Descript Tutorial for Beginners - Learn Descript in 20 Minutes

Video Mastery with Ross
24 Jun 202417:38

TLDRThis tutorial guides beginners through using Descript, starting from creating a new video project, recording, and editing with AI features like Studio Sound and Eye Contact. It covers adding text, managing scenes, and publishing the final video, offering a comprehensive introduction to Descript's capabilities.

Takeaways

  • 🖥️ Start your Descript journey by setting up a project in the workspace view.
  • 📂 Create a new project by clicking 'New Project' and choosing 'Video Project'.
  • 🎥 Import existing media or record a new video directly within the app.
  • 🎙️ Adjust your camera and microphone settings before recording.
  • 📝 The recorded content is automatically transcribed, which you can edit directly.
  • 🔊 Use Studio Sound to clean up audio and remove background noise.
  • ✂️ Make precise edits using the timeline and transcript, including trimming pauses and removing filler words.
  • 🚫 Use the 'ignore' feature to hide parts of the transcript without deleting them.
  • 📑 Add scenes by inserting forward slashes in the transcript, allowing different edits to each scene.
  • 🎨 Customize your video by adding text, adjusting properties, and using effects like green screen.
  • 📤 Publish your project to a web link or download it, with options for sharing on platforms like YouTube.

Q & A

  • What is the first step to start a new project in Descript?

    -The first step is to go to the 'New Project' button in the top right and click on 'Video Project'.

  • How can you upload a file to your Descript project?

    -You can drag and drop the file into your project or click 'Upload a file' to browse your computer for the project you want to add.

  • How do you start recording a new video in Descript?

    -Click on the 'Record' button, select your camera and microphone, and then hit the 'Record' button again to start recording.

  • What happens after you stop recording in Descript?

    -After you stop recording, Descript will process the recording and transcribe all the words you said.

  • How can you edit the transcript in Descript?

    -You can manually edit the transcript by reading through it and removing or ignoring lines you want to exclude from the video.

  • What is the 'ignore' function in Descript and how is it useful?

    -The 'ignore' function allows you to keep unwanted text in the transcript with a strike-through while removing it from the timeline, helping you maintain awareness of changes.

  • What is the 'edit for clarity' feature in Descript?

    -The 'edit for clarity' feature is an AI tool that removes filler words, digressions, and blather, making the transcript clearer and more concise.

  • How can you adjust the timing of your video edits in Descript?

    -You can adjust timing by zooming in on the timeline and dragging the boundaries of the sound waves to tighten gaps or cover up unwanted words.

  • What are 'scenes' in Descript and how are they created?

    -Scenes in Descript are like slides in a PowerPoint presentation, and they are created by adding a forward slash in the transcript to isolate different parts of the video.

  • How can you add text elements to your video in Descript?

    -You can add text elements by clicking on the 'Elements' section, choosing 'Text', and then typing in the text you want to add to the video.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Getting Started with Descript

This paragraph introduces the workspace view of Descript and guides the user on how to start their first project. It covers opening a new video project, uploading files, or recording a video. The paragraph ends by setting a task for the user to create a 1 to 3-minute introductory video.

05:00

📝 Editing the Transcript

This section explains how to interact with the transcribed text in Descript. It covers renaming the project, navigating the interface, zooming in and out on the timeline, and making initial edits such as trimming silences. The paragraph also introduces the properties bar and adjusting the playback speed and volume.

10:01

🎧 Applying Audio Effects

The paragraph focuses on enhancing audio quality using Descript's Studio Sound feature. It explains how to adjust the intensity of the audio effect to clean up background noise and improve clarity. The paragraph emphasizes the iterative process of making changes, listening, and adjusting until satisfied.

15:02

🖊️ Making Detailed Edits

This part discusses detailed editing techniques, such as ignoring or deleting parts of the transcript and video. It explains the difference between deleting and ignoring text, recommending the use of ignore for better flexibility. The paragraph also introduces AI tools like 'edit for clarity' to automate some editing tasks.

🔍 Using AI Features

The paragraph highlights the use of Underlord, Descript's AI tool, to improve the video by removing filler words, retakes, and shortening gaps. It walks through how to apply these edits and manually refine the timeline to enhance the pacing of the video.

📈 Enhancing Video Content

This section introduces video editing features, such as adding eye contact and creating scenes to isolate parts of the video. It explains how to manipulate elements within scenes, like resizing frames and adding text. The paragraph also demonstrates adding new scenes and layers for advanced editing.

