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INSTRUCTIONS

- Choose Your Wedding Video Folder

✅ Step 1 — Click Choose Video Folder

  • Press Choose Video Folder (top-right)

  • Select the main folder that contains the wedding footage and audio files

Once selected, HootHoot VideoBot will begin scanning and preparing your media for editing.

 

- Required Folder Structure (Important)

Your selected folder should be organised like this:

✅ One sub-folder = one camera (any folder name is ok)

  • Each camera should have its own folder containing only that camera’s footage

✅ Audio files can be anywhere

  • Audio can be stored:

    • in the root wedding folder, or

    • inside any sub-folder

✅ Recommended Example Layout​​​

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✅ HootHoot VideoBot — PreProcess (Prepare Wedding Footage)

Purpose

After choosing your Wedding Video Folder, the next step is to run PreProcess.
PreProcessing scans and prepares all video + audio files so HootHoot can run the rest of the automations instantly.

1) Start PreProcessing

✅ Step 1 — Confirm your folder is loaded

Once your wedding folder is selected, you will see:

  • your folder path in Source Folder

  • all detected videos and audio files listed under Video Folder

  • progress indicators such as File Processed / Total Files

✅ Step 2 — Click PreProcess

  • Set number of bots using slide bar

  • Click the PreProcess button (top-right)

HootHoot VideoBot will now begin PreProcessing your footage and audio files.

2) Number of Bots (Speed Setting)

What is “Number of Bots”?

The Number of Bots slider controls how many video files will be processed at the same time.

✅ More Bots = Faster processing
⚠️ More Bots = Higher CPU/GPU usage & system load

Recommended Settings

  • 6–8 Bots → Best balance for most PCs

  • 8-12 Bots → Faster, but may noticeably slow down other apps

  • Over 12 → Not recommended unless you have a very powerful computer

💡 If your computer becomes slow, reduce the number of bots and try again.

3) How Long Does PreProcessing Take?

PreProcessing is the longest step in the workflow.

⏳ Typical time: a few hours (depending on footage size and PC performance)

During this time, you can monitor:

  • Processing Status

  • File Progress

  • File Processed / Total Files

  • Frame Processed / Total

4) Why PreProcessing is Important

Once PreProcessing is complete:

✅ All future automations will run extremely fast
⚡ Most actions will complete in seconds instead of hours

This is what enables HootHoot VideoBot to perform instant automation like:

  • timeline generation

  • sync-ready editing workflows

  • smart selection

  • automated multi-cam edit

  • instant reel / raw cut creation

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✅ Chapters (Auto Grouped Timeline Sections)

What are Chapters?

After you click PreProcess, HootHoot VideoBot will automatically analyse your wedding footage and organise the full timeline into Chapters.

Each Chapter represents a group of clips that belong to the same time range of the day.

✅ Understanding a Chapter

Each chapter shows:

  • Chapter number

  • Start time → End time

Example:
Chapter 4 - 00:55:37 → 00:59:19

This means all clips captured within that time range will be grouped into that chapter.

⭐ Chapters with “*” (Important)

If a chapter has a * at the end, for example:

Chapter 3 - 01:25:06 → 03:08:52 *

✅ This means the chapter is very likely a key formality event, such as:

  • Ceremony

  • Speeches

  • Reception formalities

These chapters often contain the most important moments of the day.

✅ Why Chapters Are Split Into Smaller Fragments

HootHoot VideoBot intentionally creates many shorter chapters instead of one long timeline.

This is done so you have more control later, especially when using Instant Reel.

Instant Reel Benefits

When generating an Instant Reel, you can easily:
✅ Include the chapters you want
✅ Exclude chapters that don’t fit the highlight reel

For example, you may want to exclude chapters that are less suitable for a fast-paced reel, such as:

  • Family photo sessions

  • Guest group photos

  • Long waiting or transition moments

This chapter-based system makes it quick and easy to produce a more exciting and cinematic highlight film.

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✅ Auto Multi-Cam Chapter Preparation Screen (Pre-Settings)

Purpose

This screen is used to prepare and fine-tune the automatic multi-camera edit for a selected Chapter.

✅ At this stage:

  • All camera tracks should already be synced

  • This interface is for setting priorities and camera behaviour

  • Once configured, HootHoot will generate an auto-edited FCPXML

1) Track Roles (Main Track vs Sub Tracks)

Your timeline contains multiple synced tracks:

✅ Main Track (Highest Priority)

  • The Main Track carries the most weight

  • It will be shown the most in the final edit

  • This should contain your best primary angle (usually the most important camera)

✅ Sub Track #1 (Supplementary / B-Roll Track)

  • Used as supporting footage

  • Great for reaction shots, cutaways, alternate angles, or creative B-roll

  • Appears less often than the Main Track

✅ Sub Track #2 and Above (Lowest Priority)

  • These tracks have the least weight

  • They are used occasionally to add variety, but will not dominate the edit

✅ 2) Automatic Editing Behaviour

Once settings are complete, HootHoot VideoBot will automatically:

✅ Smooth Shaky Main Track (Smart Fallback)

If the Main Track is shaky, the system will:

  • automatically check other tracks

  • switch to a smoother camera angle when needed

✅ Auto Angle Switching (Multi-Cam Enhancement)

The system will also:

  • automatically change angles between tracks

  • enrich the video with dynamic multi-cam cutting
    (without the user needing to manually cut every switch)

✅ 3) Important: Moving Shots (Handheld Priority)

For moving moments such as:

  • walking down the aisle

  • exiting the aisle

  • moving group shots

  • handheld follow shots

📌 Handheld camera footage should usually be placed on the Main Track, because it often contains the most important live action and tracking movements.

✅ To get the best auto-edit results:

  • Move the handheld camera clips onto Main Track

  • Keep tripod cameras as supporting tracks

✅ 4) Cutting / Splitting Clips

To split clips in the timeline:

Shortcut

✅ Shift + C → Cut / Split the selected clip

This is useful when you need to:

  • separate a handheld portion from a tripod portion

  • isolate key parts of a long clip

  • move only part of a clip into the main track

✅ 5) Mark Sections as “Hand Held” or “Tripod”

HootHoot VideoBot allows you to define different camera behaviour depending on the shot type.

✅ How to select a time range

  1. Hold Shift

  2. Left-click and drag across the timeline area

  3. Release to create a horizontal time selection range

🎥 Hand Held Section

How to set

  1. Select a time range using Shift + Drag

  2. Click Hand Held

What it means

✅ During a Hand Held section:

  • the Main Track is prioritised heavily (highest weight)

  • the edit stays more focused on the main handheld camera

  • angle switching is less aggressive (more stable storytelling)

📌 Best for:

  • aisle walking shots

  • entrances / exits

  • moving follow shots

  • action moments

🎬 Tripod Section

How to set

  1. Select a time range using Shift + Drag

  2. Click Tripod

What it means

✅ During a Tripod section:

  • the system performs more frequent angle switching

  • the edit becomes more dynamic and multi-cam style

📌 Best for:

  • ceremony wide + close angles

  • speeches

  • reception formalities

  • static moments with multiple cameras

✅ 6) Process the Chapter (Generate Auto-Edited Timeline)

Once your track setup and handheld/tripod sections are complete:

✅ Click Process Video

This will:

  • apply your multi-cam editing rules

  • auto-edit the chapter

  • generate an auto-edited FCPXML ready for export/use in editing software

2026 HootHoot

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