Starter Kit
Short-Form Video Kit
Seven steps, in order, from long-form footage to a published, discoverable short. Every step links straight to the free tool or guide you need at that exact point. No login, no paywall.
Vertical Video: Shooting and Editing for Shorts, Reels & TikTokGuide
Start with the format itself, framing, safe zones, and pacing conventions that separate a short that gets watched from one that gets swiped past.
Repurposing Long-Form into ClipsGuide
Pull the moments actually worth cutting out of an existing long-form video or podcast instead of shooting something new from scratch.
SRT Caption Editor & ConverterTool
Get accurate caption timing on your clip before you add captions on-screen. Most short-form views happen with the sound off.
How to Add Captions and Subtitles to VideoGuide
Burn in or embed the captions you just timed, styled so they're actually readable on a phone screen.
How to A/B Test Thumbnails with YouTube's Test & CompareGuide
If this short is also going out as a regular upload, stop guessing which thumbnail wins and let real viewer data decide.
YouTube SEO: Titles, Descriptions, and Tags That Actually MatterGuide
Write the title, description, and tags that actually influence discovery, not the ones everyone assumes matter.
Export Settings for Every PlatformGuide
Export with the exact resolution, bitrate, and codec each platform wants, so you're not re-compressed into mush after upload.
Get This Kit, and All 7 Others, as One PDF
Download the full Creator Starter Kit Pack: all 8 kits, every step and link, in one printable file you can work through offline.
Want the underlying philosophy?
This kit is one applied example of the Project-Based Learning method. Take one real clip all the way from raw footage to published, then repeat.
Other starter kits
Starting a podcast from scratch? Try the Podcast Starter Kit. Building a YouTube channel? Try the YouTube Creator Kit. Setting up a recording space first? Try the Home Studio Kit. Mixing a raw recording? Try the Audio Post-Production Kit. Going live instead? Try the Livestream Starter Kit. Recording narration or commercials? Try the Voice-Over Artist Kit. Making your publishing accessible? Try the Accessible Publishing Kit.