How to edit a video

This guide walks you through a simple first edit in the Tella editor. You will learn how to cut your recording, add zooms, change layouts, update your background, and crop your screen recording. You can do everything manually, or use Tella's AI tools to speed things up.

Get oriented in the editor

In the Tella editor, you will spend most of your time using the tools on the right side. When you click a tool, you will see its options in the panel next to it.

The first panel you will see is setup, where you can change general settings for your video. For example, you can turn on edit faster to use low resolution video files while editing, which can make the editor feel quicker.

Step 1: Cut and trim your video

The first edit most people make is removing the parts they do not want.

Split and delete sections

Click a point on the timeline.
Click split.
Click another point on the timeline.
Click split again.
Select the segment you want to remove and press the delete key.

After you cut a few sections, you can fine tune your edits by dragging the handles on each segment.

Trim the start and end

To remove silence or dead time at the beginning or end, drag the handles at the start or end of the timeline segment to trim it.

Step 2: Use AI cutting tools (optional, faster)

If you want to speed up cutting, you can use Tella’s ai powered tools:

Mistakes finder: analyzes your video and suggests places where you repeat yourself or start over, so you can remove them quickly.
Buffer removal: removes the silent part at the start and end in one click.
silence removal: removes silences throughout your video. You can adjust how aggressive it is (for example, switching to a faster setting removes more silences).
Filler word removal: helps remove filler words.

If the result feels too choppy, reduce the intensity (for example, choose a more natural setting) and try again.

Step 3: Add zoom effects

Add zooms manually

Click zoom in the right sidebar.
Use the dedicated zoom timeline that appears.
To add a zoom, choose a point on the timeline and click and drag to create a zoom region.
Drag the zoom handles to change the duration.
Drag the zoom block to reposition it in the timeline.

By default, zooms can track your cursor (auto). You can control how much it zooms with the scale slider.

Use manual zoom targets (and create a pan)

If you switch zoom targeting to manual, you can place the zoom target exactly where you want it instead of tracking your cursor.

If you place manual zooms back to back, you can create a panning effect that moves from one point to another without zooming out in between.

Generate zooms automatically (mac app recordings)

If you recorded with the Tella mac app, you can use auto zoom to generate zooms based on where you click in the video.

Open the zoom tool.
Choose a zoom style (for example, subtle).
Click generate.

After the zooms are generated, you can still edit them like manual zooms, including scale, position, and duration.

Step 4: Add layouts

Choose a base layout

Click layout.
Browse the layout options and select the base layout you want for your video.

Add layout changes on the timeline

Layout changes let you switch away from your base layout for a section of the video.

In the layout timeline, click and drag to create a layout change segment.
Scrub through the video to preview the transition.
Drag the layout segment to move it.
Drag the handles to change its duration.
Select the segment and choose a different layout if you want to swap it.

If you stack layout changes back to back, you can create smooth transitions from one layout to the next instead of returning to the base layout.

Change the base layout later

To change the base layout (without changing the layout changes you already added), click in between your layout changes (where the waveform is highlighted), then pick a different layout. The gray sections on the timeline represent the layout changes you added.

Generate layouts automatically

To have Tella generate layouts for you:

Open Auto layouts.
Pick a template, or let Tella choose the best one.
Click generate and wait for the layouts to appear on the timeline.

After they are generated, you can review them (you can increase playback speed if you want to), then adjust, move, shorten, delete, or replace any layout change.

Step 5: Change your background

Click Background.
Select a background you like (you can choose patterns, animated backgrounds, or create your own colors and gradients).
To keep a consistent look across your whole video, click apply to all clips.

Step 6: Crop your screen recording for a cleaner look

If your screen recording includes extra UI (like a browser border or your mac menu bar), you can crop it out:

Click Adjust, then crop.
Either set the crop manually using the crop controls (you can also drag on the canvas), or use auto crop to let Tella find a clean crop automatically.
Apply the crop (for example, across layouts) to keep the framing consistent.

Next steps

At this point, your video should be cleanly cut, styled, and ready to share. You can keep editing with additional tools like subtitles and borders, or keep it simple with just a few key edits.

When you are ready, share your video as a link or export it. Sharing and exporting is covered in the next onboarding video.