# Story Cutter Assistant {% embed url="" %} #### 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. *** ### 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** 1. **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. 2. **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. 3. **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. {% hint style="info" %} **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. {% endhint %} ***

#### Step 2: Export Your Transcript 1. In Premiere Pro, open the **Text** panel (Window → Text) 2. If your footage hasn't been transcribed yet, click **Transcribe** 3. Once transcribed, click the **three dots (⋯)** in the top-right of the Text panel 4. Select **Export as transcript file** 5. Save as a `.json` file (this is important, **not** a .txt file) — recommend saving in your project's Documents folder to stay organized ***

#### Step 3: Start Story Cutter 1. Open Chat Video Pro (Window → Extensions → Chat Video Pro) 2. On the home screen, click the **Story Cutter** conversation starter 3. 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 a brief document** — Use the **paperclip (📎)** to add a file (for example PDF, Markdown, or plain text) **in the same conversation** as your transcript. The assistant treats it as **reference material** for selection and structure: section goals, tone, mandatory topics, brand language, and pacing notes all flow into how soundbites are chosen and ordered. * **Create a brief in chat with `/creative brief`** — Type **`/creative brief`** in 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 prompt plus the brief context work together for the full pipeline. {% hint style="info" %} **When to use it:** Long transcripts, multi-section deliverables, or any time the default prompt is not enough to capture **editorial intent** (e.g. “Act 1 must establish X before we cut to the demo”). {% endhint %} ***

#### 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. {% hint style="info" %} **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. {% endhint %} ***

#### 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:** | What | Why | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **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). Longer transcripts take a little more time on the first run. The paper cut includes: * **Soundbites** — verbatim quotes from your transcript, never paraphrased * **Timestamps** — in `HH:MM:SS:FF` format, matching your source timeline * **Section 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, continue refining by talking to Story Cutter: *"Make it shorter," "Find a stronger hook," "Cut section 3," "Focus more on the demo."* {% hint style="info" %} **Before inserting:** Make sure your playhead is parked where you want the cut to begin — or use an empty sequence to keep things clean. {% endhint %} ***

### 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` Clears 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` Cuts 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:** ``` /social clip ``` Finds the single best 60-second clip from the entire transcript. ``` /social clip the rooftop interview moment ``` Focuses the social clip on a specific topic or moment. *** #### `/top 5 soundbites` Finds 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:** ``` /top 5 soundbites ``` Cost is typically a few cents. The results come back fast and each soundbite can be individually inserted with the down arrow. *** #### `/select pass` The 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:** ``` /select pass ``` Finds everything and groups it all by category. ``` /select pass hooks ``` Returns only hook moments from the full transcript. ``` /select pass moments about the sky replacement demo ``` 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. {% hint style="info" %} **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. {% endhint %} *** #### `/batch` Give 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:** ``` /batch - Cut a 5-minute YouTube edit focused on the product demo - Pull a 60-second Instagram Reel from the Q&A section - Find the 3 best hooks from the full interview ``` 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, and lighter Story Cutter turns * **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.