cut-shortform

name	cut-shortform
description	Shape a 30-90 second editorial cut from a longer interview/talk using a word-timestamped transcript.
when-to-use	When the user asks for a clip, hook, shortform, reel, or wants a long video tightened.

Cut Shortform

The single editorial principle: one coherent argument, source order preserved. Stitched-together montages of disconnected good lines feel random; the goal is a clip that earns the next watch by escalating one idea.

Inputs

• transcript.json — required. Read segments first, then go to words for cut boundaries.
• An editorial brief from the user (target length, tone, subject, pacing). The brief is the goal; it is not a list of cuts to make.

Procedure

1. Skim the segments. Identify 3-7 candidate moments where the speaker says something concrete. Mark the segment id and rough time.

2. Pick the spine. From the candidates, choose ONE through-line: cold-open hook → catalyst → escalation → payoff. Discard candidates that don't serve the spine — even if they're individually strong.

3. Lock cut points to word boundaries from the words array. The start of a span = the start of the first kept word; the end = the end of the last kept word.

4. Write cuts.json before rendering. Schema:

   {
     "title": "Brief title for the clip",
     "target_duration_seconds": "~30 (28-32 window)",
     "keep_spans": [
       { "start": 35.04, "end": 39.26, "reason": "Cold open on …" }
     ],
     "cut_policy": [
       "Boundaries on whisper word timestamps, no reordering.",
       "Removed dead air, hedges, mid-sentence restarts."
     ]
   }
   

5. Render via the render-final skill.

Tail (optional)

If the user asks for the original video to continue after the hook ("then add the main video back," "play the rest after," "append the source"), record it in cuts.json as a tail block:

{
  "title": "...",
  "keep_spans": [ ... ],
  "tail": {
    "from": 98.14,
    "to": null,
    "music": false
  },
  "cut_policy": [ ... ]
}

• from is a source-time in seconds. Most useful: the end of the LAST keep-span, so the body picks up exactly where the hook left off (no jump).
• to of null means run to the end of the source.
• music: false means the music ducks out before the body starts.

Render order: keep-spans first, then the tail, concatenated. See render-final/SKILL.md for the filter pattern.

If tail is absent, render only the hook (default behavior).

Pacing rules by target length

Target	Bias
≤30s	Aggressive. One argument. No subordinate clauses unless they pay off the punch. Cut filler ruthlessly.
60s	Setup → tension → payoff. Some breathing room. Tolerate one clause that earns the next line.
90s+	Looser pacing, narrative arc, more context preserved. Still no reordering.

Things to cut without asking

• Throat-clearing, "you know," "like," "I mean," "umm"
• Mid-sentence restarts ("the — the thing is")
• Attribution wind-up before a quoted line
• Dead air > 0.3s unless it's doing tension/emphasis work
• Self-deprecating hedges ("probably shouldn't say this") — usually the next clause is the actual point

Things to keep even when slow

• Pauses that land a punchline (rare, but real)
• The breath before a key word (1 word's-worth, not 2)
• The first beat of laughter when it earns the line

Anti-patterns

• Reordering to make a tighter argument. Don't. The viewer will notice the seam, and source-order discipline is what keeps the cut honest.
• Stitching the loudest moments instead of building a spine. AI tools default to this. It's why they don't make good interview cuts.
• Cutting mid-word. Whisper gives you the boundaries. Use them.