[FAQ]

I run a podcast channel where our episodes are often an hour long. I know there are so many good highlights hidden in our conversations that would be perfect for YouTube Shorts or TikTok, but I’m really struggling with the process.

It feels like it’s more than just cutting a 30-second piece. How do you find the single best “viral” moment in a very long talk? When I do find a good clip, it often lacks context and doesn’t really make sense on its own. It takes me so long to find a moment and then add captions and text to make it work, grabe.

I was hoping some of you might have a good workflow or some tips on how to do this efficiently. Is there a better way to think about it?

[Jeff Bullas]

This is a crucial skill for maximising your content’s reach.

Short Answer: The key is to stop thinking about “trimming” and start thinking about “repackaging.” You must identify a single, high-impact moment and rebuild a new, self-contained short-form video around it using a strong hook and clear context.

Effectively translating your content between these two distinct video formats requires a dedicated editing approach focused on the new viewer’s experience.

A short-form video is not just a clip of a long-form one; it’s a completely new piece of content that must stand on its own. Firstly, when reviewing your long-form video, you must actively hunt for a single, punchy idea—a surprising statement, a concise tip, or a key emotional moment that doesn’t require extensive backstory. Secondly, once you have that core moment, you must craft a new hook for it, which often takes the text format of a bold, on-screen caption in the first three seconds to grab a viewer’s attention and provide immediate context. Thirdly, you need to transform the visual format of the clip to suit the fast pace of a feed by adding dynamic, animated captions for sound-off viewing and using techniques like zooms or quick cuts to maintain high energy. This process ensures you’re not just posting an out-of-context audio clip, but a complete, re-packaged video optimised for a short-form audience.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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