Module 08 — Google Video-Editing Workflow

Category: Production | Duration: ~105 min | Prerequisites: Module 07

Learning Objective

By the end of this module, you will be able to assemble generated footage into a complete, polished vertical video using the approved Google-based editing environment, organize scenes in narrative order, trim clips to intended beats, match transitions to the script, integrate the real book cover, position captions and CTA, balance audio, and export in the correct format. You will also identify which operations are not available in the Google editing tool and document the approved fallback.

1. Principle: Edit for the Story, Not the Tool

The Google editing environment is your storytelling tool — not a effects workshop. Every edit must serve the narrative spine you built in Modules 04–07.

Tool Identification Protocol

Before you begin, you MUST:

1. Identify the exact application you are using (Google Vids, Google Workspace video tools, etc.)
2. List available features in your current interface
3. Verify capabilities — do not assume any feature exists
4. Document the approved fallback for any missing capability

Do not confuse Google Drive storage, Google Vids, and other editing products. Each has different capabilities. The agency has authorized one specific tool — identify it and use it as-is.

Current Verified Capabilities

Document your fallback. If the tool lacks a feature you need, note it and use the approved alternative. Never invent a workflow that doesn't exist.

2. Editing Principles

Cut Because the Story Needs It

Rule: Cut because the story needs a new beat, not because a fixed number of seconds has passed.

Each cut should advance the narrative. If a shot is serving its purpose, let it play. If it's done its job, cut to the next beat.

Purposeful Transitions Only

• Prefer cuts — they're fast, clear, and mobile-friendly
• Use cross-dissolve sparingly — only for time passage or memory
• Avoid decorative wipes, zooms, spins — they distract from the story
• Never use transitions that obscure the book cover or essential information

Text Readability

• Keep important text on screen long enough to read at 180 words-per-minute
• Minimum font size: 6% of frame height (≈108px on 1080×1920)
• Ensure 4.5:1 contrast against the background
• Use safe margins (top/bottom 15% clear)

Opening Frame Works Silently

Rule: The opening frame must communicate the hook visually — autoplay often starts with no sound.

If your opening frame requires audio to make sense, add on-screen text that carries the hook.

Vertical Composition Preservation

Every edit must preserve the 9:16 vertical composition. Never:

• Add black bars to fill space
• Rotate the frame
• Crop into horizontal footage
• Let text overlap platform UI safe zones

3. Step-by-Step Workflow

1. Create the Project

1. Open the approved Google editing tool
2. Create a new project using the agency template
3. Set canvas to 9:16, 1080×1920
4. Import your approved B-roll from 07_Broll-Approved/

2. Sequence the Story

1. Lay out scenes in narrative order on the timeline (matching your storyboard)
2. Listen to your script — each scene should match a beat
3. If a scene doesn't match, investigate: storyboard error or asset error?

3. Trim to Beats

1. Trim each clip to its intended duration (from your storyboard)
2. Remove dead time at the start/end of each clip
3. Cut on action when possible (cut during movement)
4. Match cuts to the script's rhythm

4. Add the Book Cover

1. Import the approved cover from 02_Source-Metadata/
2. Place it at the storyboard-specified moment (usually scene 5-6)
3. Keep original proportions — never stretch or distort
4. Ensure the cover is on screen long enough to read (minimum 2 seconds)
5. Use a clean editorial reveal — fade, slide, or static position

5. Add Captions

1. Transcribe the voice-over accurately
2. Add captions in the caption-safe zone
3. Time captions to match speech
4. Break long lines into readable chunks (30 chars max per line)
5. Ensure high contrast (background or stroke)

6. Balance Audio

1. Set voice-over at -12 to -6 LUFS
2. Set music at -18 to -12 LUFS (lower than VO)
3. Set sound effects at -20 to -15 LUFS
4. Check dialogue-to-music ratio is 2:1 minimum
5. Listen on both speakers and headphones

7. Preview the Edit

1. Play the full timeline from start to finish
2. Check at 100% playback speed
3. Verify the opening frame works silently
4. Check caption placement on every frame
5. Verify the book cover is clear and readable
6. Note any pacing issues or dead time

8. Export

1. Verify export settings:
2. Export to the 09_Exports/ folder
3. Filename: BOOKSLUG_VIDEO01_MASTER_v01.mp4
4. Verify the exported file plays and matches the timeline

9. Save Source Files

1. Save the project file to 08_Editing-Project/
2. Confirm all source assets are linked
3. Document any tool limitations encountered

4. Common Mistakes and Corrections

5. Visual Demonstration

Professional Example — Timeline Structure

Timeline (30 seconds total):

0.0s  S01 — Hook (paramedic POV, 2s)
2.0s  S02 — Context (patient, 2s)
4.0s  S03 — Escalation (injection, 2s)
6.0s  S04 — Payoff (reaction, 2s)
8.0s  S05 — Book reveal (cover slide-in, 2s)
10.0s — (music swell) —
10.0s  S06 — CTA (text + cover, 2s)
12.0s  END

Audio tracks:
Track 1: Voice-over (-9 LUFS)
Track 2: Music (-16 LUFS)
Track 3: SFX (-14 LUFS)

Every element serves the story. No dead time. Clean cuts.

