How to prompt Eddie well

Eddie is directed like an editor, not configured like a tool. The clearer the brief, the better the cut.

The two briefs most people write first

Almost every project starts with one of these. Copy either one and change the details.

Build the interview cut. This is the main job. Eddie reads the transcripts and assembles a story from the best answers.

"Build a rough cut from these interviews. Pull the strongest soundbites from each speaker and put them in an order that tells a clear story. Aim for about 8 minutes."

Cover that cut with b-roll. B-roll goes over the interview as picture only. The speaker's audio keeps running underneath.

"Add b-roll over the rough cut. Match the shots to what the speakers are talking about, stay on the person for the intro and the most emotional lines, and skip anything that doesn't really fit."

Always give a length

Length changes how Eddie cuts, not only how much it keeps. "About 8 minutes" produces a different edit from "a 90-second teaser" — not a shorter version of the same one.

An hour of interview makes an 8 to 15 minute assembly. Ask for two minutes and you get a highlights reel instead.

The other details that shape a cut

• Platform and aspect — "vertical for TikTok", "16:9 for YouTube".
• Tone — "calm and documentary", "fast and energetic".
• Must-keeps and cuts — "keep the demo, drop the small talk".

Build in passes, not in one paragraph

Start with the cut, then layer one pass at a time: remove filler, tighten, add b-roll, add titles, add music. A single change is easier to judge — and easier to reverse — than a paragraph of instructions.

How much detail to give

All three levels work. Pick what suits the job.

• Light — name the outcome: "Make the rough cut." Eddie brings the editorial judgement. This is what the suggested-prompt chips do.
• Medium — add the shape you care about: "Cut this to 8 minutes, start on the introduction, keep the product story, drop the small talk."
• Detailed — spell out the passes: "Rough cut of the best answers → remove filler and long pauses → add b-roll on the product mentions → name bars for each speaker → upbeat music, ducked under the talking."

More detail means more control. Less means Eddie makes more of the calls. Both work, because you keep steering the same cut.

Point at things by content

Eddie knows the transcript, so point with words: "the part where she talks about pricing", "the second time he says 'the key thing is'".

Ask it to explain or undo

• "Why did you cut that section?"
• "Put the intro back."

Describe the outcome, not the mechanics

• Good: "A punchy 90-second recap of the launch, captions on, upbeat."
• Vague: "Edit this."

For the full menu of what you can ask for, see What you can ask Eddie to do.