Prepare your video materials
Decide how each source should be used before choosing an input method. A file can be a source of facts, a visual reference, or original content that must appear in the video. These intentions are not interchangeable.
Explain how each file should be used
Add a short instruction for each file:
- Source of facts: use it as the authority for facts in narration and captions.
- Visual reference: follow its colors, composition, or style without necessarily showing the original image.
- Original footage or image: use this footage or animate this image.
- Audio source: preserve the original speech or use this song.
“Use this poster's colors” and “animate this poster” are different requests. Using interview footage does not necessarily mean keeping the interviewee's voice. If the audio requirements are unclear, clarify them first.
For several files, prepare a list such as:
| File | Purpose | Must preserve | May adjust |
|---|---|---|---|
| interview.mov | Main interview footage | The speaker's voice and meaning | Pauses and repeated content |
| shop.jpg | Show the real storefront | Store identity and sign text | Screen time and placement |
| style.png | Color reference | No need to show the original | Composition and scene content |
Run reela create -h for file roles and compatible options.
Web pages, PDFs, and slides: extract the relevant content
Extract the text and images you need locally, then organize them into a brief and media attachments. Check the extraction, especially tables, footnotes, image captions, and text from scanned pages.
Do not paste an entire document into the brief without selecting what matters. Identify:
- The core information the video must communicate.
- Names, numbers, dates, and conditions that must remain accurate.
- Useful images and the information each one illustrates.
- Navigation, ads, duplicate pages, and unrelated passages to leave out.
For long sources, specify which sections the video should cover. A full product manual might support a video about “three steps for first-time setup,” rather than a tour of every feature.
Distinguish real materials from illustrative scenes
If you do not have real photos of a store, person, property, or product, do not let generated imagery be mistaken for photographic evidence.
For example:
Use illustrative restaurant and neighborhood scenes. Do not present them as this restaurant's actual interior, invent a street number, or show facilities that do not exist.
Check that sources support claims about prices, results, certifications, and business details. Leave unsupported information out or ask for it; do not invent facts to make the copy feel complete.
Songs: decide whether the music is the subject or the background
Clarify whether the goal is a music video built around a song or an ordinary video with background music. Receiving an audio file does not automatically mean the whole video should revolve around it.
If you need to transcribe lyrics or edit audio metadata:
- Work on a copy and preserve the original.
- Mark uncertain lyrics instead of guessing.
- Have the user confirm the transcription before using it.
Run reela create -h for the options for supplied and generated songs.