# Four starter edit styles

Recipes / Preset / Edit styles. Checked 2026-11-13.

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
- Page: https://directorchair.ai/preset/edit-starter-styles
- JSON: https://directorchair.ai/api/preset/edit-starter-styles.json

## Watch out

- 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. (measured; Director Chair field notes on editing)
- When there is no opinion, render the three closest as five-second openings and pick with the eyes, not from the names. (practitioner; Director Chair field notes on editing)
- 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. (practitioner; Director Chair field notes on editing)

## The four starters

| Starter | What it looks like | Pace of the clip it was measured from | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |

## Prompts

### Any chat model

```
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.
```

## Goes well with

- Edit a take in the style of a reel you like: https://directorchair.ai/preset/preset-edit-from-reference
- Red board list: https://directorchair.ai/preset/edit-red-board-list
- Interface as teacher: https://directorchair.ai/preset/edit-interface-as-teacher
- Punch-in: https://directorchair.ai/effect/punch-in
- Phrase captions on a chip: https://directorchair.ai/effect/caption-chips

## Source

Own words from Director Chair field notes on editing

Text CC BY 4.0, Director Chair (directorchair.ai). Reference clips and their card texts belong to their makers.