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Search locally
A local AI assistant for video editors should help before the timeline.
Use Focus to search local footage, verify source moments, build Selects or Sequences, and export clean handoff files.
One-time paymentSequences + Smart Filters includedNo subscription creep
Product preview
Query
speaker says "we launch tonight" while the crowd reacts
Speech
Find spoken lines in transcripts and jump to exact moments.
Visual
Match scene descriptions and visual context in your footage.
People
Filter results where detected people appear.
Short answer
What should a local AI assistant for video editors do?
It should help you find and verify the right moments before the cut starts, then hand off source-backed material to your NLE.
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Useful when footage is private, large, or spread across drives.
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Built for source verification, not black-box editorial decisions.
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Find moments locally
Search by quote, topic, person, scene, filename, or visual idea across local footage.
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Verify before the edit
Open candidates at the source timestamp before they become Selects or Sequences.
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Hand off cleanly
Export clips, XML, FCPXML, EDL, SRT, CSV, reports, or packages for the next step.
The friction
AI editing tools often skip the part editors need to trust.
Use Focus to search local footage, verify source moments, build Selects or Sequences, and export clean handoff files.
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Cloud rough-cut assistants can generate timelines before the source moments are checked.
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Transcript-only tools miss visual context, people, reactions, and source handoff.
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Full NLEs are where the cut happens, but they are not always the fastest place to search raw footage.
How Focus helps
Use AI for retrieval, verification, and handoff.
Focus is a local pre-edit assistant: search the footage itself, verify candidates, save useful moments, and export material the editor can open.
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Find moments locally
Search by quote, topic, person, scene, filename, or visual idea across local footage.
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Verify before the edit
Open candidates at the source timestamp before they become Selects or Sequences.
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Hand off cleanly
Export clips, XML, FCPXML, EDL, SRT, CSV, reports, or packages for the next step.
AI assistant categories for editors
Local pre-edit assistant
Focus- Search and review source footage locally.
- Build verified Selects or Sequences.
- Export handoff files instead of replacing the NLE.
Cloud rough-cut assistants, transcript tools, and full NLEs
- Cloud assistants need upload or remote processing.
- Transcript-only tools miss visual and handoff context.
- NLEs finish the cut but are not always the best retrieval layer.
How it works
How the local assistant workflow works
A shorter path from footage to the next useful action.
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Index local footage
Add project folders, external drives, or mounted storage.
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Ask for the moment
Search by memory: a line, person, scene, reaction, object, or topic.
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Verify and hand off
Save useful moments as Selects or Sequences, then export to the editing workflow.
Related pages
Focus Pro for Editors
Local pre-edit handoff for verified Selects, Sequences, and exports.
Focus for Assistant Editors
Search rushes, verify moments, and prepare clean editor handoffs.
Assistant Editors Need Searchable Footage
Why searchable footage improves assistant editor work.
Video Selects Workflow
Search, verify, save selects, and export.
FAQ
FAQ
Is this the same as a cloud rough-cut assistant?
No. Focus is strongest as a local retrieval, verification, and handoff layer before the timeline.
Does Focus replace my NLE?
No. Focus helps prepare source-backed material so the NLE work starts cleaner.
Is this only transcript search?
No. Focus also supports visual, people, scene, metadata, Selects, and export workflows where available.
Ready
Use AI before the timeline, not instead of editing.
Search local footage, verify source moments, and hand off cleaner material.