Attention spans are getting shorter. And so are the videos that gain massive traction on social media. Cutting down a long video to a short video can help you gather millions of views on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.
But manually editing a long video can take forever. Wondershare Filmora is a solution, to instantly create short, engaging clips for social media with Filmora鈥檚 AI-driven Smart Short Clips feature.
How to Choose the Right Sections for Repurposing Long Videos聽
One of the most challenging parts of converting long videos is finding the right segments to highlight. People want clips that are appealing and to the point. If your video fails to resonate, it won鈥檛 drive the desired interactions.
So, how do you effectively repurpose a long video? can make this process fast and simple with AI-based scene detection of its Smart Short Clips feature. With its content-aware algorithms, it automatically detects the most important parts of the video and deletes any distracting elements.
Pros of Turning Long Videos to Short Videos With Filmora
- Easy, One-Click Solution: Filmora highlights key moments and removes unwanted sections automatically with a single click
- Smart AI Scene Detection: AI identifies engaging moments, selecting impactful sections effortlessly for seamless short clips
- Customisable Settings: Adjust aspect ratio, duration, theme, and captions to create share-ready, tailored video clips
- Diverse Preset Templates: Choose from 50+ themed templates, with AI adapting them to match your video鈥檚 style
- Social Media Optimisation: Automatically adjusts aspect ratios (9:16, 1:1, 4:3) for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok
How to Automatically Convert Long Videos to Short Videos with Filmora: A Step-by-Step Guide
Filmora simplifies creating multiple short clips from lengthy videos. Whether you’re editing a pre-recorded file or trimming an already published YouTube video, Filmora makes it easy and accessible to everyone. Best of all, no technical video editing skills are required, making it perfect for both professionals and hobbyists alike.
Step 1. Access Smart Short Clips
Download and install Wondershare Filmora 14. Launch it and select 鈥淪mart Short Clips鈥� from the main screen.
You can also click 鈥淭oolbox鈥� from the left panel. Then select 鈥淪mart Short Clips鈥� from the various options.
Step 2. Import Your Video
A window will pop up on your screen. From here,
- Click the upload button to import your video or drag it to the interface
- Paste your YouTube video URL in the link box to upload the video
- Click the 鈥淔ilmora Cloud鈥� button and select your desired video
Step 3. Adjust Video Settings
Once you鈥檝e imported your video, you can customise its settings. To do this,
- Click the 鈥淟anguage鈥� dropdown and select the language of your video
- Select the short clip鈥檚 鈥淒uration.鈥� You can select from Auto, 0-30s, or 30-60s options
- Choose the 鈥淭heme鈥� of your video, whether it鈥檚 a podcast or something about gaming, marketing, etc.
Step 4. More Advanced Customisation
Click the 鈥�Advanced鈥� option. You can select the aspect ratio from here and enable Smart BG Generation. You can also add keywords to generate relevant animations.
Step 5. Choose a Preset Template
Move to the 鈥�Templates鈥� section. Select the preset that matches your video. Then, click 鈥淕enerate鈥� and wait for your video to process.
Step 6.聽 Export Your Short Clip
The AI will analyse your video and give you multiple clips, each with a specific theme. Select the one you like. You can also turn on 鈥淎I Speech enhancement鈥� to improve the audio quality. Then, click 鈥淓xport鈥� or 鈥淓dit鈥� as needed.
Step 7. Optimise for Social Media
A window with export options will open. Select your desired platform from here, such as YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok. Then, choose the video鈥檚 title, description, category, resolution, etc., and click 鈥淓xport.鈥�
Additional Editing Tools to Enhance Your Short Videos
Despite the smart AI-generated results, you may wish to change something about your short clips. If so, you can select the 鈥淓dit鈥� option to edit your videos further once the videos are generated.
Here are some powerful options to upgrade your videos.
Add or Delete the Captions
Once in the editing panel, you can select or hide the specific captions. Select the 鈥淒uration filter mode鈥� from the Select Mode dropdown for more detailed edits.
Customise Font Style
Select the 鈥淭ext鈥� menu from the top right in the editing panel. Choose the font style you like from the various preset options. You can also select the 鈥淏asic鈥� tab for more editing options.
Apply Filters and Effects
Click the video in the preview to open the 鈥淰ideo鈥� editing options. Add a split screen, scale the video, and adjust colors and tone.
Professional Editing Tools
Select the 鈥淎I tools鈥� tab under the 鈥淰ideo鈥� menu. This will give you more advanced AI-driven editing tools, such as planner motion tracking.
Adjust Colour and Tone
Select the 鈥淐olour鈥� menu from the editing panel. Choose from the various preset filters. You can also perfect 鈥淗SL鈥� adjustments if needed.
Enhance the Audio
Want to enhance the video’s audio quality? Select the 鈥淎udio鈥� tab for basic adjustments. For more advanced edits, switch to the 鈥淰oice Changer鈥� tab.
Pro Tips for Creating Viral Short Clips for Social Media
Now that you know how to convert a long video to a short video clip, here are some tips for creating videos that gather the maximum views.
- Highlight Emotion or Action: Choose segments that are exciting, intense, or induce laughter. If tutorials or action-based videos are used, cut to the critical moment to grab attention quickly
- One Key Point per Clip: Most short clips are within 15-30 seconds. Don鈥檛 try to stuff too much information into this short duration. Focus on a single and clear idea to make the clip more digestible
- Keep it Focused: Focus on segments with clear and straightforward language. Avoid parts with off-topic discussions, as they can distract from the main idea of the clip
- Avoid Long Setups: Skip parts with lengthy explanations and go straight to the meat of the video. This way, the viewers can get the video鈥檚 message from the beginning
- Choose Call to Actions: End the clips with a segment that naturally calls to action. This could be as simple as 鈥渇ollow for more tips鈥� or 鈥渓ike the video if you find it helpful鈥�
- Use Click-Worthy Thumbnails: Use a catchy thumbnail that shows the most exciting part of the video. Alternatively, create custom thumbnails to increase the clip鈥檚 click-through rate
- Add Captions and Titles: Most people watch shorts on the go. Add captions and relevant titles to optimise your videos for public viewing. This can also enhance the content鈥檚 understanding and drive viewers to like or share the video
That鈥檚 all about how to convert long videos to short videos that boost your visibility on online platforms. Filmora鈥檚 Smart Short Clips feature can streamline your video editing process, whether you are a content creator or a professional video editor. It鈥檚 not just about speedy video edits but also helps highlight the most impactful moments with intelligent AI algorithms.
What鈥檚 the ideal length for short videos on popular social media platforms?
A 15 to 60-second clip is best for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. However, keep the clips around 15 to 30 seconds for Facebook and X. It鈥檚 best to stay updated on the platform-specific guidelines as they change over time.
What is the best long video-to-short video converter?
Filmora鈥檚 Smart Short Clips tool is the best AI-driven long-to-short video converter. It automatically highlights the best moments and gives you multiple short clips in minutes. You can choose from various templates and optimise clips from different online platforms.
How can I convert a YouTube video to a short clip?
Fillmora鈥檚 Smart Short Clips feature lets you create multiple short clips directly from a YouTube URL. Then, you can customise the video鈥檚 aspect ratio, duration, and theme or choose from preset templates. You can also post directly to YouTube or create a content schedule.
