Interview clips that keep both people in the frame
An interview is two people and a lot of questions. The good part is usually one answer, and it only lands if the viewer knows what was asked. Reeltopus reads the whole transcript, picks answers that stand on their own, and reframes a 16:9 two-shot into 9:16 with split-screen or speaker tracking, so neither person gets cropped out.
What makes interviews hard to clip
Two people, one narrow frame
A wide two-shot cropped to 9:16 cuts off one person, or sits awkwardly between them. Reeltopus tracks whoever is talking with a smooth, planned camera path, and when both people are talking it stacks them in a split-screen, one on top and one below.
The answer needs its question
Start a clip mid-answer and the viewer has no idea what it is about. Keep a 40-second question and they scroll away first. The clip picker checks setup and payoff, and you can shorten a long question by deleting words from the transcript, so the question is one line and the answer gets the time.
Names, jargon and accents
Guests say company names, product names and industry terms that transcription often gets wrong, and some switch languages mid-sentence. Reeltopus transcribes 100+ languages, including mixed speech like Hinglish, flags words it is unsure of, and fixing a word once updates it in every clip.
Quotes out of context
A 30-second cut can make a guest sound harsher or more certain than they were. Every pick comes with a one-line reason and its place in the full transcript, so you can read what came before and after before you post, and send the guest the clip if it is a sensitive answer.
Moments worth clipping
A direct answer to a hard question
The interviewer asks the thing the audience wants to know and the guest answers it plainly. Open on the question in one line, then the answer.
A story with a turn
The guest's anecdote about a mistake, a lucky break or a moment that changed their mind. These need a beginning and an end, so check the clip does not stop before the turn.
A concrete how-to
When a guest explains exactly how they do something, step by step or with a real number from their own work, it is useful without the rest of the interview.
Pushback and disagreement
The interviewer challenges an answer, or the guest disagrees with a common view. Split-screen works well here because the viewer sees both faces.
The one quotable line
A single sentence that sums up the guest's view. It can be a short clip on its own, or the opening line of a longer one.
How it works
- 1
Upload the interview
Upload the finished edit or the raw recording. Long files are fine, uploads are multipart. If you shot on several cameras, upload the switched program edit, since Reeltopus works from one video file.
- 2
Check the picks and the transcript
Clips come back ranked, each with a one-line reason. Fix flagged words like the guest's name or company once, and every clip updates.
- 3
Set the layout and trim the question
When both people talk, Reeltopus stacks them in split-screen; you can switch any clip between split-screen and a single tracked speaker. Delete words to shorten the question, or ask in plain words: "start at the question and end after the second sentence of the answer".
- 4
Caption and export
Pick one of 10 caption styles, remove filler words and silences, and export MP4. Download and post anywhere today; direct posting to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Threads and Facebook is rolling out platform by platform.
Recommended setup
| Setting | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clip length | 30–60 seconds; 15–25 seconds for a single quote | Long enough for a one-line question and a complete answer. A standalone quote needs less. |
| Captions | Two short lines, guest's key terms highlighted | Interviews are dense with names and claims. Readable captions let people follow with the sound off. |
| Layout | Split-screen for back-and-forth, speaker tracking for long answers | Split-screen shows reactions. A tracked single speaker gives a long answer the full frame. |
| Platforms | YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels; LinkedIn for business and career interviews | Interviews with founders, hiring managers or experts often find their audience on LinkedIn. |
| Export | 1080p MP4, or the editor timeline if you finish in Premiere, DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut | Most interview clips are ready as they are. Use the timeline when you need to add your own graphics. |
Free tools for this job
Hook line generator
Paste a paragraph from your video or script and get 5 opening hook lines for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, written by AI. Free, no sign-in.
Video length and reading-speed calculator
Find out how long your script runs at your speaking pace, how many words fit a 15, 30 or 60-second clip, and whether your captions are too fast to read.
Aspect ratio and safe-zone calculator
Exact pixel sizes and UI safe zones for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn and X, plus a crop calculator and ffmpeg command for turning 16:9 video into 9:16.
YouTube title and description generator
Paste what your clip says and get 5 YouTube title ideas, a description and hashtags, written by AI from your own words. Free, no sign-in.
Questions
How does Reeltopus handle two people in a 16:9 interview?
It detects both faces and tracks the active speaker with a planned camera path, so the crop moves smoothly instead of jumping. For two-person conversations it can switch to a split-screen layout, with one person on the top half of the vertical frame and the other on the bottom.
What about interviews with three or more people?
Speaker tracking follows whoever is talking. Split-screen is built for two people, so with three or more the clearer choice is usually the current speaker full frame.
Can it clip an interview that switches between two languages?
Yes. Transcription covers 100+ languages, including mixed-language speech like Hinglish, and words it is unsure of are flagged for you to check.
How long should interview clips be?
Most work at 30 to 60 seconds: a one-line question, then the answer. A single quotable sentence can be 15 to 25 seconds. Try the video length calculator to see how much text fits at a readable caption speed.
Do I need the guest's permission to post clips?
Check what your guest agreed to when they did the interview. A short clip can read differently from the full conversation, so it is good practice to agree up front that you will post clips, and to send the guest any clip on a sensitive topic before it goes out.
Turn your interviews into clips.
Join the waitlist for early access. The free plan includes 2 upload hours a month.