How To Use AI To Make Shortform Video Clips From Longform Content in Premiere Pro

Short-form videos have become a crucial aspect of content creation and content monetization. However, despite the shorter length, the amount of effort that goes into making these videos is anything but small. Creating shortform content like TikToks, Instagram Reels, Reddit Story Videos, and YouTube Shorts doesn’t have to take hours. With Cutback’s AI-powered short video generator, you can turn a long video into high-performing clips in just a few clicks, directly inside Adobe Premiere Pro. You can even delve into automated series creation, if you want to. It’s that easy!

Let’s dive in.

The Importance of Short Viral Videos: Why Shortform Content Matters

Short-form video content is the most engaging format on social platforms today. But repurposing your long video footage into short clips can be time-consuming, unless you use the right AI tools. Cutback simplifies the entire workflow so you can scale faster without editing fatigue.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Smart Shorts in Premiere Pro Using Short Video AI Generator

1. Start a New Project and Load Your Files

In Premiere Pro, open a new project and import your longform content (dialogue videos + audio) into a timeline sequence.

2. Open Cutback

From the top menu, go to: Window > Extensions > Cutback

This opens the AI Assistant panel.

3. Select Auto Rough Cut

Click Auto Rough Cut to begin transcript generation. This is required for identifying shortform-worthy content.

Configure your transcription settings:

• Range Selection: Full, In/Out, or Clip

• Language: One language per project

• Preview Mode: Optional (turn off for faster results)

• Speakers: Identify how many speakers and assign audio tracks if needed

Click the [Transcribe video for auto rough cut] button to begin.

4. Use the Shortform Generator in Chat UI

Once transcription is complete, click the Assistant button (top right).

In the chat window, type or select:

“Create shortform clips”

The AI will analyze your video’s transcript, content flow, speaker changes, and context to detect the best shortform moments.

5. Select Layout & Create the New Sequence

You’ll be able to:

• Preview the suggested short clips

• Choose one or more segments

• Click Select Layout to apply a vertical video frame and choose a mobile-optimized format

• Hit Create Shortform Sequence to generate your clips

6. Add Animated Captions (Optional but Highly Recommended)

Retention starts with subtitles. You can:

• Add Animated Captions using the Caption Edit tab

• Translate subtitles for multilingual viewers using the Translate Captions feature

• Export for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, or download as text/SRT files

7. Finalize the Edit

Once you're happy with the short clip:

• Click Apply to sequence to:

  • Save as a new sequence

  • Or update your current one

This AI short video generator workflow will make it that much easier to turn long videos into shorts instantly, letting you auto-generate shorts with AI-generated hooks and viral content titles that will reflect results in your video analytics. This will give you a full social media scheduler that will get you hitting your content monetization goals in no time.

Pro Tips for Viral Shorts

• Use titles or hook captions in the first 3 seconds

• Select moments with emotional expression, humor, or strong visual payoff

• Use layout selection to match platform dimensions (9:16 for Shorts/TikTok)

• Batch export multiple short clips at once

Other AI Editing Features You Can Use In Your Editing Workflow

Cutback offers several AI rough cut tools that work perfectly with the shortform generator:

• Remove Silence: Get rid of awkward pauses and silences in your footage to boost video engagement and retention.

• Edit With Script: The ability to add your script to the AI Assistant for reference when making video edits based on your transcription.

• Animated captions: An AI caption generator and subtitle generator that will give you trendy social media captions and the option to auto-translate captions.

These help you refine your raw video into a polished short in one session.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cutback’s AI Shorts Generator

Q: What platforms can I export the shortform clips for?

A: You can export clips in vertical format for TikTok, YT Shorts, IG Reels, and more.

Q: Can I create more than one short per video?

A: Yes! Cutback lets you generate multiple clips per project. Just select different segments and repeat the workflow.

Q: Does it work without a transcript?

A: No. You need to generate a transcript using Auto Rough Cut for the AI Assistant to analyze and detect clip-worthy moments.

Q: Will it overwrite my current sequence?

A: Not unless you click “Apply to current sequence.” You can safely choose “Create new sequence” to keep your original untouched.

Final Thoughts

Cutback makes it ridiculously easy to transform long videos into viral-ready short-form content. Whether you’re a solo creator who posts UGC videos, a marketer who posts explainer videos, or an agency editor, generating AI video shorts means you get more content, more reach, and more time saved.

For more in-depth knowledge about the ins and outs of video editing, check out our latest posts on the Cutback blog or our YouTube channel. You can also join Cutback’s Discord community of like-minded video editors.