Talking-head video editing checklist
By Mohamed Mokbel, founder · Last updated:
Edit a talking-head video in seven passes: record cleanly, make the first cut, make the fine cut, check the audio, check the captions, export, and watch the export once. This checklist lists what to check in each pass, and you can download it as a plain-text file.
Download it as plain text: talking-head-editing-checklist.txt.
Before you record
- Decide the one point of the video, and say it in your first sentence.
- Record ten seconds, then listen to them with headphones to check the sound.
- Frame the shot once and leave the camera alone for the whole recording.
While you record
- When you stumble, stop, wait a beat and say the whole sentence again from its opening word.
- Leave a short silence before and after each retake, so the cut points are easy to find.
- Keep recording in one session: one person, one setup.
First cut
- Remove long pauses and dead air, and keep a short beat so the speech does not sound rushed.
- Remove false starts, the sentences you began and abandoned.
- Keep one take of every line you said more than once, and listen to the take that was kept.
- Check the opening and cut to the point.
Fine cut
- Watch the whole cut once at normal speed without stopping.
- Put back a pause before a key point or a punchline.
- Vary the framing on jump cuts with a small zoom, so the cuts look chosen.
- Add B-roll by hand where the picture needs it.
Audio
- Check the level is even from the opening line to the closing line.
- Listen to the edge of every cut for a clipped word, and add padding where needed.
- Check the dialogue for noise and room sound.
Captions
- Read every caption once, and check names, numbers and product words.
- Keep captions clear of the edges of a vertical frame.
- If you use Arabic captions in Cutora AI, check them closely: they are in Beta.
Export
- Choose vertical (1080×1920) for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, and horizontal (1920×1080) for YouTube.
- Watch the whole export once before you publish it.
Where does Cutora AI fit in this checklist?
Cutora AI makes the first cut: it removes long pauses, false starts and repeated takes from your raw video, and it can clean the audio, add captions, highlights, motion and sound effects. You do the review. How the first cut decides what to remove explains the first pass.
It does not add B-roll on its own. A clip of your own can go on the second video lane of the editor, by hand or by asking the chat. It does not generate video, avatars or voices. It has no manual colour grading. It applies one colour look that follows the style (Warm for Clean, Contrast for Energetic; Clean, Warm and Contrast to choose from) that you can switch off. It does not edit videos longer than 60 minutes (10 minutes on the trial). It does not publish to social platforms.
FAQ
What order should I edit a talking-head video in?
Make the first cut first, then the fine cut, then audio, captions and export. Fixing pauses and retakes before you add anything keeps every later pass shorter.
How do I handle a stumble while I record?
Stop, wait a beat and say the whole sentence again from its opening word. A clean restart is easy to find and cut.
What size should I export a talking-head video?
Vertical 1080×1920 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, and horizontal 1920×1080 for YouTube. Cutora AI exports both.
Can I download this checklist?
Yes. It is a plain-text file at /guides/talking-head-editing-checklist.txt, and it prints as a page too.
Can I try Cutora AI?
Yes. Cutora is in Beta. You can create an account now and try it on one video. The trial needs an account with your email address: one video up to 10 minutes, up to 10 exports with a small Cutora mark, and no card needed.