What is FirstCut?

FirstCut is a browser-based rough-cut assistant for conversation-led video such as podcasts, interviews, webinars, courses, lectures, and documentaries. You link your local footage, write a brief in plain language, and it assembles a narrative first cut from the transcript. It is a pre-editor rather than a full video editor: it builds the first cut and hands off to Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or Media Composer. Your video never uploads — only the extracted audio is sent to the cloud for transcription.

How to use FirstCut?

1. Link your local footage in the browser — the video stays on your drive and only the audio uploads. 2. FirstCut transcribes the audio in the cloud with word-level transcripts. 3. Write a brief in plain language describing the story you want. 4. FirstCut assembles a narrative first cut with real in/out timecodes into your sources. 5. Iterate on the story by adjusting the brief, then export to your NLE.

Core features of FirstCut

Browser-based, nothing to install, works on any OS
Local footage linking with audio-only upload (video never leaves your computer)
Cloud transcription with word-level transcripts
Brief-driven narrative assembly from the transcript
Iterative rebuilds in seconds by steering the story in plain language
Real in/out timecodes into source clips
Export to FCPXML, FCP7-XML, CMX3600 EDL, and OTIO
Compatible with Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and Media Composer