Separate usable spans from chosen cuts
On the first full playback, locate identity/prop changes, rebound, accidental repetition, bleaching and speech errors. Stillness, darkness and pauses are not automatically unusable; compare their shot purpose.
A usable span is an observation; in/out points are a choice. Eight usable seconds may yield a four-second cut. A line needing breath and response may retain a longer tail.
See generation revision choices for rerolling, rewriting or pickups. This guide chooses the retained interval once material exists.
Original cut example: receive, then release
This hypothetical material supports a cut-design comparison, not an actual generated result. The storyboard requires Xiao Qiao to hand repaired puppet to Amei, release after Amei supports it, then Amei nods. There is no dialogue.
| Span | Content | Choice |
|---|---|---|
| 0.00–0.80s | Transfer has not started | Keep waiting only if the scene needs it |
| 0.80–4.00s | Offer, secure grip, release | Preserve the causal chain |
| 4.00–5.20s | Amei looks and nods | Let the receipt register |
| 5.20–6.40s | Stable hold | Retain the needed aftereffect |
| After 6.40s | Puppet drifts; handoff repeats | Exclude this defect span |
Compare an in-point of 0.60s and out-point of 5.40s: brief preparation plus complete receipt and nod. These are candidate values, not universal seconds. Starting at 3.50s may show only a released hand; ending at 3.80s may lose clear receipt.
Amei should still hold the puppet in the next shot. Removing drift does not prove continuity; compare the next accepted start.
Protect complete speech first
Locate the actual speech of this line rather than extending it for unrelated noise. Choose lead-in, breath and reaction by performance. The skill’s approximate padding is a working default, not a whole-film quota.
Picture may cut during a line if audio remains continuous and speaker/story relations stay clear. This version’s render trims sound and image together; retained audio over different picture requires external editing and recorded spans. Do not rewrite the line just to simplify cutting.
Recheck caption-relative times after changing the in-point; see subtitle alignment.
When necessary material is missing
Shorten when the usable span fully carries the information. Compare another existing shot or a reordered sequence when it can supply the gap. If necessary contact, choice, speech or reaction never appears, list the gap and request material.
A dissolve cannot create a missing handoff, and a frozen frame does not establish secure receipt. An alternative realization needs storyboard approval rather than a silent change of story facts.
Watch the sequence at normal speed, then check joins, sound and captions. Report differences from a reference duration; honor a fixed delivery duration or identify missing material rather than downgrading it to a reference.
FAQ
Must all initial stillness and trailing pauses be cut?
No. Waiting, response and silence may be the shot’s purpose. Consider removing waiting or accidental repetition only when it adds no intended function, judged at normal playback speed.
Do it with the skill
Use $short-drama-edit to watch existing sources fully and record usable spans separately from chosen cuts. Preserve shot information, complete speech and outcomes, compare the next start, list pickups and recheck captions/audio after trimming.
Read the method: Usable generated-footage intervals · Choose cuts by information and performance · Audio seams, captions and enacted mixing