01 / CHOOSE THE MOMENT
Build one complete idea, not a random excerpt
A useful Short should make sense without requiring the viewer to watch the original first. Review your video and mark moments with a clear question, surprising result, practical tip, transformation, or concise story. The strongest source section often contains a natural beginning and payoff within a short window.
Write a one-sentence promise for the clip. If the selected footage does not deliver that promise, choose a different section or record a short voiceover to provide context. Removing setup can improve pace, but removing essential context makes the clip confusing.
- Communicates one main idea.
- Has an understandable opening without a long introduction.
- Includes a useful result, answer, or payoff.
- Can be framed clearly in a vertical canvas.
- Uses footage and audio you own or are licensed to reuse.
02 / COLLECT YOUR MEDIA
Use the best source file you control
Whenever possible, use the original video from your camera, editing archive, or channel backup. This avoids an unnecessary generation of compression. If you need to retrieve your own publicly available upload, PETENG YTDownloader can process supported links that you own or have permission to save.
Do not use this workflow to copy another creator's video. Ownership of an idea is different from permission to download, edit, and republish someone else's recording, music, or performance.
03 / EDIT VERTICAL
Rebuild the clip on a 9:16 PeteCut timeline
- Create a PeteCut project.
Choose the Vertical 9:16 aspect ratio before arranging the final composition.
- Import and trim the source.
Place the video on the timeline and remove introductions, repeated phrases, dead air, and anything that does not support the one-sentence promise.
- Reframe the subject.
Scale and position the clip so the important person, product, or action remains visible. A wide shot may need a crop, while screen recordings may work better with selected close-ups or a designed background.
- Add context.
Use a short opening title, text callout, or voiceover when the excerpt begins in the middle of a larger explanation.
- Generate captions.
Run Auto captions from the timeline, correct the transcript, and keep text inside a readable safe area.
04 / FRAME THE WIDE SOURCE
Choose a vertical treatment intentionally
| Method | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Crop to fill | The subject stays visible inside a narrow vertical frame. |
| Scale to fit | The full wide composition or screen recording must remain visible. |
| Designed background | You want room for branding, headlines, or supporting graphics. |
| Reposition by section | The important subject moves across the original frame. |
Do not stretch a landscape clip to fill 9:16. Preserve its proportions and choose whether to crop, fit, or redesign the surrounding space.
05 / REVIEW & EXPORT
Make the Short useful on its own
Check the first seconds, caption timing, voice clarity, visual framing, and final payoff. Remove any ending that depends on a missing section of the long video. If the Short points to the full version, make that invitation clear without withholding the answer promised by the clip.
Export from the 9:16 project and watch the file on a phone. Confirm that faces, product details, titles, and captions remain visible around the interface areas used by the publishing platform.
06 / QUESTIONS
Video repurposing questions
Can I use PETENG to download a YouTube video?
Use YTDownloader only for a video you created, own, or have permission to save, and follow the platform terms and applicable law.
What aspect ratio should I use for a vertical Short?
Choose PeteCut's Vertical 9:16 project ratio and inspect the export on a phone before publishing.
Should a Short include automatic captions?
Captions improve comprehension when audio is unavailable or difficult to hear. Generate them from the final timeline and review every word and timestamp.