stay organized
Supported format: Story Cutter requires Premiere Pro's native .json transcript export. This format carries timestamp data tied to each clip's exact position on your timeline. SRT, VTT, plain text, and exports from tools like Descript, Rev, or Otter are not currently supported. If your footage was transcribed elsewhere, re-transcribe it inside Premiere Pro's Text panel before exporting.
Step 3: Start Story Cutter
Open Chat Video Pro (Window → Extensions → Chat Video Pro)
On the home screen, click the Story Cutter conversation starter
Attach your transcript file using the paperclip (📎) button in the composer
Once attached, you'll see a small purple pill icon appear in the composer. This confirms your transcript is loaded and Story Cutter is ready.
Creative brief (optional)
Story Cutter works best when your chat prompt explains runtime, platform, and goals — but you can also supply a creative brief so the cut follows your plan, client notes, or show format.
Attach an outside document — Use the paperclip (📎) to attach any reference file in the same conversation as your transcript. The AI reads it alongside your footage and uses it to drive selection and structure. Anything in the document — section goals, mandatory topics, brand language, pacing notes, client feedback, or show formats — feeds directly into how soundbites are chosen and ordered.
Useful documents to attach:
Client briefs or creative direction PDFs
Show bibles or episode formats
Scripts or outlines from a director or producer
Notes or feedback from a previous cut
Previous episode structures you want to match
Build a brief in chat with
/creative brief— Type/creative briefin the composer to start a planning-first flow. The assistant outlines concepts, platforms, and notable moments with timecodes — without producing a paper cut yet. When you are ready, ask for the cut in the same thread; your brief context and prompt work together for the full pipeline.
When to use it: Long transcripts, multi-section deliverables, or any time a plain prompt isn’t enough to capture editorial intent — for example, “Act 1 must establish the problem before we cut to the product demo.” The more context the AI has, the more intentional the selection.
Step 4: Link Your Source Timeline
When a transcript is attached, Story Cutter needs to know which Premiere Pro timeline your footage lives on. This is what allows it to insert clips in the right place.
Auto-link: If your transcript file name matches your timeline name exactly, it links automatically
Manual link: If they don't match, hover over the purple pill icon and click it to open the source selector — pick the correct timeline from the list
You can update the linked timeline at any point during the session by clicking the purple pill icon again.
Important: Make sure you link the source sequence you transcribed earlier, and do not move any footage in that source sequence so it stays in sync.
Step 5: Write Your Prompt
Give Story Cutter the context it needs to make good decisions. The more specific your prompt, the better the results.
Always include:
Ideal runtime
Sets the target length (e.g. "5 minutes", "60 seconds")
Platform
Determines story structure and pacing (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.)
Video type
Vlog, tutorial, interview, event recap, documentary
Hook / CTA guidance
Tell it how you want the video to open and close
Optional but helpful:
Topics or themes to focus on
Tone (educational, energetic, emotional, professional)
Anything to avoid or exclude
A creative brief you attached or built with
/creative brief— reinforces structure and priorities alongside your message
Example prompt:
"The goal of this video is to showcase Chat Video Pro and how it can help real estate editors speed up their post-production. Ideal runtime is 5 minutes, optimized for YouTube, and it's an educational tutorial. Start with an engaging hook and end with a call to action."
Fastest way to prompt: Use the voice dictation button in the composer. Just talk through the goal of the video naturally — runtime, platform, type, focus. You don't need to be precise; the AI understands conversational descriptions.
Working With Your Results
Reviewing the Paper Cut
After sending your prompt, Story Cutter scans the transcript and streams back a structured paper cut. You'll see a thinking card at the top — click it to watch what the AI is doing (scanning, mapping, arranging).
Rough timing guide:
Under 30 minutes
10–30 seconds
30–60 minutes
30–90 seconds
60–120 minutes
1–3 minutes
Over 2 hours
Use Gemini 3.1 Pro — its 1M context window handles the full transcript without splitting
The paper cut includes:
Soundbites — verbatim quotes from your transcript, never paraphrased
Timestamps — in
HH:MM:SS:FFformat, matching your source timelineSection labels — the AI breaks your video into named segments (Intro, Main Content, CTA, etc.)
Visual break markers — placeholders for montage moments or title cards between sections
Editor notes — explains why each soundbite was chosen
Navigating Soundbites
Each soundbite in the paper cut has two actions:
Click the timestamp — jumps your Premiere Pro playhead to that moment on the source timeline so you can preview it
Click the down arrow ↓ — inserts just that one soundbite at your playhead on the active timeline
Use individual insertion when you want to hand-pick specific moments and build the edit yourself.
Insert Rough Cut
Scroll to the bottom of the paper cut and click Insert Rough Cut to place the entire selection onto your timeline at once.
What happens:
All soundbites are trimmed in-point to out-point and placed in story order
Section markers appear above the clips on the timeline, labeled with the AI's recommended structure
If your footage was multi-angle and synced, Story Cutter tries to bring stacked angles through when each track has its own clip at that time
Clips land starting at your playhead position
After inserting, keep the conversation going in the same thread. Story Cutter holds the full context of your transcript and previous selections.
