I wanted to compare four AI clipping tools, three paid and one free. Then I realized Claude can do the same job, so I built a Claude skill for Shorts instead. This article shows how the workflow runs, where you can step in, and how the Final Cut Pro XML export lets you finish the edit in the editor you already know.
Why I skipped the clipping tools
I tried Opus Clip, Klap and the clipping tool inside vidIQ. None of them impressed me, and what annoyed me most was editing inside the browser. It felt like Hyperframes, only worse. The one that performed best was YouTube’s own clipping tool in YouTube Studio. It is basic, but you pick an in point and an out point and you do not have to download or re-upload anything.
The Claude route needs no extra subscription if you already pay for Claude. A $20 plan goes a long way here. Even a cheap human editor costs more than $20 per short-form video, so you get your money’s worth quickly. How many Shorts you can make depends on the type of video.
How the Claude skill for Shorts works
My skill is called HX Editor. I have been tuning it for a couple of days. The prompt I gave it was simple: use HX Editor and turn these into Shorts, plus a pointer to the video file. The source can be a raw recording or a video I already edited. It handles both.
The skill can make Shorts, full videos and motion graphics. It also makes thumbnails. I use those for Shorts, but I still make my own thumbnails for regular YouTube videos.
I would not copy my skill. Skills go out of date fast. Build your own, then send Claude a screenshot of the quick start guide from the end of my video and have it set up a system like that for you, or update the one you have.
Where you can step in
You can run the whole thing on autopilot, but I do not. I want to review the clips so it does not put out trash. There are several points to intervene:
- Claude transcribes the video and proposes clips. Here you can say you do not want a section, or ask for a clip of something specific.
- It builds the Shorts in Hyperframes, which you can preview in the Claude desktop app. Ask for changes there, or pick specific clips instead of all of them.
- It asks whether you want a Final Cut Pro XML file. For long-form videos I always say yes.
The skill also has a Metricool integration. In theory you point it at a long video and it uploads and schedules the Shorts for you. I did not run that part in the video, so I am only telling you it is possible.
Final Cut Pro XML for the fine-tuning
Hyperframes is a good preview, but for real editing I prefer Final Cut Pro. The XML export lets me import the whole project and edit it there. It removes the dead silences I dislike, does the first rough cut and adds motion graphics, which saves me a lot of time. It also works on a raw video that you want turned into an edited long-form video, not only for clips.
In the demo, I asked for the Final Cut Pro XML of one Short that was cropped wrong. A camera I held up on a gimbal was cut off. In Final Cut Pro I could see the text hook, the captions (which I can switch on and off) and the camera clip, which was scaled up too far. I zoomed out by hand. If you want it prettier, duplicate the clip, zoom in again and add a Gaussian blur. That is three steps.
What it got right and wrong
The simple test was an already edited camera review. The result is about the level you get from the AI clipping tools: it resizes, fills the frame with a blurred background and adds captions well. I told it not to cut too much so it would not make mistakes. That leaves a few pauses in, but the result is better overall.
The hard test was a screen recording with a facecam already baked in. You cannot remove the facecam, and you still want to use the space of the vertical format well. Results there were a draft, not perfect. In another Short it cut me out, put a box behind me and increased the background blur when I talked about the background blur. It can also pull stock footage and images through a Pixabay API.
This ran on Opus 5.5. Opus costs more and takes longer than Sonnet, so decide whether the difference is worth it for your clips.
Set up a style guide first
The output is only as good as your style guide. Claude follows your rules, and if the rules are weak you get the same generic look everyone else has. Write the guide once, point the skill at it and update it whenever your taste changes. Shorts can be tighter than long-form, with faster cuts and more overlays, and that is easy to teach the skill.
The skill is not perfect. It improves each time you tell Claude to fix something. I plan to make a part two once more of the videos are finished.
If you want the Final Cut Pro side of this workflow, I also covered letting Claude build a Final Cut Pro timeline in an earlier video.
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