🌄 Adding Backgrounds and Layers

This part explains how to use the green screen effect to remove the background and add new layers, such as stock media backgrounds. It covers changing the order of layers to ensure the subject appears in front of the background. The paragraph provides a practical example of applying these features.

🔄 Adjusting Layers and Text

This paragraph dives deeper into managing layers, such as text overlays. It demonstrates how to manipulate text properties like color, size, weight, and font, ensuring the video looks polished and professional. The paragraph prepares the user for the final steps of their project.

🚀 Publishing Your Project

The final paragraph guides the user through publishing their project. It explains the difference between exporting and publishing, with a focus on publishing to a web link. The paragraph also promotes additional resources, such as the Descript Mastery course, and offers a discount for completing the tutorial.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Workspace View

Workspace View is the main interface in Descript where all of your projects are displayed. It is the starting point when you log in to Descript and is where you can manage and access your projects. In the video, it's mentioned as the first thing you see upon logging in to Descript.

💡New Project

The 'New Project' button in Descript allows users to create a new project from scratch. It is located in the top right corner of the Workspace View. The video explains that clicking this button and selecting 'Video Project' initiates the process of starting a new editing project.

💡Record Button

The Record Button in Descript is used to start recording audio or video directly within the platform. It allows users to create content if they don't have pre-existing files to edit. In the video, it’s demonstrated as the method for recording a self-introduction video to use for practice.

💡Transcription

Transcription in Descript refers to the automatic conversion of spoken words in a video or audio file into written text. This feature is highlighted in the video when the tutorial shows how recorded speech is transcribed immediately after stopping the recording.

💡Timeline

The Timeline in Descript is a visual representation of the audio and video elements over time. It includes sound waves aligned with spoken words, making it easier to edit and synchronize media elements. The tutorial demonstrates how to use the timeline to make precise edits.

💡Studio Sound

Studio Sound is an audio effect in Descript that enhances audio quality by reducing background noise and improving clarity. The video shows how to apply Studio Sound to recorded audio and adjust its intensity to achieve the best sound quality.

💡Ignore Feature

The Ignore Feature in Descript allows users to mark parts of the transcript to be ignored in the video timeline without deleting them. This helps maintain awareness of the removed parts. The tutorial emphasizes using 'Ignore' over 'Delete' for better edit management.

💡Underlord

Underlord in Descript is a suite of AI-driven editing tools that can automate various editing tasks such as removing filler words, shortening word gaps, and more. The video explains how to use Underlord to apply 'Edit for Clarity' to a project.

💡Scene

A Scene in Descript is a segment of the video that acts like a slide in a presentation, allowing for different edits and effects within each segment. The tutorial illustrates how to create and manage scenes to apply distinct edits to different parts of the video.

💡Green Screen

Green Screen in Descript uses AI to remove the background from a video, allowing for the addition of new backgrounds or effects. The video tutorial demonstrates applying the Green Screen effect and layering a new background behind the main video content.

Highlights

Starting a new Descript project by clicking the 'New Project' button and selecting 'Video Project'.

Editing a project by dragging and dropping a file or uploading a file through the browser.

Recording a video project by using the 'Record' button and adjusting camera and microphone settings.

Creating a 1 to 3 minute video introducing oneself as the first project task.

Transcription of spoken words automatically generated at the top of the project.

Renaming the project by clicking on the 'Untitled' button and typing a new name.

Navigating the Descript interface, including the transcript, scenes, canvas, and properties.

Zooming in and out on the timeline to edit video by adjusting the boundary of selected sections.

Using the layer properties to adjust the speed and volume of the video.

Applying the 'Studio Sound' effect to clean up audio and remove background noise.

Editing the script by deleting or ignoring unwanted lines to refine the video content.

Utilizing the 'Edit for Clarity' feature to automatically remove filler words and retakes.

Adjusting the pacing of the video by tightening pauses and covering up filler words.

Adding eye contact effect using AI to make the speaker appear more engaged with the camera.

Creating and managing scenes in the video project to isolate and edit different parts independently.

Adding text elements to the video, such as titles, and adjusting their properties like color and size.

Using the 'Green Screen' effect to remove the background and overlay a new background from Descript's media library.

Publishing the project by exporting it as a web link, download, or publishing it to platforms like YouTube.

Promotional offer for the Descript Mastery course with a discount for completing the tutorial.