Getting Started With The TST Talking Head Editor
Designed for creators who want to repurpose long-form video into short, engaging social content without needing a separate video editing tool.
What Is the Talking Head Editor?
The Talking Head Editor is a pro-tier feature that turns a single talking head video into a polished, multi-camera style clip — complete with AI-generated captions, zoom and pan effects, segment trimming, overlays, and split-screen support. It's designed for creators who want to repurpose long-form video into short, engaging social content without needing a separate video editing tool.
Getting Started
Navigate to the Talking Head section from your dashboard and click New Project. Give your project a title, then upload your video by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse. Supported formats include MP4, MOV, and WebM. Once the upload finishes, you'll be taken straight into the editor.
The Timeline
Your video appears as a single segment on the timeline. To create cuts, move the playhead to the desired position and press the S key or click Cut at Playhead. Each cut creates a new segment that you can control independently. The editor automatically applies subtle alternating zoom and pan effects to new segments to give your video that multi-camera feel right out of the box.
You can zoom into the timeline using the zoom controls or your mouse wheel, and scroll to pan across longer videos.
Zoom, Pan & Segment Controls
Click any segment on the timeline to select it. In the sidebar, you'll find sliders for:
- Zoom — Scale from 1.0x to 1.3x for a subtle cinematic push-in effect.
- Pan X — Shift the camera left or right.
- Pan Y — Shift the camera up or down.
These controls simulate camera movement, making a single static shot feel dynamic.
Excluding Segments
Don't want a section in your final video? Toggle the Exclude option on any segment. Excluded segments are skipped entirely during export, giving you a shorter, tighter edit without destructively cutting your source video. You can always re-include them later.
Overlays
You can add image or video overlays to individual segments. When an overlay is active, it replaces the main video for the duration of that segment — perfect for b-roll, screenshots, or reaction images. Browse your uploaded assets to pick an overlay.
AI-Powered Captions
Click Generate Captions to transcribe your video using AI. The editor extracts the audio client-side, sends it for transcription, and returns word-level timed captions automatically. Once generated, captions appear in the sidebar where you can edit the text or adjust timing for individual lines.
Styling Captions
Customize how your captions look with the following options:
- Font — Choose from Inter, Poppins, Montserrat, Oswald, or Bebas Neue.
- Font Size — Adjust between 32px and 96px.
- Text Color — The color of the caption text.
- Highlight Color — The color of the currently spoken word (TikTok-style word-by-word highlighting).
- Background Color — Optional background behind the text, with transparency support.
- Position — Place captions at the top, center, or bottom of the frame, or use free positioning.
Split-Screen Mode
Enable Split Screen to stack a secondary video track on the bottom half of the frame. This is great for gameplay footage, screen recordings, or reaction-style content. Add clips from your asset library and drag them along the secondary timeline. You can resize clip edges and snap them into position for precise alignment.
Live Preview
The right side of the editor shows a live preview of your video in 9:16 (vertical) format at 1080×1920 resolution. All your edits — zoom, pan, captions, overlays, and split-screen — are reflected in real time as you work.
Saving Your Work
The editor auto-saves your changes every two seconds. You can also click the Save button at any time for an immediate save. Your project is always waiting for you when you come back.
Exporting Your Video
When you're happy with the edit, click Export. Choose your quality setting (draft, standard, or high) and the video will be rendered in the cloud. You'll be notified when it's ready to download. The final output is an MP4 in vertical 9:16 format, optimized for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Requirements
- A Pro subscription is required to access the Talking Head Editor.
- The editor is available on desktop and tablet only — mobile devices are not supported.
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