1. Cut the dead air
Remove the pauses between sentences, the “um”s and the false starts. Keep a tiny breath between lines so it doesn't sound robotic. This one step often makes a video 20 to 40% shorter and much easier to watch.
2. Keep only your best take
If you said a line three times, keep the last good one and remove the others. Recording in takes and choosing later is faster than trying to be perfect on camera.
3. Hide the jump cuts
Cutting out pauses makes your head jump between shots. On short videos viewers accept it, but you can soften it: alternate between a normal and a slightly zoomed-in frame at each cut, which also adds energy.
4. Add captions
Big, short lines, synced word by word, placed above the bottom of the screen. Highlight the key word of each sentence in a different color. Captions are what muted viewers follow.
5. Extras, used sparingly
- A short title on screen for the first seconds.
- A progress bar along the bottom, so viewers see the end is near.
- B-roll or an image when you mention something visual.
- Light background music, well below your voice.
TipEvery extra should help the viewer understand or stay. If it only decorates, cut it.
Doing it faster
Steps 1 to 4 are repetitive, which is exactly what automatic editing is good at. Felvero cuts pauses and retakes, frames the video vertically, adds the zooms and burns in the captions, and you review each cut before rendering.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I cut?
Cut every pause that isn't for effect. If a sentence works without a word, cut the word.
Are jump cuts bad?
Not on short videos; viewers expect them. Alternating zoom levels at each cut makes them feel intentional.
What frame rate should I export?
Export at the frame rate you filmed, usually 30 fps, in 1080×1920 for vertical videos.