Selects

Imagine you’re a video editor working on a documentary with hours of raw footage. The task of sorting, organizing, and reviewing these clips feels overwhelming, especially with looming deadlines. You’ve missed previous deadlines due to the tedious initial editing phase. You need a tool to handle this grunt work so you can focus on the creative aspects of editing. This is where an AI tool that can automate the preparation of video footage becomes essential. Enter a solution that promises to sync, cut, and organize clips, offering a faster way to streamline your workflow.

Selects by Cutback excels in preparing raw footage for editing, significantly reducing the time spent on the tedious first pass. With features like “Smart stringout with topics,” you upload your raw footage, and the tool organizes it by scene and topic. This means you can skip straight to the creative edit, having your footage prepped and ready. The website claims that Selects syncs, organizes, and cuts footage in minutes, allowing you to focus on crafting the story rather than organizing clips.

Key Features

• Pro-grade multi-cam — Automatically syncs and detects speakers, assigning cameras and selecting the best audio track seamlessly.
• Smart stringout with topics — Organizes footage by scene and topic, imitating how an assistant editor would structure it.
• Chat to draft — Allows you to prompt the AI for specific editing tasks such as silence removal or camera switching.

Pros & Cons

• ✓ Significant reduction in prep time, allowing editors to focus on creativity.
• ✓ Effective multi-cam sync and camera switching, simplifying complex edits.
• ✓ Integration with major NLEs like Premiere Pro, Final Cut, and DaVinci Resolve.

• ✗ The Starter plan only supports up to 10 hours of raw video analysis.
• ✗ Monthly subscription may not be ideal for infrequent editors or small projects.

While Selects offers powerful features for video preparation, it might not be ideal for small-scale projects or hobbyists who don’t accumulate significant amounts of footage. The Starter plan, limited to 10 hours of raw video analysis, might frustrate users with larger projects, pushing them to upgrade to more expensive plans. Additionally, the tool might not be necessary for editors who enjoy the detailed process of organizing and reviewing footage manually.

For those considering alternatives, Adobe’s Premiere Pro with its built-in tools might be a more versatile option, particularly for editors who need a comprehensive editing suite. However, if speed in the initial prep stage is crucial, Selects is a strong contender. For someone who values automation in the preliminary editing phase, Selects is a more focused choice, whereas Premiere Pro offers a broader range of editing capabilities.

Best For

Selects is best suited for professional video editors or post-production teams regularly handling extensive footage, such as documentaries or multi-cam interviews. Its pricing, starting at $20 monthly with increasing capabilities in higher plans, makes it ideal for those who need efficient preparation of raw media without sacrificing quality.

Selects offers an efficient solution for video editors looking to cut down on time spent in the initial stages of editing. It’s particularly suitable for professionals working with long-form content in multi-cam setups. If your priority is to leap from footage organization to creative editing swiftly, Selects is worth the investment.