Rough cut prompts: raw footage to a first draft

Tell Vyra how long, for where, which takes to keep, and what to cut. Leave captions and music for the next pass.

Minimal:

Cut this down to about 60 seconds for social. Best takes only.

Standard:

Take this 8-minute raw video down to 60 seconds for Instagram. Use the best takes of each point, cut pauses, stumbles, retakes, and any moment I look at my notes. Keep it in the order I filmed it. No captions or on-screen text yet.

Full:

Make a 60-second vertical rough cut for Reels from this footage. Open on the line "nobody tells you this about commissions", then the three main points in order, then end on the shot where I hold up the finished piece. Prefer takes where I sound confident and do not restart a sentence. Remove pauses longer than half a second. Straight cuts only, no zooms or transitions. Leave captions and music for later.

What each part does

The opening line pins the hook. "In order" stops the agent from reshuffling your points. "Prefer takes where" is a rule it can apply to every take. "Half a second" is a number it can measure. "Straight cuts only" keeps it from decorating.

Fixes

• Too long. Say which section to shorten.
• Wrong opening. Quote the line you want first.
• Too choppy. "Allow pauses up to one second."

FAQ

Should I ask for captions in the same prompt? No. Get the cut right first. Captions shift if you re-cut after.

It picked the wrong take. Point at it. "Around 2:10 there is a take where I don't stumble. Use that one."

Related

• /prompts/captions
• /prompts/talking-head-cleanup
• /prompts/how-to-prompt-vyra
• /tutorials/first-rough-cut

Rules that apply to every prompt

1. One target per prompt. Length, platform, purpose.
2. Quote the exact line when you mean a specific moment.
3. Give numbers, not adjectives. "Pauses over half a second," not "snappy."
4. Say what not to add. Zooms, transitions, music, effects.
5. One fix per follow-up message. Ask for a list of changes with timestamps if you want to check.