Choose one small task from the screen recording, keep the action and its result together, and test whether the necessary controls remain readable in a vertical video. Prepare a clean demonstration source when a full desktop is too dense. Test whether a new viewer can follow the instruction.
Define the exact task and its visible result
Write the tutorial's promise as an action: rename a saved view, compare two options or export a report. Locate the point where the starting state is clear and the point where the result appears. Keep the label or explanation that tells a new viewer why the action matters. Cut unrelated navigation by choosing a tighter contiguous passage, or prepare a cleaner demonstration externally when the original meanders. Do not hide a necessary wait or prerequisite if doing so would make the workflow misleading.
Prepare a demonstration environment before the next recording
Use sample data that is safe to publish and close irrelevant tabs, messages and notifications. Enlarge the interface's own text or focus the recording on a smaller useful area when practical. Rehearse the cursor path so the viewer can distinguish pointing from clicking. Avoid entering private passwords or customer details into a recording intended for public distribution. If the existing source contains sensitive material, prepare redactions or record an approved demonstration externally; CastCuts does not provide a blur or screen-redaction tool.
Preserve the relationship between the control and its outcome
A tight crop can enlarge one button while hiding the panel it changes. Follow the whole selected passage and identify the furthest points the viewer must see. Use full-frame padding when both sides are essential; use a fixed crop only when the complete instruction remains within it. If neither is readable, change the source demonstration or choose a simpler task. CastCuts does not pan automatically after the cursor or rebuild the interface for mobile. Adding a headline cannot replace an unreadable control label.
Test the tutorial with sound and at its final size
Upload an MP4, MOV or WebM with video and audio within the displayed limits, normally 512 MiB and two hours. Prepare audio externally if the capture has no audio track. Select a complete 1–90 second instruction and review available English captions. Check controls and results in the downloaded 720 × 1280 MP4 at phone size. Save it before the 24-hour expiry and publish manually.
Fictional worked example: showing a saved-filter workflow
Illustrative example. The people, recordings and results described here are fictional.
A trainer selects a 43-second saved-filter demonstration. A tight crop hides the result list; the complete desktop makes labels tiny. They record a narrower application window with larger interface text. The new clip shows the starting list, changed filter and saved result together, with captions away from the controls.
When framing cannot preserve a readable instruction, improve the demonstration source.
Check before you finish
- The excerpt promises one specific task and shows its completed result.
- The source excludes sensitive data and unrelated desktop distractions.
- Required labels, cursor actions and outcomes stay inside the selected frame.
- The downloaded tutorial can be followed at ordinary phone size.
Practical questions
Can I upload a silent screen capture?
CastCuts requires a source with video and audio. Prepare an appropriate video with an audio track externally; spoken instruction is useful when viewers need to understand a sequence of actions.
Will the crop automatically follow my cursor?
No. The standard crop is fixed. Keep the required interface inside that area or use the complete source view, and prepare a clearer demonstration if neither option is readable.
How much of a software tutorial belongs in one clip?
Choose one complete task that fits the editor's 1–90 second range. Keep prerequisites and the visible outcome; a multi-step lesson may work better as several independently understandable demonstrations.
Use this workflow in CastCuts
Prepare readable clips from recorded demonstrations
CastCuts selects continuous 1–90 second excerpts and exports 9:16, 720 × 1280 H.264/AAC MP4 files. Automatic transcription and transcript-based suggestions support English and require review. Free exports include CastCuts branding; Pro removes it from new renders for $9 USD/month, with the same processing and storage limits. Episode media is retained for 24 hours. Keep your originals and download finished clips before expiry. Publishing is manual.