Turning one faceless video into Shorts, TikToks and Reels

Short vertical video is where most new viewers find a channel. If you already make long videos, you’re sitting on a stack of shorts.

Find the moment, not the summary

A good short is one complete moment: a surprising fact, a single play, a twist. Don’t try to compress a ten-minute video into sixty seconds. Pick the 20 to 45 seconds that stand alone.

Re-frame for 9:16

Wide shots shrink to nothing on a phone. In Zaga Studio, switch the project to vertical and the cameras re-frame for 9:16: closer shots, larger captions, key action in the middle third.

Hook in the first second

Start on the most interesting frame, with a caption that states the question. “Why did this pass break the whole defence?” beats “In this video we’ll look at…”.

Captions are not optional

Most short-form video is watched without sound at first. Burn in captions, keep them to two lines, and place them clear of the platform’s buttons.

Tell people where the long version is

End with a line pointing to the full video on your channel. On YouTube, link the Short to the related video.

Show your recipe

When you post, add what you used in the caption, for example: Made with Zaga Studio · Style: Sports shorts · Voice: English narrator. Creators who share their setup get questions, and questions are engagement. Post with #MadeWithZaga and we may feature you on Made with Zaga.