Formats · Length 20-45s · 9:16 · beginner
Semester recap montage: how to shoot, edit, and prompt it
A semester recap montage cuts every piece you made in a term to one song, one piece per beat, in the order you made them.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24 · Example: @sulansart
- Platforms
- TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube
- Length
- 20-45s
- Aspect
- 9:16
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Gear
- phone, every finished piece photographed or filmed the same way, one song
I made one of these because I'd never posted most of the paintings. Same wall, same light, one session, then one song that was stuck in my head.
At a glance
| Best for | End of term, end of year, "I never posted these" |
| Hook style | The count ("14 paintings, one semester") or first piece next to last piece |
| Pacing | One piece per beat in the verse, one per half-beat in the chorus, one hold before the drop |
| Caption style | A title, optional piece names |
| Music | The song that was stuck in your head all semester |
| Shot list | Each piece filmed the same way, 5 seconds, same light. Two or three process clips. You holding the last piece. |
| Common mistakes | Pieces shot in different light. Off-beat cuts. Ending on a weak piece. |
Structure
- 0-3s: title with the count, or first next to last
- 3-15s: pieces in order, one per beat
- 15-18s: hold on the one you're proudest of
- 18-35s: the rest, faster in the chorus
- 35-40s: the last piece, you holding it
- 40-45s: closing title, optional
How to shoot it
- Film every piece the same way. Same wall, same distance, same light, same 5-second move.
- Daylight, one session if you can.
- One or two process clips for texture.
- Film yourself holding the last piece or in front of the wall of all of them.
- Do it before you hand anything in.
How to edit it
- Chronological. Growth is the story.
- One piece per beat, half-beats in the chorus, one hold before the drop.
- Same in and out point on every clip.
- Title with the count in the first 2 seconds.
- No captions over the pieces.
- End on the strongest piece.
Prompt it in Vyra
Make a 35-second recap from these 14 painting clips, cut to the attached song. Chronological order, one painting per beat in the verse, two per beat in the chorus. Hold the "longing" clip for 3 seconds right before the drop. Open with the title "one semester, 14 paintings" for 2 seconds. End on the clip of me holding the last piece.
Match the exposure across all 14 clips so the wall looks the same in each.
Swap the order so the strongest piece is last, and put the two process clips in the quiet part before the chorus.
Variations
- Year recap, a month card between groups.
- Growth recap, first piece and last piece only.
- Medium recap, only the oils, or only the sketches.
FAQ
The pieces were shot in different light and framing. Does that matter? Vyra can match color and reframe, but reshoot on one wall in one session if you can.
How long is each piece on screen? One beat, about half a second at 120 bpm.
Can Vyra put them in date order? Yes. It reads the recording dates.