How I Use AI Prompts to Edit Video 3x Faster
I edit every video for Super Prompts myself. Product demos, social clips, behind-the-scenes reels. No editor on retainer. No agency. Just me, DaVinci Resolve, and a growing library of prompts that cut my editing time roughly in half.
The trick isn't asking AI to edit for you. It can't. The trick is using prompts at the moments where you'd normally stall — choosing a color grade, writing subtitles, picking music, figuring out pacing. Those micro-decisions add up to hours. The right prompt compresses each one to seconds.
These are the prompts I actually use during editing sessions. Grouped by the moment in the workflow where they save the most time.
Before You Touch the Timeline
Most editing time gets wasted because you start cutting without a plan. These prompts fix that.
Shot list from raw footage
I just shot [type of video] with [number] clips totaling [duration]. The video needs to be [target length]. Review this list of clip descriptions and create a shot sequence: opening hook (under 3 seconds), main content blocks, B-roll placement suggestions, and closing CTA. Cut anything that doesn't serve the story.
I paste my clip descriptions (or just filenames if they're descriptive enough) and get back a rough assembly order. It's not perfect, but it eliminates the worst part of editing: staring at 40 clips wondering where to start.
Pacing template for your format
I'm editing a [duration] [type: product demo / tutorial / social reel / talking head] video. Suggest a pacing structure with: beat timing (when to cut), energy curve (where intensity peaks and dips), and transition style for each section. Keep the first 3 seconds punchy.
The "first 3 seconds punchy" instruction matters more than everything else combined. Social platforms decide in that window whether to show your video. This prompt forces you to think about the hook before you build the timeline.
When Color Grading Becomes a Time Sink
Color grading is where I used to lose an hour per video. Not because it's hard — because there are infinite options and no obvious "done."
Color grade direction from a reference
I'm color grading a [type of video] shot in [lighting conditions]. I want the look of [reference: film, photographer, or mood]. Describe the specific adjustments I should make in DaVinci Resolve: lift/gamma/gain values, saturation approach, color temperature shift, and any power window suggestions. Be specific with numbers, not vague descriptions.
"Be specific with numbers" is the key instruction. Without it, you get "warm the shadows slightly." With it, you get "Lift: add 5-8% orange in the color wheel. Gamma: desaturate by 15%. Gain: push toward 5500K." That's something I can actually dial in.
LUT selection advisor
I have these LUTs installed: [list LUT names or styles]. My footage is [camera/profile]. The mood I want is [description]. Which LUT gets me closest as a starting point? What adjustments should I make after applying it?
I stopped downloading new LUTs after running this prompt. Half the time, the answer is "you already have what you need — apply [existing LUT] and pull saturation down 20%." Saved me from the LUT-shopping rabbit hole.
When You Need Text That People Actually Read
Subtitles and on-screen text can make or break a video. These prompts handle the writing part so I can focus on timing.
Subtitle cleanup and timing notes
Here's a rough transcript of my video: [paste transcript]. Clean it up for subtitles: fix grammar without changing how I talk, break lines at natural speech pauses (max 2 lines, max 42 characters per line), and flag any sections where I should add a visual beat or pause for emphasis.
The "without changing how I talk" instruction preserves voice. Auto-generated subtitles clean up too much — they make you sound like a textbook. This prompt keeps the speech patterns while fixing the obvious errors.
Hook text for the first frame
I'm posting a [platform: Instagram Reel / TikTok / YouTube Short] about [topic]. Write 5 options for bold on-screen text that appears in the first 1-2 seconds. Each under 6 words. Must create curiosity or state a surprising fact. No clickbait — the video actually delivers on the promise.
"No clickbait — the video actually delivers" is the filter that makes this work. AI defaults to engagement bait. This instruction produces hooks that pull attention without destroying trust.
When Sound Design Is the Missing Layer
Audio is the thing that separates amateur video from professional. These prompts help me make better sound choices faster.
Music search brief
I need background music for a [duration] [type] video. The energy arc is: [describe — e.g., calm intro, builds at 0:30, peaks at 1:15, resolves]. Genre preference: [genre or "open"]. I'm using [music library: Epidemic Sound / Artlist / YouTube Audio Library]. Write a search query I can paste directly into the library, plus 3 alternative mood keywords if the first search doesn't hit.
The search query output is the real value. Instead of browsing 500 tracks, I paste one search and get 10-15 candidates. The alternative keywords mean I rarely need a third search.
Sound effect placement map
Here's my video timeline with key moments: [list timestamps and what happens]. Suggest specific sound effects for each transition, text appearance, and emphasis moment. Keep it minimal — no more than [number] sound effects total. I want [style: clean/corporate, punchy/energetic, subtle/cinematic].
"Keep it minimal" is critical. AI will suggest a sound effect for every cut if you let it. The constraint forces it to pick only the moments that actually benefit from audio emphasis.
When Export Settings Confuse You
Every platform wants different specs. This prompt saves me from Googling export settings every time.
Platform-optimized export preset
I'm exporting a [duration] video from [editor] for [platform]. The source footage is [resolution/frame rate/codec]. Give me the exact export settings: resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, audio settings, and file format. Optimize for quality at the smallest file size that won't trigger re-encoding on the platform.
The "won't trigger re-encoding" detail is important. If your export specs don't match what the platform expects, it re-encodes your video and quality drops. This prompt accounts for that.
Making the Prompts Compound
Each of these prompts works alone. But they work better as a chain.
Start with the pacing template before you cut anything. Feed the pacing structure into the shot list prompt. Use the color grade direction to set your look before you start arranging clips. Write your hook text and subtitles while the timeline is still flexible enough to adjust timing.
The problem is finding the version that worked last time. I've burned 20 minutes recreating a color grading prompt that was buried somewhere in a ChatGPT conversation from two weeks ago.
That's the reason Super Prompts exists. Save the prompts that actually work. Organize them by project. Pull them up in seconds next time you're editing. Your prompt library grows with every project instead of disappearing into chat logs.
Free to start. Your next edit is the one where you stop recreating your best prompts from memory.