You have raw footage from a shoot. Selects turns it into a structured rough cut in minutes. The exact time depends on footage duration, your internet connection, and hardware. Here is how to go from files to your first edit.

Launch Selects and create a new project. You'll see the Drop folder here area. Drag your footage folder into it, or click to browse your drive.

Selects accepts both individual files and entire folders. Folders are faster if you're organizing by scene or day.

Once you import, Selects sorts your files into three categories: A-roll (main footage), B-roll (supplementary shots), and Audio (separate audio tracks or files). The app analyzes file types and naming conventions to make this split.

You can adjust these categories manually if the auto-organization doesn't match your workflow. Right-click a folder or drag and drop files to reorganize.

If you shot with multiple cameras, Selects syncs them automatically using waveform and visual cues. You can sync up to 10 camera angles in a single project.

After syncing, review the sync results on the sync review screen. Check a few segments to confirm the sync is accurate, then proceed.

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Selects now analyzes your imported media by watching and listening to every clip, preparing everything you need to start editing. For a one-hour project, analysis typically takes around 20 to 30 minutes. Actual processing time may vary depending on footage duration, your internet connection, and hardware.

While analysis runs, let it work in the background. Grab a coffee or move on to something else. Selects will send you a notification when analysis is complete.

Once analysis finishes, Selects generates an assembly cut with unnecessary parts and long pauses already edited out. This is your starting point: a cleaned-up version of your footage, ready for further refinement.

From here, you can choose an edit direction to create a more refined draft on top of the assembly cut:

Suggest an edit lets you configure settings and write a prompt describing what you want. The more detail you give about what to include, exclude, and emphasize, the closer the result will match your vision. See: Prompt Your Editing Direction

I have a script lets you paste dialogue or talking points. Selects matches your script to the footage and builds an edit that follows your structure. See: Edit with a Script

Match a YouTube video (Beta) analyzes a reference video you provide and builds an edit in that style. See: Match a YouTube Video Style

I'll do it myself skips the AI draft and lets you work directly from the assembly cut using the full workspace. See: Start from Scratch

Selects generates a timeline with your first draft. From here, use the workspace to trim, reorder, add B-roll, or swap clips.

The transcript panel on the right shows every word with speaker labels and timestamps. Click any word to jump to that moment in the timeline.

The Topics panel breaks your edit into sections so you can jump between segments or restructure at a higher level.

When your rough cut is ready, export it to your editing software. Selects supports Premiere Pro (.prproj), Final Cut Pro (FCPXML), and DaVinci Resolve (XML).

Click Handoff, choose your format, and save. Open the file in your NLE. All clips, transitions, and audio are preserved.

You now have a structured rough cut ready for fine editing. The heavy lifting is done. From here, color grade, add effects, refine sound, and finish your cut the way you normally would.

For more detail on any of these steps, see the following guides: