Video Editing Sucks Until You Try AI
Every week, I spent:
- 6-8 hours on one video
- Manually cutting silence
- Adding captions
- Finding b-roll footage
- Color grading
Then I switched to AI.
Now:
- 45 minutes total time
- Auto-cut silence
- AI-generated captions
- B-roll suggestions
- One-click color grading
From 6 hours to 45 minutes. 4-5 videos/week instead of one.
Here's my workflow:
The AI Video Editing System
import openai
from typing import List, Dict, Optional
import json
class AIVideoEditor:
"""AI-powered video editing automation."""
def __init__(self):
self.client = openai.OpenAI()
self.editing_profile = {}
# Code for analyzing footage and generating an edit plan
def create_edit_plan(self, analysis: Dict):
"""Create step-by-step editing plan."""
print("📋 Creating edit plan...")
edit_plan = {
'steps': [],
'automations': [],
'manual_reviews': [],
'estimated_time': 0
}
# Step 1: Auto-remove silence
# Step 2: Cut filler words
# Step 3: Generate captions
# Step 4: Add b-roll (semi-automated)
# Step 5: Color grading
print(f"✅ Plan created: {len(edit_plan['steps'])} steps, ~{edit_plan['estimated_time']} min\n")
return edit_plan
def generate_captions(self, transcript: Dict, style: str = 'dynamic'):
"""Generate styled captions."""
# Code for generating captions
print(f"✅ Generated {len(result.get('captions', []))} caption segments\n")
def suggest_broll(self, context: str, timestamp: float):
"""Suggest b-roll footage for moment."""
# Code for suggesting b-roll
def optimize_hook(self, first_30_seconds: Dict):
"""Optimize first 30 seconds for retention."""
# Code for optimizing hooks
def create_shorts_from_long_form(self, video_analysis: Dict, target_duration: int = 60):
"""Identify short-form content from long video."""
print(f"✂️ Finding {target_duration}-second clips...")
# Code for identifying shorts
def generate_video_title_and_description(
self,
transcript: Dict,
video_topic: str,
platform: str = 'youtube'
):
"""Generate SEO-optimized title and description."""
# Code for generating metadata
# Usage Example
editor = AIVideoEditor()
AI Video Editing Tools
My complete stack:
- Descript ($24/month) - Transcription, remove filler words, cut silence, edit like text.
- OpusClip ($19-95/month) - Auto-create shorts from long video, AI-generated captions, viral score predictions.
- Runway ($15/month) - AI b-roll generation, remove backgrounds, visual effects.
- CapCut (Free-$10/month) - Auto-captions, templates, effects library, easy exports.
- ElevenLabs ($22/month) - Voice cloning for voiceovers, multi-language dubbing.
My Video Editing Workflow
45-minute start to finish:
- Minutes 0-5: Setup & Analysis
- Minutes 5-10: Cut Dead Air
- Minutes 10-20: Structure
- Minutes 20-30: Enhancements
- Minutes 30-40: Shorts Creation
- Minutes 40-45: Export & Metadata
Total: 45 minutes vs 6-8 hours manual
Editing Techniques
What AI automates:
Auto-Cut Silence
- Removes dead air >1.5 seconds
- Cleaner pacing, faster editing
Filler Word Removal
- "Um", "uh", "like"
- One-click removal for natural flow
Smart Captions
- Auto-generated from transcript
- Multiple style templates, accessibility
B-Roll Suggestions
- AI analyzes when b-roll needed
- Suggests relevant footage, saves time
Color Grading
- One-click presets for consistent look
Shorts Strategy
From 1 long video → 15 shorts:
- OpusClip Workflow: Upload long-form video, get 10-15 clips, review viral scores.
- Distribution: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn.
Tools & Costs
My editing stack:
- Descript: $24/month - Transcription + editing
- OpusClip: $95/month - Shorts creation
- Runway: $15/month - AI b-roll
- CapCut: Free - Quick edits
- ElevenLabs: $22/month - Voice work
Total: $156/month
My Results
Before AI:
- 6-8 hours per video, 1/week output.
After AI:
- 45 minutes per video, 4-5 videos/week.
- Auto-created 15 shorts per long video.
Impact:
- Time saved: 90% (6 hours → 45 min)
- Output: 5× more videos
- Shorts: 60-75/month automatically
Getting Started
This week:
Day 1: Tools Setup (1 hour) - Get Descript account, try OpusClip free trial. Day 2: First Edit (2 hours) - Record sample video, upload to Descript, follow workflow. Day 3-7: Optimize - Edit 2-3 more videos, refine workflow.
Call To Action
Check out my real AI tools at axon.nepa-ai.com