Tutorials

Four projects, start to finish.

Short, practical walkthroughs using the tools already in the editor. Open Nova Clip in another tab and follow along.

01Make a vertical Reel cut to the beat10 min · Beginner 02Remove a green screen5 min · Beginner 03Give footage a cinematic grade8 min · Intermediate 04Make a picture-in-picture reaction video5 min · Beginner
Tutorial 01

Make a vertical Reel cut to the beat

Build a 9:16 video for Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts, with every cut landing on the music.

10 minBeginnerCanvas sizeBeat markersSplitTitle templatesExport

  1. Set a vertical canvas

    Click the canvas size button in the top toolbar (it shows Auto by default) and choose 1080×1920.

  2. Bring in clips and music

    Click Import Media and select your video clips and your song. Arrange the clips on the V1 track and put the song on the A1 audio track.

  3. Mark the beats

    Select the song on the timeline and press B (or click BEAT in the toolbar). A marker appears on every beat Nova Clip detects.

  4. Cut on the beat

    Press Shift+→ to jump to the next marker, select the video clip under the playhead and press S to split. Delete the pieces you don't need with Delete — turn on Ripple in the toolbar so the gaps close automatically.

  5. Add a title

    In the Text Overlays panel, pick the Kinetic or Big Title template, type your text and add it. Drag the text bar on the timeline to set when it appears.

  6. Export

    Click Export, choose MP4 (H.264), 1080p and 30 fps. Because the canvas is vertical, the file comes out at 1080×1920.

Tip: Press G to cycle the framing guides. Safe zones show where app buttons and captions will cover your video.
Tutorial 02

Remove a green screen

Put yourself — or anything shot on green or blue — in front of a new background.

5 minBeginnerV2 trackChroma KeyToleranceSoftness

  1. Stack the clips

    Put your background clip on V1 and the green-screen clip on V2, directly above it.

  2. Turn on Chroma Key

    Select the green-screen clip. In the Clip Info panel on the right, switch on Chroma Key.

  3. Pick the key color

    Click the green (or blue) swatch, or use the color picker to match your screen exactly.

  4. Dial it in

    Raise Tolerance until the whole background disappears, then add a little Softness to smooth hard edges around hair and shoulders.

  5. Check the shot

    Scrub through the clip — lighting can change over time. A KEY badge on the timeline clip shows the key is active.

Tip: An evenly lit screen keys far better than a bright one with shadows. Avoid wearing anything green.
Tutorial 03

Give footage a cinematic grade

Go from flat footage to a filmic look with contrast, split-toning and a finishing look — then match every shot.

8 minIntermediateLumetriColor wheelsLUTsCompareColor Match

  1. Start balanced

    Select a clip, open the Lumetri tab and click AUTO (Shift+A) to fix exposure and white balance.

  2. Shape the contrast

    In Basic, pull Highlights down, lift Shadows a touch and add Contrast until the image has depth without crushing detail.

  3. Split-tone with the wheels

    Open Wheels. Nudge Lift (shadows) toward teal and Gain (highlights) toward orange — the classic blockbuster palette.

  4. Or use a LUT

    In LUTs, import any .cube file and lower Intensity if it's too strong.

  5. Finish with a look

    Under Video Effects → Preset Looks, try Cinema or Film — they add vignette and grain on top of your grade.

  6. Compare and match

    Press C for a before/after split. Happy? Press Shift+C to sample this shot, move to the next clip and press Shift+M to match it — or copy and paste the grade with Alt+C / Alt+V.

Tip: Grade the widest, best-lit shot first, then match everything else to it.
Tutorial 04

Make a picture-in-picture reaction video

Show your reaction in a corner while the main video plays.

5 minBeginnerV2 trackPicture-in-PictureWaveformsLink clips

  1. Stack the clips

    Put the main video on V1 and your reaction recording on V2.

  2. Shrink it into a corner

    Select the reaction clip. In Clip Info, open Picture-in-Picture and click a corner preset such as ↘ BR.

  3. Fine-tune placement

    Use the Size, X and Y sliders to move the window off faces and captions.

  4. Sync the two videos

    Press W to show waveforms and slide the reaction clip until a clear sound (a clap works well) lines up in both.

  5. Keep them together

    Select both clips and press Ctrl+L to link them, so moving one moves the other. Balance their Volume sliders in Clip Info.

Tip: Record your reaction with a clap at the start — it makes syncing a two-second job.
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