Instagram released a video-editing feature called First Draft that automatically trims recorded clips down to their highlights, TechCrunch reported. The feature, announced on Tuesday, is rolling out to Instagram’s iPhone application and provides a starting point that users can build upon with additional edits.
The tool processes raw video to remove dead space and shorten longer recordings. In an example shared by the company, a user selects multiple clips that each run for more than a minute before tapping the First Draft button. Instagram then analyzes the footage, eliminates pauses across the clips, and identifies the most important parts. The system then combines those snippets into a continuous reel that is ready to edit and share.
Instagram stated that First Draft works with multi-clip montages, talking-head videos, and day-in-the-life content. Users can access the tool by opening the camera in the Instagram app, filming video, and tapping the First Draft button. The button also appears inside the Reels gallery whenever a user selects more than one saved video clip.
The functionality resembles Adobe’s Quick Cut tool, which automatically combines video clips based on user prompts. Unlike Adobe’s AI-powered system, First Draft operates without machine learning models, according to Instagram spokesperson Nicole Rechtszaid, who confirmed that the trimming tool does not use artificial intelligence.
