Behind the scenes cuts
Behind the scenes cuts is a short-form video editing project from the Pixel2Tech short form practice. We were brought in because footage was strong but the first two seconds gave viewers no reason to stay, so retention collapsed immediately. This page walks through the problem we were handed, how we approached it, and what changed as a result.
- Brand
- Behind The
- Practice
- Video Editing
- Service
- Short Form
- Year
- 2025
What we designed for Behind The
- Scripting
- Editing
- Captions & motion
- Platform-ready exports
The challenge
When the project started, footage was strong but the first two seconds gave viewers no reason to stay, so retention collapsed immediately.
Our approach
We hand-corrected captions and burned them in at a size that reads on a phone held at arm's length.
The outcome
The channel reads as one series rather than a collection of unrelated uploads.
- Clips delivered
- 24
- Average watch time
- +33%
- 3-second retention
- +37%
How we delivered this short form project
- Step 01
Hook and story planning
Each clip was planned around its opening two seconds first, because that is the only part of a short-form video every viewer actually sees.
- Step 02
Edit template design
We defined pacing, caption style, transition set and sound design once, then applied it across the batch so the channel gains a recognisable signature.
- Step 03
Editing and sound
Cuts were assembled, colour-matched and levelled, with music beds ducked under dialogue so the clip stays intelligible on a phone speaker in a noisy room.
- Step 04
Captioning and platform exports
Captions were hand-corrected and burned in at a readable size, and each clip was exported to the correct ratio and specification for every destination platform.
Technologies and tools used
The stack below was chosen for this engagement because it matched the scale of the work, the team that would maintain it afterwards, and the performance the brief required.
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- After Effects
- DaVinci Resolve
- Adobe Audition
- Motion graphics templates
- Platform-native export presets
Why this project matters
Short-form is now the cheapest reach available to most brands, but only when the edit earns the first two seconds. Structure, not budget, is what separates clips that travel from clips that stall.
If you are weighing up similar work, our services overview explains how we scope engagements, and about Pixel2Tech introduces the team who would run it.
Frequently asked questions
- How many short-form clips can you produce from one shoot?
- A single well-planned shoot day typically yields between twelve and thirty usable clips, depending on the format mix and how much B-roll is captured alongside the primary content.
- Do you provide captions and multiple aspect ratios?
- Yes. Every clip ships with hand-corrected burned-in captions and exports for 9:16, 1:1 and 16:9 so the same edit works across Reels, TikTok, Shorts and paid placements.
- Can you edit footage we film ourselves?
- Certainly. Many clients shoot in-house and send us the raw files; we handle structure, editing, colour, sound, captions and delivery.
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