Edit a Short Video With Claude Code

Start with one short clip. Give Claude Code the footage and a clear edit brief, then watch a draft before asking for the final video.

What this helps you do

Remove pauses and false starts, add readable captions, and place screenshots beside the lines they explain. Keep the original footage so you can compare the edit or start again.

Before you start

• Set up Claude Code on your computer and open a dedicated project folder.
• Put copies of your raw clip, script, and owned screenshots in that folder. Keep your originals elsewhere.
• Add a reference reel you have permission to use for style direction. Describe what you like about its pacing or captions.
• Have a video tool available, such as FFmpeg or your chosen composition workflow. Claude Code runs tools to produce the edit. A chat response alone is not a rendered video.

Terms to know

• Transcript: the words spoken in the recording, ideally with timestamps.
• Cut list: the portions to keep or remove.
• Render: create a playable video file from the edit.
• Draft: a preview you review before the final export.

Step-by-step

1. Ask Claude Code to inspect the project files, identify the available video tools, and propose an edit plan. Review any proposed installation before it runs.
2. Ask for a timestamped transcript and cut list. Keep the best complete take of each line and protect the meaning of every sentence.
3. Give it the edit brief below. Specify the intended shape, such as vertical 9:16, and where captions should stay clear of your face.
4. Ask for a short preview first. Watch it with sound, then check the captions with sound off. Look for clipped words, awkward cuts, and screenshots appearing before their topic.
5. Request specific fixes using timestamps. For example: “At 0:12, move the graphic above my face. Keep that sentence intact.”
6. After the revised draft passes, ask for the final MP4 and the editable project. Play the exported file from start to finish.

Copy this

Paste this inside Claude Code with your project folder open:

Edit a copy of [RAW CLIP] using [SCRIPT] and the screenshots in [FOLDER]. First inspect the files and available video tools. Propose a timestamped cut list before changing footage. Remove dead air and false starts, keep the best complete takes, and preserve the speaker's meaning. Make a vertical 9:16 draft with readable captions that stay clear of the face. Show each screenshot when the speaker names its subject. Use [REFERENCE] only for pacing and layout direction. Save a playable preview and editable project, and wait for my review before the final export. Keep all original files unchanged. Ask before installing software or using a paid service.

Things to know

Claude Code can work with local files and commands, but results depend on the tools available in the project. Rendering takes time and model usage can cost money. Use only footage, music, fonts, and images you have permission to include. Check the actual output rather than relying on a completion message.

If something goes wrong

• Words are cut off: restore a little footage on both sides of that cut.
• Captions are wrong: correct the transcript and regenerate the affected section.
• A graphic covers your face: name the timestamp and the new position.
• No MP4 was produced: ask for the render command, its result, and the saved file path.

Final check

The exported MP4 plays fully, speech stays intact, captions match the audio, screenshots match the topic, and the originals are still available.