Weak Example — Over-Edited Timeline

Timeline (45 seconds — too long):

0.0s  Title card with text (3s)
3.0s  Generic ambulance footage (5s)
8.0s  Close-up of hands (4s — too long)
12.0s Wipe transition (2s)
14.0s Medical equipment (3s)
17.0s Zoom transition (1s)
18.0s Book cover with zoom + spin (3s)
21.0s Text overlay with drop shadow (2s)
23.0s More generic footage (7s)
30.0s Fade out (2s)
32.0s End screen (10s)

Audio tracks:
All on one track, music louder than VO

Why it fails: Too long, decorative transitions, text-only opening, inconsistent pacing, mixed audio.

6. Hands-On Exercise

Assemble a complete 20–30 second video from your approved storyboard and generated B-roll (from Modules 06–07).

Requirements

1. Create the project in the approved Google editing tool
2. Sequence all scenes matching your storyboard
3. Trim to intended beats — no dead time
4. Add the book cover at the specified moment
5. Add captions — full transcription, timed, safe zone
6. Add audio track — VO, music, SFX balanced
7. Preview at full-screen mobile proportions
8. Export as MP4, 1080×1920, 30fps, 9:16
9. Save project file in 08_Editing-Project/
10. Export to 09_Exports/ with correct filename

Tool Documentation

Document at least two tool limitations you encountered and how you handled the fallback.

7. Assessment

Scored assessment (45 points total):

Pass threshold: 38/45

Submission Requirement: Submit the exported MP4, the saved project file, and the tool-limitations documentation. The final edit must match the storyboard and play coherently from beginning to end.

8. Document-Led Google Vids Workflow for a 15-Video Batch

The complete production brief is assembled in a Google Doc before video production begins. The document is then imported into Google Vids, but importing a document does not guarantee a perfect video or narration. Human review and editing remain mandatory.

Master Brief Required Contents

The Google Doc master brief must include:

• Book title, author, and verified metadata.
• Approved synopsis, source facts, audience, genre, and intended benefit.
• Actual book cover or an explicitly identified approved cover asset.
• Fifteen individually numbered video briefs.
• Approved narration for every scene.
• Scene-specific visual generation prompts.
• Voice assignment, duration, and CTA.
• Relevant reference material.
• Negative prompts and factual constraints.
• QA status and correction notes.

Google Vids Editing Rules

1. Import the document into Google Vids.
2. Review every automatically generated scene, caption, and narration.
3. Replace incorrect automatic narration with the approved voiceover.
4. Edit scenes into the intended final product.
5. Use only the editing, voice-selection, and export mechanisms actually available in the current Google Vids interface. Document and verify the real workflow instead of inventing buttons or capabilities.
6. Export each finished video and inspect the exported file, not only the timeline.

10-Second Scene Synchronization

Every scene must be exactly 10 seconds in the final timeline. Every associated voiceover must also occupy the same 10-second scene and communicate the intended message naturally.

• Use one scene per short video wherever possible.
• Two scenes are the absolute maximum for an individual 10-second video.
• Write narration to fit the duration.
• Check the actual rendered audio duration.
• Adjust wording, pacing, and pauses as needed.
• Verify the final video timeline.
• Ensure the voiceover and visual action remain aligned throughout the scene.
• Do not treat a word count or a prompt's stated duration as proof that the final audio is exactly 10 seconds.

No Production Branding or Interface Debris

The book cover is the only permitted branding within the generated video.

The finished video must not contain:

• Google Docs or Google Vids interface remnants.
• Editor timelines, handles, menus, or application chrome.
• Unintended platform logos, removable watermarks, or template branding.
• Fake book titles, misspelled author names, fabricated captions, or gibberish text.
• Unrelated product logos or promotional overlays.
• Accidental black frames, unfinished transitions, or generation artifacts.

Do not remove required legal disclosures. If a platform imposes a non-removable mark or licensing restriction, flag the limitation honestly and do not misrepresent the output as compliant.

Downloadable Resources

• Editing Workshop Notes Template (use as timeline planner)
• Google Editing Cheatsheet
• Batch Production Template