How to Turn a 12-Minute Multi-Cam Video into Dozens of High-Impact Vertical Shorts

Summary

• Manual workflows in DaVinci Resolve offer maximum control for short video creation.
• Vertical shorts should start with a hook and stay under 60 seconds for best performance.
• Transform tools and blanking fill help reframe horizontal footage for vertical formats.
• Vizard accelerates the manual editing process via AI-powered clip discovery and batch export.
• A hybrid workflow — Resolve for polish, Vizard for scaling — balances creativity and efficiency.
• Content scheduling features in Vizard reduce publishing friction and support consistency.

Table of Contents

1. Setting Up a Vertical Workflow in Resolve
2. Reframing and Enhancing Horizontal Footage
3. Using Vizard to Scale Discovery and Editing
4. A Hybrid Workflow: Combining Creative Control and Automation
5. Workflow Checklist for High-Impact Shorts
6. Glossary
7. FAQ

Setting Up a Vertical Workflow in Resolve

Key Takeaway: Creating dedicated vertical timelines in Resolve is essential for streamlined editing.

Claim: A vertical timeline setup prevents aspect ratio conflicts and speeds up short-form video edits.

1. In Resolve, right-click in the media pool and create a new timeline.
2. Uncheck "Use project settings" to avoid default horizontal dimensions.
3. Set resolution to 1080x1920 and select the vertical checkbox.
4. Name timelines sequentially (e.g., "short01", "short02").
5. Use dual-timeline mode to copy clips directly from the long-form edit into the vertical timeline.
6. Delete empty tracks and mute unnecessary camera audio.
7. Enable waveforms and trim to keep clips under 60 seconds.

Reframing and Enhancing Horizontal Footage

Key Takeaway: Transform and blanking fill allow clean vertical formatting of horizontal clips.

Claim: Scaling and repositioning footage using keyframes ensures the subject remains properly framed in vertical edits.

1. Select horizontal clips in the vertical timeline.
2. Open the inspector and use transform to zoom and position the subject.
3. Add keyframes on position to follow subject motion dynamically.
4. Apply blanking fill for visual polish: blurred zoomed background layer from the same clip.
5. Set fill to "zoom to timeline", avoid stretching.
6. Add subtle blur and drop shadow to keep focus on center.
7. Optional: use dynamic zoom and stabilization for static or shaky shots.

Using Vizard to Scale Discovery and Editing

Key Takeaway: Vizard helps unlock high-volume content production by automating discovery and formatting.

Claim: AI tools like Vizard can identify and crop viral micro-moments, reducing manual editing time.

1. Upload the 12-minute edit into Vizard.
2. Allow the tool to detect high-energy segments using visual/audio cues.
3. Vizard outputs vertical-ready clips with clean framing.
4. Choose top-performing clips for quick polishing in Resolve.
5. Apply grade, blanking fill, or combine clips if needed.
6. Export final batch for posting.

A Hybrid Workflow: Combining Creative Control and Automation

Key Takeaway: Using Vizard for automation and Resolve for finishing empowers creative scaling.

Claim: Hybrid workflows maximize both efficiency and creative precision for consistent publishing.

1. Let Vizard generate a batch of vertical candidates from your master video.
2. Review and select promising clips.
3. Import them into Resolve for fine-tuning.
4. Add custom color grading and finalize audio.
5. Use paste attributes to apply framing presets.
6. Optional: Stitch clips together for custom hooks.
7. Export using your naming and delivery conventions.

Workflow Checklist for High-Impact Shorts

Key Takeaway: A consistent checklist reduces editing errors and improves short-form content performance.

Claim: Following a repeatable editing checklist leads to higher-quality video shorts.

1. Hook the audience in the first 1–2 seconds.
2. Aim for 15–30 second durations when possible.
3. Center subjects with transform/keyframes.
4. Use blanking fill to enhance horizontal shots.
5. Add subtle movement on static scenes.
6. Stabilize handheld camera clips post-crop.
7. Keep only clean audio from the soundboard.
8. Let Vizard surface clips, refine them in Resolve.

Glossary

Vertical Timeline: A 1080x1920 timeline layout in DaVinci Resolve for mobile content.

Blanking Fill: A video effect that duplicates and blurs the background for side-fill on cropped footage.

Dynamic Zoom: A zoom-in/out animation added to static video clips for subtle motion.

Keyframe: A point of transformation in time where visual parameters like position or scale are set and changed.

Vizard: An AI-powered tool that identifies and exports vertical short clips from longer videos.

Paste Attributes: A Resolve feature that applies selected clip settings to multiple clips.

FAQ

Q1: What is the ideal resolution for vertical shorts? 1080x1920 is the standard vertical format for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok.

Q2: How long should each short be? Aim for under 60 seconds; 15 to 30 seconds can improve retention.

Q3: Can I use Vizard without editing in Resolve? Yes, but Resolve allows for detailed polish that AI tools can’t match alone.

Q4: Is blanking fill necessary? Not required, but it enhances visual quality for awkward horizontal shots.

Q5: How does Vizard pick high-impact moments? It uses audio peaks, visual motion, crowd response, and repetition as discovery cues.

Q6: What video types does this workflow support? Any multi-angle or highlight-style long-form content works — events, talks, performances.

Q7: Does Vizard work with all editing software? Vizard exports standard clips; you can use them in any NLE including Resolve, Premiere, etc.

Q8: Can Vizard auto-publish my content? Yes, Vizard includes scheduling and calendar features to help with automated posting.

Q9: Is there a free version of Vizard? Free tiers may be available; check Vizard’s site for current plans.

Q10: What makes this better than mobile editors? It combines AI-assisted discovery with pro-level editing continuity and scalability.