How to Get ChatGPT to Edit Your Videos ⚡

Remotion is a video editing framework that uses code instead of a traditional timeline. Instead of dragging clips around in Premiere or Final Cut, you describe what you want and the code builds the video. That sounds complicated, but here is the thing: ChatGPT writes the code for you. You just talk to it in plain English.

OpenAI built Remotion directly into Codex as a native plugin. That means you do not need to install anything extra, learn any code, or leave the ChatGPT interface. You upload a video, tell Codex what you want (cuts, zooms, captions, on-screen text, transitions), and it edits the video using Remotion under the hood. The result is a fully rendered video you can download and post.

The real power is iteration. If you do not like something, you just say "make the text bigger" or "cut the first 3 seconds" or "add a zoom on the face at 0:12" and Codex updates the edit instantly. No re-rendering the whole project. No timeline scrubbing. Just describe the change.

1. A ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Team subscription
2. Access to Codex (chatgpt.com/codex)
3. A video file to edit (MP4, MOV, or WebM)
4. The Remotion plugin (free, built into Codex)

Step 1: Open Codex

1. Go to chatgpt.com/codex (or open the ChatGPT desktop app and switch to Codex)
2. If you do not have Codex yet, it is available to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users
3. Codex is ChatGPT's coding agent. It writes, runs, and tests code in a sandboxed environment

Codex is different from regular ChatGPT. It does not just give you answers. It actually runs code, creates files, and produces real outputs you can download. That is why it can edit videos: it writes the Remotion code, renders the video, and gives you the finished file.

Step 2: Add the Remotion Plugin

1. Inside Codex, click Plugins in the sidebar
2. Search for Remotion
3. Click Add
4. That is it. Remotion is a native plugin, so there is nothing else to install or configure

Once added, you can reference it in any Codex session by typing @Remotion.

Step 3: Upload a Video and Tell It What to Do

1. Upload your video file into the Codex session (drag and drop or click the upload button)
2. Type your editing instructions (see the prompt below)
3. Wait for Codex to process and render the video
4. Preview the result and download the finished file

@Remotion, edit this video with cuts, zooms, and on-screen text to make it as viral as possible.

Specifically:

• Cut any dead air, pauses, or filler words
• Add subtle zoom-ins on the speaker's face during key points
• Add bold headline text on screen for the main points being made
• Add auto-generated captions at the bottom with a bold, modern font
• Add smooth transitions between cuts
• Keep the pacing fast and engaging
• Export in 9:16 vertical format for TikTok and Instagram Reels

Start with a short video (30 to 90 seconds) for your first edit. This lets you see the quality and style before processing a longer piece.

Cuts and Trimming. Remove dead air, pauses, filler words (um, uh, like), and awkward silences automatically. Trim beginning and end. Cut specific timestamps. Split a long video into multiple clips.

Zooms and Pan Effects. Add Ken Burns-style slow zooms. Punch in on the speaker's face during key moments. Pan across a scene. Create a zoom-out reveal effect. All with smooth easing.

On-Screen Text and Titles. Add bold headlines that appear and disappear with the speaker. Create lower-third name cards. Add numbered lists that build one item at a time. Full control over font, size, color, position, animation, and timing.

Captions and Subtitles. Auto-generate captions from the audio. Choose standard bottom subtitles, word-by-word highlight (the viral TikTok style), or full-screen text that appears one phrase at a time.

Transitions. Smooth crossfades, hard cuts, slide transitions, wipe effects, and fade to black. Control duration and style of every transition.

Audio. Adjust volume levels. Add background music. Fade audio in and out. Duck the background music when the speaker is talking. Sync audio cues to on-screen events.

Overlays and Graphics. Add images, logos, and watermarks as overlays. Create progress bars, countdown timers, ranking systems, and score indicators.

Format and Export. Export in any aspect ratio: 16:9 (YouTube), 9:16 (TikTok/Reels/Shorts), 1:1 (Instagram feed), 4:5 (Instagram post). Choose resolution (720p, 1080p, 4K). Export as MP4 or WebM.

Remotion cannot generate new video footage, AI voiceovers, or visual effects from scratch. It edits existing video. Think of it as a smart video editor, not a video generator.

1. The Listicle

@Remotion, edit this video as a listicle.

• Add numbered titles (1, 2, 3...) that appear each time I introduce a new item
• Add a bold headline for each item
• Cut pauses between items to keep pacing tight
• Add auto-captions in a modern bold font
• Add a subtle zoom-in on each new item
• Export 9:16 for TikTok/Reels

2. The Tutorial

@Remotion, edit this as a step-by-step tutorial.

• Add 'Step 1', 'Step 2', etc. as on-screen text each time I move to a new step
• Add a progress bar at the top showing how far through the tutorial the viewer is
• Zoom in on the screen/product when I'm showing something specific
• Add captions and cut any filler
• Export 9:16 vertical

3. The Before/After

@Remotion, create a before/after comparison.

• Split the video at [TIMESTAMP] into before and after sections
• Add 'BEFORE' and 'AFTER' labels on screen
• Add a dramatic transition between them
• Slow down the 'after' reveal slightly
• Add impact text showing the result

4. The Recap / Highlights

@Remotion, create a highlight reel from this video.

• Pull the 5 most impactful moments
• Cut everything else
• Add quick transitions between highlights
• Add bold text summarizing each moment
• Keep total length under 30 seconds
• Fast pacing, no dead air

5. The Product Demo

@Remotion, edit this as a product demo video.

• Add a title card at the start with the product name
• Zoom in on the product during key features
• Add feature callout text when I mention each benefit
• Add a pricing/CTA card at the end
• Clean transitions, professional feel

6. The Reaction / Commentary

@Remotion, edit this as a reaction video.

