Part of đ§âđ» MODULE 4: Editing, Branding & Enhancing (Articles 14â17)Â in Crash Course: Starting an AI Video Generation Business from Scratch
Or: How to Clean Up Your Digital Mess Without Losing Your Mind
Let me paint you a picture: Youâve just generated your first AI video. The script is on point, the visuals are cool enough, and the voiceover sounds like Morgan Freemanâs second cousin (kind of). You press play⊠and oh no.
Thereâs an awkward pause at the start. A weird robotic voice mispronounces “entrepreneur” (why is that word cursed?). Thereâs a glitchy cut halfway through that makes it look like your avatar just blinked sideways.
Been there? Welcome to the club.
But hereâs the good news: editing is where the magic happens. Itâs where your “meh” AI video becomes something that people actually want to watch. And trust meâyou donât need to be some Final Cut wizard to pull it off.
Letâs talk Descript and Runwayâtwo superpowered tools that are perfect for beginners who want to edit like pros without spending 42 hours stuck in a YouTube tutorial spiral.
đ§ First, Why Edit AI Videos At All?
I know what youâre thinking.
âBut isnât the point of using AI to skip the editing?â
Yes⊠and no.
See, AI tools are amazing at giving you a head start. But AI isnât you. It doesnât know your tone, your vibe, your inside jokes, or the fact that you hate awkward silences more than soggy cereal.
Editing is where you humanize the content. Where you clean up the clunky bits and inject a little âšyouâš into the final product.
âïž Option 1: Editing with Descript
đ€ Whatâs Descript?
Imagine if Google Docs and a video editor had a genius baby that could transcribe, cut, trim, and even clone your voice. Thatâs Descript.
Itâs not just a video editorâitâs a word processor for video. If you can delete a sentence from a doc, you can edit a video in Descript. Seriously.
đ ïž How to Edit in Descript Like a Chill Boss
- Import Your Video
Drag and drop your AI-generated video (or audio). Descript will automatically transcribe itâlike magic. No need to sit there typing like it’s 1999.
- Edit the Words, Not the Timeline
Want to cut out filler words? Just highlight and delete them from the transcript. Poofâtheyâre gone from the video too.
Bonus: You can tell Descript to remove ALL “ums”, “likes”, and awkward pauses with one click. Chefâs kiss.
- Overdub (AKA: Cloning Your Voice)
Mess up a word in your voiceover? Instead of rerecording the whole thing, you can use Overdub to type the fix, and your cloned voice says it as if nothing happened. Kind of creepy. Very cool.
- Add Captions & Subtitles
Automatically generated, easily styled. Now your viewers can watch your content silently at 2 a.m. without waking up their toddler.
- Fancy Extras:
- Screen recordings? Easy.
- Music or sound effects? Drag âem in.
- Zoom-style animations between cuts? Yep, Descript does that too.
đ§ Real Talk: Why I Love Descript
I once edited an entire podcast episode while eating chips in one hand and deleting “uhhs” with the other. Thatâs power. Thatâs freedom. Thatâs Descript.
đš Option 2: Editing with Runway
đ„ Whatâs Runway?
Runway is like Descriptâs artsy cousin who went to film school but still vibes with TikTok culture. Itâs got a sleek interface and an AI-first mindsetâperfect for visual magic like green screen effects, motion tracking, and turning bland footage into âWhoa, did you MAKE that?â moments.
Think: Hollywood tools without the Hollywood attitude.
đ„ How to Edit in Runway Without Losing Your Cool
- Use Gen-2 for Visual Tweaks
Runwayâs Gen-2 is great if you want to take basic visuals and turn them into cinematic shots, transitions, or completely AI-generated video b-roll.
- Magic Cut for Speedy Edits
Hate scrubbing through footage to cut the dead air? Use Magic Cut. It finds all the good parts and trims the rest. Itâs like having a tiny editor in your computer doing all the boring stuff.
- Remove Backgrounds (No Green Screen Needed)
One click. Thatâs all it takes. Perfect for when your living room setup includes laundry and an old pizza box.
- Text-to-Video Tools
Want to add some flair? Type what you wantâRunway turns it into motion graphics or visual enhancements. Itâs like Canva but on AI steroids.
đ§ Quick Comparison: Descript vs Runway
Feature | Descript | Runway |
Transcript Editing | â | â |
Voice Cloning | â | â |
Cinematic Visuals | â | â |
Background Removal | â | â |
Podcast Editing | â | â |
Text-to-Video | â | â |
Ease of Use | Super intuitive | Slight learning curve |
Vibe | Writer/editor-friendly | Visual artist-friendly |
đ« But Wait⊠What If You Suck at Editing?
Good. That means you’re learning.
Editing is messy at first. Youâll make weird cuts, delete things you didnât mean to, and spend a whole afternoon trying to line up audio with mouth movements that refuse to cooperate. Thatâs all part of the process.
Give yourself grace. Rewatch your stuff. Cringe a little. Then fix it.
You donât have to get it perfect. You just have to get it done.
đĄ Pro Tips From the Digital Trenches
- Use Keyboard Shortcuts â Descript has loads of them. Once you get the hang of it, youâll fly through edits like a caffeinated ninja.
- Donât Over-Edit â People like authenticity. Leave a little imperfection inâit makes you relatable.
- Music = Mood â Use soft music under your voiceovers to mask imperfections and add warmth.
- Watch It On Your Phone â If it plays well on mobile, itâll play well anywhere.
- Take Breaks â Seriously. Come back with fresh eyes. Youâll spot mistakes and genius tweaks you missed before.
đ§Ą Final Thoughts: Editing Is Where You Find Your Voice
Look, AI can write scripts, generate voices, and build videos from thin air. Thatâs all awesome.
But editing? Thatâs yours. Thatâs the part where you decide what stays, what goes, what gets emphasized, and what makes people feel something.
Whether you choose Descript for its writer-friendly editing or Runway for its visual wizardry, just remember this:
Done is better than perfect. And authentic beats polished every time.
Now go onâedit that AI video like you mean it.
đŹ Youâve got this.