Find clip-worthy moments with AI

What you'll make

A list of timestamped moments from a long video that are worth clipping — each with a suggested hook angle, estimated clip length and caption idea. Instead of watching a 2-hour stream to find 5 clips, you'll have candidates in minutes.

What you need

• A Claude account
• A transcript of a long video (stream, podcast, interview) — most platforms let you download transcripts, or you can use YouTube's transcript feature and copy the text
• 20 minutes

Steps

1. Get the transcript with timestamps. On YouTube, click "Show transcript" and copy the text with timestamps. If your transcript doesn't have timestamps, paste the plain text and ask Claude to estimate based on word count:

I have a transcript of a [length]-minute [video type]. It doesn't have timestamps. Estimate timestamps by assuming an average speaking pace of 150 words per minute, then find the best clips.

2. Paste the transcript into Claude and ask for clip suggestions:

Here is a transcript of a [video type] about [topic]. Find 8 moments that would make strong short-form clips (15–60 seconds each) for TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

For each moment, give me:
1. The timestamp range
2. The exact quote or paraphrased snippet
3. Why it works as a clip (what makes someone stop scrolling)
4. A suggested caption (under 100 characters)
5. Whether it stands alone or needs context from the full video

Prioritise moments with a strong hook in the first 3 seconds. Avoid moments that only make sense with earlier context.

Here is the transcript:
[paste transcript]

3. Review the suggestions. Watch the actual video at those timestamps to check:

• The person's energy and delivery (a great quote delivered flatly won't clip well)
• Whether there's a visual element worth keeping or if it's just talking head
• Whether the moment truly stands alone without context

4. For the 4–5 best candidates, ask Claude for hook variations:

For these clips: [list the timestamp ranges]. For each, give me 3 alternative opening lines I could use as on-screen text to make someone stop scrolling. Keep each under 8 words.

Check your result

• You have 8 timestamped candidates, each with a caption and a reason it works
• You've watched the actual video at those timestamps to verify they're good
• Each selected clip stands alone — a stranger who never saw the full video would understand it
• You have on-screen text hooks for the clips you plan to post

If Claude suggests moments that need context, it means the transcript alone isn't enough. Watch those sections yourself and either find a self-contained moment nearby or skip it. The best clips work cold.