Video Editor

The video editor is where you assemble your generated shots, audio, and images into a finished video and export it as an MP4 file. It uses a timeline-based layout similar to professional editors, but simplified for ease of use.

Editor Layout

The editor has three main areas:

Top toolbar — Project title, a back button to return to Film Production, and the Export button.

Left sidebar — Media Library — A panel listing all your available assets: video clips from shot generation, uploaded audio files, and image overlays. Filter tabs at the top let you switch between asset types.

Main area — Two sections:

  • Preview Panel (top) — Plays the timeline from the playhead position. Includes play/pause, mute, and a time display.
  • Timeline (bottom) — Drag-and-drop area where you arrange clips, add audio tracks, and control timing. Zoom in/out controls live on the right side.

Working with the Timeline

Adding Clips

When you first enter the editor, your generated video clips are auto-placed on the timeline in screenplay order. To add more or rearrange:

  • Drag any clip from the Media Library onto the video track.
  • Clips snap into place next to each other.

Rearranging Clips

Drag any clip on the timeline to a different position; clips reorder automatically.

Trimming Clips

Drag the left or right edge of a clip to adjust its start or end. The trimmed portion isn't deleted — drag the edge back out to restore it.

Splitting Clips

  1. Move the playhead (the vertical line on the timeline) to the split point.
  2. Click the clip to select it.
  3. Click Split in the selection toolbar that appears.

The clip divides into two separate clips at the playhead.

Deleting Clips

Select a clip and click Delete in the selection toolbar, or press the Delete key.

Renaming Clips

You can rename clips both in the media library and on the timeline. Click the rename action and type a new name.

Working with Audio

Uploading Audio

Click the upload audio action in the media library to add an MP3 or WAV file from your computer. It appears in your media library and stays available for reuse.

Adding Audio to the Timeline

Drag an audio clip onto an audio track. To add another track (for example, separating background music from sound effects), click the add audio track action.

Adjusting Volume

Each audio track has a volume slider — useful for ducking music below dialogue.

AI Audio Suggestions

Click Audio Suggestions in the media library to open a modal that generates sound effects or short music cues for any beat in your screenplay.

  • Pick a preset beat suggestion or type your own prompt.
  • Set the duration (5–20 seconds).
  • Preview the result, then save it to your audio library to use it on the timeline.

This is the fastest way to fill out an ad with mood and ambience without searching stock libraries.

Working with Image Overlays

Add static images (logos, titles, watermarks) on top of your video. Click upload overlay in the media library and select an image. Overlays sit on a dedicated overlay row in the timeline and appear on top of the video underneath.

Previewing Your Video

Click play in the preview panel to watch the timeline from the current playhead. The time display shows MM:SS:FF (minutes, seconds, frames).

You can also scrub by clicking or dragging on the time ruler at the top of the timeline. Use the zoom controls on the right side of the timeline to zoom in for precise edits or out for a full overview.

Exporting Your Video

When you're happy with your timeline:

  1. Click Export in the top toolbar.
  2. Review the export settings (see Burn in subtitles below).
  3. The export modal shows progress as the server stitches your clips, audio, and overlays together using FFmpeg.
  4. When complete, the finished MP4 downloads automatically.

Export typically takes a few seconds to a few minutes depending on length and complexity. A history of past exports is kept on the server, accessible from the export panel.

Burn in Subtitles (Closed Captions)

The export panel includes a Burn in subtitles toggle (off by default). When you enable it, CookFlix transcribes the spoken audio in your video and burns matching captions directly into the exported MP4 — no separate subtitle file to manage.

  • Captions are generated automatically from your video's audio using speech-to-text; you don't type or time anything yourself.
  • The text is styled for readability — white type with a dark outline, centered along the bottom safe area — and advances in short, progressive cues as each line is spoken rather than dumping a full paragraph on screen.
  • Caption generation is best-effort: if there's no clear speech to transcribe, the export still completes — just without captions.
  • If you also use Translation exports (dubbing into other languages), each translated video is re-captioned in its own language, so the on-screen text always matches the dubbed audio. The original-language captions are never left underneath a translation.

Leave the toggle off if you plan to add captions elsewhere or want a clean image for overlays.

Auto-Save

The editor saves your timeline state automatically every second, so you don't need to worry about losing work. Close the browser, come back later, and your timeline is exactly where you left it.

Tips

  • Start simple. Place clips in order, preview, then fine-tune timing and audio.
  • Use multiple audio tracks to layer background music and sound effects independently.
  • Preview often before exporting to catch timing issues.
  • Zoom in on the timeline when making precise edits to clip edges.