{
 "slug": "edit-starter-styles",
 "name": "Four starter edit styles",
 "category": "preset",
 "group": "Edit styles",
 "media": [
  "video"
 ],
 "checked": "2026-11-13",
 "effect": "A take gets a look that fits what kind of take it is.",
 "use_when": "Editing a filmed talking head when there is no reference reel yet.",
 "phrase": "centre captions for an opinion or a story; a screen teacher for a tutorial; a speaker over a board for an explainer with things to show; a fast list for tips",
 "pitfalls": [
  {
   "text": "The pace is the reference clip's, not a promise: 2.6, 2.0, 4.7 and 6.8 visual changes per 10 seconds for the four starters. The fast cuts come from a take spoken in short lines.",
   "evidence": "measured",
   "source": "Director Chair field notes on editing"
  },
  {
   "text": "When there is no opinion, render the three closest as five-second openings and pick with the eyes, not from the names.",
   "evidence": "practitioner",
   "source": "Director Chair field notes on editing"
  },
  {
   "text": "What an automatic edit copies from a reference: caption words, case and box, the layout and how tight the pauses are. Not copied: moving captions, zooms inside a shot, colour, music and B-roll.",
   "evidence": "practitioner",
   "source": "Director Chair field notes on editing"
  }
 ],
 "per_model": [],
 "external_refs": [],
 "licensed": [],
 "site_names": [],
 "related": [
  "preset-edit-from-reference",
  "edit-red-board-list",
  "edit-interface-as-teacher",
  "punch-in",
  "caption-chips"
 ],
 "rights": "own-work",
 "evidence": "measured",
 "source": {
  "url": null,
  "note": "Own words from Director Chair field notes on editing"
 },
 "body": "## The four starters\n\n| Starter | What it looks like | Pace of the clip it was measured from | Use it for |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Centre captions | the take fills the frame, a light punch-in on every other segment, two-word captions in the middle on a black box | 2.6 changes per 10 s | an opinion, a founder update, a story |\n| Screen teacher | the take or the product screen full frame, three-word captions low, one keyword in the accent colour | 2.0 changes per 10 s | a tutorial or a product walkthrough |\n| Speaker over a board | the speaker in the top third, a board below for a list, a screenshot or a product | 4.7 changes per 10 s | an explainer with at least three things to show |\n| Fast list | a punch-in on every other segment, two-word outlined captions low | 6.8 changes per 10 s | tips, a list, a recap |",
 "shown_with": null,
 "url": "https://directorchair.ai/preset/edit-starter-styles",
 "markdown": "https://directorchair.ai/preset/edit-starter-styles.md",
 "prompts": {
  "chat": "Give me a production plan: the shots or scenes in order, what each one needs, and the edit settings, for a short video about [your product], for [your audience]. The technique is four starter edit styles: a take gets a look that fits what kind of take it is. How it works: centre captions for an opinion or a story; a screen teacher for a tutorial; a speaker over a board for an explainer with things to show; a fast list for tips. It is right for: editing a filmed talking head when there is no reference reel yet. The pace is the reference clip's, not a promise: 2.6, 2.0, 4.7 and 6.8 visual changes per 10 seconds for the four starters. When there is no opinion, render the three closest as five-second openings and pick with the eyes, not from the names. Be concrete: numbers, seconds and settings, no theory. Ask me one question first if something you need is missing."
 },
 "licence": {
  "code": "MIT",
  "text": "CC BY 4.0",
  "third_party": "Clips and card texts inside a \"licensed\" block belong to their makers and are shown with permission and credit."
 }
}