Refinement prompt examples:
"Cut 30 seconds from section 2 — it runs too long"
"The opening doesn't land — find a stronger hook"
"Replace the third soundbite, it feels repetitive"
"Find a cleaner close — something that lands harder"
"Focus section 1 more on the problem before introducing the solution"
"Remove anything about pricing"
Before inserting: Make sure your playhead is parked where you want the cut to begin — or use an empty sequence to keep things clean.
Slash Commands
Type / in the chat input to open the command menu. These commands let you run targeted workflows without writing a full prompt.
/new video
/new videoClears the current transcript and resets Story Cutter so you can start fresh with a different project. Use this when switching between videos in the same session.
/social clip
/social clipCuts a 60-second version of your video optimized for social media — Reels, Shorts, TikTok. Story Cutter finds the best hook, builds to a clear value moment, and closes with a call to action.
Usage:
Finds the single best 60-second clip from the entire transcript.
Focuses the social clip on a specific topic or moment.
/top 5 soundbites
/top 5 soundbitesFinds the five strongest moments in the entire transcript. Each result includes a description of why it works and which platforms it's best suited for (TikTok, Instagram Stories, LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, etc.).
Great for pulling extra value from a shoot. Send these to your client alongside the main deliverable — it takes seconds and adds real value.
Usage:
Cost is typically a few cents. The results come back fast and each soundbite can be individually inserted with the down arrow.
/select pass
/select passThe most powerful command. Scans the entire transcript and groups all the best moments by category — hooks, value moments, call to actions, emotional peaks, and more. Results are labeled with section markers and can be inserted all at once or one at a time.
Usage:
Finds everything and groups it all by category.
Returns only hook moments from the full transcript.
Targeted search — finds every relevant moment on a specific topic.
Why this is powerful: Rather than watching hours of footage to find your selects, run a select pass and let Story Cutter surface everything worth using. You make the creative decisions — the AI does the search.
Gemini 3.1 Pro is especially good for select passes on long transcripts thanks to its large context window. Try it when working with over an hour of footage.
/batch
/batchGive Story Cutter a list of edit tasks and it handles them all in one run. Instead of prompting separately for each deliverable, describe everything you need in a single message and Story Cutter works through them sequentially.
Usage:
Each task runs against the same transcript. Results appear one after another in the chat — each with its own paper cut, section markers, and insert buttons.
When to use it:
You have one shoot and need multiple deliverables (long-form + social clips)
A client wants several cuts from the same footage at different lengths
You want to run a select pass and a rough cut in one go without re-prompting
Tips:
Be specific about runtime, platform, and focus for each task — the same rules that apply to a single prompt apply to each line in a batch
Tasks run in order, so put the longest or most important edit first
Each result is independent — inserting one doesn't affect the others
Pro Tips
Use the recommended workflow: Source → Selects → Rough Cut
Keep your source timeline preserved and untouched. Run a /select pass to a dedicated selects timeline where everything is laid out with markers. Then build your rough cut from there. This gives you maximum creative control while automating the time-consuming selection work.
Sync your footage before you transcribe
If you're working with multi-angle footage (A-roll + B-roll, screen recording + talking head), sync everything on the source timeline before you export the transcript. When Story Cutter inserts, it brings all synced tracks — so your rough cut arrives with every angle already in place.
Don't move clips on the source timeline
Once transcribed, timestamps are tied to clip positions. If you rearrange clips, the timestamps break and you'll need to re-transcribe.
Try different models for different jobs
GPT-5.3 Instant — fast default for everyday chat, quick iterations. Not recommended for Story Cutter
GPT-5.2 Thinking — good for longer reasoning on complex editorial decisions
Claude Sonnet 4.6 — strong narrative judgment, great for story-driven cuts
Gemini 3.1 Pro — best for long transcripts and big select passes (1M context window)
Use /batch for multi-deliverable shoots — One transcript, multiple outputs. Give Story Cutter a list of tasks (long-form edit, social clip, select pass) and it works through them all without re-prompting. Saves time when you need several cuts from the same footage.
Quality in, quality out
The more organized and specific your prompt, the better the cut. Describe the goal of the video as if you were briefing a human editor: what it's about, who it's for, what you want them to feel, and how long it should run.
Troubleshooting
Timestamps don't match the source footage Make sure clips haven't been moved on the source timeline since transcribing. Re-transcribe if anything has shifted.
Insert button places clips in the wrong timeline The source timeline may not be linked correctly. Click the purple pill icon and manually select the right timeline.
Auto-link didn't work Happens when the transcript file name and timeline name don't match exactly. Click the purple pill to set the link manually.
No good soundbites found Check that your transcript has full timestamps and complete dialogue — summaries or partial transcripts won't work well. Try increasing the target duration.
Select pass returned too many results Add a filter to narrow it down: /select pass hooks or /select pass moments about [specific topic].
Multicam or multi-angle looks wrong Confirm the purple pill points at the sequence you transcribed, clips weren’t moved after export, and cameras are stacked on V1, V2, … with no empty video tracks below them. A single multicam clip on one track counts as one layer — use stacked clips for full multi-angle rough cuts. Prefer Insert Rough Cut to test; single-line ↓ inserts use V1 first.
Next: Learn about the Color Grade Assistant for AI-powered color correction and LUT generation.
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