• Add on-screen text for my key opinions
• Use zooms for emphasis when I react strongly
• Add a score or rating graphic if I give one
• Cut any long pauses
• Add captions in a fun, bold style

7. The Podcast Clip

@Remotion, turn this podcast clip into a shareable short-form video.

• Add animated captions (word-by-word highlight)
• Add speaker name lower-third cards
• Zoom in on whoever is speaking
• Add a headline at the top summarizing the key takeaway
• Export 9:16 at 60 seconds or less

8. The Ad / Promo

@Remotion, edit this into a short ad.

• Hook in the first 2 seconds (zoom + text)
• Add a bold headline for the main benefit
• Fast cuts, high energy, no pauses
• Add a CTA card at the end with a URL or 'Link in bio'
• Keep total length under 15 seconds
• Export 9:16 for paid social

9. The Side-by-Side

@Remotion, create a side-by-side comparison.

• Put Video A on the left and Video B on the right (or split the same video at two different timestamps)
• Add labels for each side
• Sync the playback so they run together
• Add a verdict/winner graphic at the end

10. The Slideshow + Voiceover

@Remotion, turn these images into a video with my voiceover audio.

• Use the uploaded images as slides
• Match each slide to the relevant part of the voiceover
• Add Ken Burns zoom on each image
• Add text overlays for key points
• Smooth crossfade transitions (0.5s each)

The best part is you do not have to start over if something is off. Stay in the same session and just tell Codex what to change. It updates the Remotion code and re-renders only the parts that changed.

"Make the text bigger and move it to the top of the screen."

"Cut the first 3 seconds and the last 5 seconds."

"Add a zoom on the face at 0:12 to 0:15."

"Change the captions to white text with a black background."

"Speed up the section from 0:20 to 0:35 by 1.5x."

"Remove the text at 0:08 and replace it with 'NEW FEATURE'."

"Add background music. Make it quiet when I'm talking."

"Export this in 16:9 for YouTube instead of 9:16."

"Make the transitions faster, 0.3 seconds instead of 1 second."

"Add my logo in the bottom right corner for the entire video."

You can stack multiple changes in one message. Just list everything you want changed and Codex will update them all at once.

If you create content regularly, set up a consistent style once and apply it to every video. Upload multiple clips and tell Codex to apply the same editing template to all of them.

@Remotion, I'm uploading 5 videos. Apply the same editing style to all of them:

• Cut all pauses and filler words
• Add bold headline text for the main point of each video (auto-detect from the audio)
• Add word-by-word highlight captions
• Add subtle face zooms on key moments
• Export each as a separate 9:16 file
• Name them: clip1.mp4, clip2.mp4, etc.

Use the same font, color scheme, and caption style across all 5 so they look like they come from the same creator.

Once you find an editing style you like, save the prompt. Some creators build a library of 3 to 5 templates: one for listicles, one for tutorials, one for reactions, etc.

TikTok: 9:16, 1080x1920, up to 10 min, MP4.

Instagram Reels: 9:16, 1080x1920, up to 90 sec, MP4.

YouTube Shorts: 9:16, 1080x1920, up to 3 min, MP4.

YouTube: 16:9, 1920x1080, no length limit, MP4.

Instagram Feed: 4:5, 1080x1350, up to 60 sec, MP4.

X / Twitter: 16:9, 1920x1080, up to 2:20, MP4.

LinkedIn: 16:9 or 1:1, 1920x1080, up to 10 min, MP4.

To export for multiple platforms at once, add this to your prompt: 'Export three versions of this video: one 9:16 for TikTok, one 16:9 for YouTube, and one 1:1 for Instagram feed.' Codex will render all three in one pass.

If you have a long YouTube video, podcast episode, or webinar recording, have Codex automatically pull the most engaging moments and turn each one into a standalone short-form clip. One 30-minute video becomes 10 pieces of content.

@Remotion, I'm uploading a 30-minute video.

Find the 10 most engaging or shareable moments.

For each moment:

• Pull a 30 to 60 second clip
• Add a bold headline summarizing the key point
• Add word-by-word highlight captions
• Add a subtle face zoom on the best line
• Cut any setup or filler around the core moment
• Export each clip separately as 9:16

Name each file with the topic: clip1[topic].mp4, clip2[topic].mp4, etc.

Also generate a text file listing:

• The timestamp range of each clip
• A suggested caption for each platform
• Which clip you think would perform best and why

Record one long-form video per week. Use this prompt to extract 10 short clips. Post 2 per day across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. That is 14 pieces of content from one recording session. Most creators who post daily are not recording daily. They are repurposing.

Short videos first. Start with clips under 2 minutes so Codex processes them faster and you can iterate quickly.

Be specific with timestamps. Instead of 'zoom in somewhere in the middle,' say 'zoom in from 0:12 to 0:15.'

Reference creators you like. Say 'Edit this in the style of [creator name]' and Codex will try to match their patterns.

Upload a style reference. If you have a video whose style you love, upload it alongside your raw footage and say 'match the editing style of this reference video.'

Stack platforms in one go. Ask for multiple export formats in the same prompt to save time.

Save your prompts. When you find a style that works, save the exact prompt. Use it as a template for every future video.

Add your brand kit. Upload your logo, brand colors, and preferred font at the start of the session. Tell Codex to use these assets across all edits.

Use it for thumbnails too. Ask Codex to extract the best frame from the video and add text overlay for a YouTube thumbnail.

Codex processes video using cloud compute, so rendering times depend on length and complexity. A 60-second clip with basic edits takes about 2 to 5 minutes. A 10-minute video with heavy effects can take 15 to 30 minutes. Be patient on the first render. Iterations are usually faster.