L25. Your first Reel from your own footage

Allow about 25–40 minutes to prepare and publish a Reel based on desk-40s.mp4. You need a personal Instagram profile, the video from Lesson 21, a computer with Clipchamp, and your phone. A Reel is a separate video post; you can create one using your own finished recording from the gallery. [P219]

In class

Compare a short recording with its automatic subtitles. With the teacher, correct one error, check when the words appear and watch again with the sound off.

Prepare for viewing without sound

The video already has action labels. Add subtitles, the spoken words displayed on screen, so viewers can read the explanation without sound.

• On the computer, open Desk 40s in Clipchamp, choose Captions, enable automatic captions, and select the spoken language if available. Choose Transcribe media. This sends the audio to Microsoft’s processing service, so use your ordinary practice narration without private information. [P236]
• Compare the generated words with the voice. If it says “not using”, keep “not” in the text. Double-click an incorrect word in the transcript and edit it. Check that each phrase appears with the speech, remains long enough to read and does not cover the hands or book. Check contrast: the words should remain readable over dark and light areas of the frame. If automatic transcription is unavailable, use Text to add the script’s spoken lines manually, each above its corresponding clip. Remove old action labels if they duplicate or crowd the subtitles. [P207][P236]
• Export through Export → 1080p as content\desk-reel.mp4. Watch the file with sound off: the sequence should remain understandable. Then turn the sound on and check that the words match. [P208]
• Connect Android through USB and select File Transfer. Open the phone in File Explorer, create Movies\AI-practice if needed and copy the MP4 there. Open it in the gallery. On iPhone, you can transfer through your own cloud storage and save the file to Photos. [P210]

[[VIS:s25_reel]]

For a shorter caption, paste the text from step 7 into your AI chat: “Shorten to two sentences without inventing benefits.” Example: “Getting my desk ready for reading. I remove extras and keep the essentials nearby.”

Upload the Reel

• In Instagram, select + / Create → Reel. Open the gallery and choose desk-reel.mp4. If the app requests photo and video permission, grant access to the file you need. Select Next and watch the preview. Skip music: our own narration is sufficient. [P218]
• Continue to the publishing preparation screen. If Edit cover is available, choose a clear frame showing the finished desk. Check whether the profile preview cuts off any important wording.
• In the caption field, enter this text or your checked shorter version: “My desk before reading: remove extras, keep the book and notebook, and put small things together. A small change that is easy to repeat.” Check the audience and any additional sharing to other services. For this exercise, keep the private profile from Lesson 23. Select Share.
• After completion, open the Reel from your profile. Check the beginning, subtitles, and ending. If possible, ask an approved follower to describe the action shown.

> [FIX] If Instagram cannot see the video, first open it in the phone’s normal gallery. Check Instagram’s permission to access that file. A cloud link to an MP4 is not the same as a file downloaded onto the phone.

Home practice

• In a new Clipchamp project called Caption practice, import one original desk-raw clip containing a complete spoken line and drag it onto the timeline. Leave the main project unchanged.
• Add automatic captions or use Text, following steps 1–2. Check every word against the voice and keep the title clear of the hands.
• Export content\caption-practice.mp4. Watch without sound, then with sound. The complete line should be readable and match the speech. Do not publish this fragment.

Self-test

• Should you download the video back from YouTube?
• The voice says “not using”, but the subtitles say “using”. Is changing their timing enough?
• Subtitles are visible over the box but disappear over the light desk. What should you check?

Useful terms

• Reel: an Instagram video post.
• Subtitles: spoken words displayed on screen.
• Cover: the image representing a video before playback.