DEV Community

Cover image for Automating Your Video Editing Workflow
nicolay Armando
nicolay Armando

Posted on

Automating Your Video Editing Workflow

#productivity #automation #techtalks

Video editing can be fun — until you’re stuck doing the same tedious steps over and over again. Trimming clips, converting formats, resizing for different platforms, exporting multiple versions… it adds up fast. Developers and technical creators know this pain better than most, and that’s where automation becomes a game-changer.

With the right scripts, tools, and shortcuts, you can automate 40–70% of your editing workflow. That means more time for creativity and less time stuck waiting on exports or repeating the same clicks for the hundredth time.

This guide walks you through how to automate common editing tasks using Python, FFmpeg, and smart productivity tools — even if you’re not a video-editing pro.

smart productivity tools

Why Automate Your Editing Workflow?

When you automate your editing pipeline, you remove the bottlenecks that slow you down. Even small automations can save hours over a full project cycle.

Some clear benefits include:

  • Faster turnaround time
    No more manually exporting 10 variations of the same clip.

  • Consistent output
    Automation eliminates the “Oops, I forgot to set the bitrate” mistakes.

  • Less repetitive work
    Instead of clicking through menus, you run one command or script.

  • Easy batch processing
    Tasks like trimming, watermarking, or resizing can be done to 10 or 100 clips at once.

Video teams everywhere — from YouTube creators to professional studios — rely heavily on automation to deliver work faster without sacrificing quality. This is also standard practice in high-output production environments like those seen in Title Productions’ commercial workflows

Using FFmpeg to Automate Repetitive Tasks

FFmpeg is the powerhouse behind most automated video workflows. It’s command-line based, incredibly fast, and works on almost every platform.

Here are a few ways developers use FFmpeg for automation:

1. Batch Convert Videos 

for file in *.mov; do
  ffmpeg -i "$file" -vcodec libx264 -crf 23 "${file%.mov}.mp4"
done
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Convert dozens of files from .mov to .mp4 with consistent settings.

2. Auto-Trim Clips 

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:00:03 -t 10 trimmed_output.mp4
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This trims the first 3 seconds and keeps the next 10 — perfect for bulk trimming intro sections.

3. Resize Videos for Social Media 

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=1080:1920 tiktok_output.mp4
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

One command, and your clip is now vertical for TikTok or Reels.

4. Add Watermarks Automatically 

ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i watermark.png \
-filter_complex "overlay=10:10" output.mp4
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Set this up once, and generate branded versions of every video without ever opening an editor — a technique commonly used in agency-level production pipelines.

Python Automation for Video Editing

If you want more control — or want to build your own editing pipeline — Python makes automation even more powerful.

Here are some ways Python can automate your workflow:

1. Auto-generate Clips for Social Posts

Use Python + MoviePy to cut videos into short clips:

from moviepy.editor import VideoFileClip

clip = VideoFileClip("full_video.mp4")
short = clip.subclip(10, 25)
short.write_videofile("clip1.mp4")
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2. Automate Multiple Edits at Once

Loop through all files in a folder:

import os
from moviepy.editor import VideoFileClip

for file in os.listdir("videos"):
    if file.endswith(".mp4"):
        v = VideoFileClip(f"videos/{file}")
        resized = v.resize(height=1080)
        resized.write_videofile(f"output/{file}")
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. Generate Templates Automatically

Python can auto-insert intros, outros, overlays, and branded elements.

This is especially useful if you publish frequently or manage content for different platforms — a workflow similar to how production teams like Title Productions maintain brand consistency across campaigns:

Creating Shortcuts With Automation Tools

If scripting isn’t your thing, no problem — automation tools and workflow apps can still remove repetitive editing work.

Popular options include:

  • OBS + macro pads
    Trigger scene changes or start/stop recordings instantly.

  • AutoHotkey (Windows)
    Automate shortcuts in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or any editor.

  • Keyboard Maestro (macOS)
    Create macros that trim clips, apply LUTs, rename files, or export sequences automatically.

  • Notion / Zapier / Make.com
    Automate file movement and organisation before editing even begins.

These tools help bridge the gap between manual editing and fully scripted pipelines.

Building a Practical Automated Workflow

Here’s a simple example workflow you can build as you grow more comfortable:

  • Record raw footage
  • Auto-organize files using a script
  • Batch convert footage to a standard format via FFmpeg
  • Auto-generate drafts using Python + MoviePy
  • Use your editor only for final touches
  • Automate exports for multiple aspect ratios
  • Auto-upload to cloud storage or social platforms

This gives you the best of both worlds:
Automation for repetitive tasks, manual creativity for finishing touches.

Automation for repetitive tasks

Conclusion

Automation isn’t just for developers—it’s a powerful productivity booster for anyone working with video. By bringing FFmpeg, Python, and workflow tools into your editing process, you reduce friction, save time, and create more consistent output.

With a bit of scripting or a few clever macros, your entire editing pipeline becomes smoother, faster, and far more enjoyable. And once you get comfortable with automation, you won’t want to go back.

Top comments (0)