Editing formats, explained: base layers and beats

An editing format is how each moment of a reel is cut. It starts with a base layer — footage or an avatar — that runs continuously, then layers styles per beat: full-screen B-roll, split-screen, overlays.

Take a transformation: hook on the 'before', reveal the 'after', pay it off with a split-screen, close on a CTA. Each of those is a beat, and each beat has a style.

Getting the format right is what makes a reel feel edited instead of stitched. We'll show how to pick a starter format and tune the beats to your template.