# Changing a finished film

Updated 2026-10-05. Web page: https://kitcut.ai/docs/changing-a-film

A finished film can be changed without making a new one. The person who made it leaves **notes** on the film: this label is too small, this part is too fast, say this line differently. Claude then makes the film again with those changes, as the film's next **version**, and answers every note. The film keeps its page, its address and its views.

![The notes over a film about bees: the film on the left, paused at 0:03.2, with a numbered pin on a label in the picture; under it a filmstrip of the whole film with numbered marks over it, the narration line being said with Change the words, and a box to add another note. On the right, Notes for version 2: four numbered notes (a spot in the picture, a stretch from 0:11.2 to 0:15.2, the words at 0:15.3 with the old line struck through and the new one under it, and the whole film), each with the seconds it covers, then "This round is included: the first on a film uses none of your time. Ready in about 4 minutes." and the button Make version 2. Red circles: 1 the filmstrip with its marks, 2 the list of notes, 3 Make version 2.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-ready.webp "Four notes ready to send: ① where each one points on the filmstrip, ② what each asks for and the seconds it covers, ③ the button that sends them all.")

## In short

1. **Open the film's page** and press **Change something**.
2. **Point at what should change** and say what you want: a spot or an area in the picture, a stretch of the film, a narration line, a moment, or the whole film.
3. **Press Make version 2.** All the notes go at once. The page can be closed; an email says when the version is ready.
4. **Read Claude's replies.** Each note says **Done** with what changed, or **Not changed** with the reason.
5. **Keep it or go back.** The new version is the film for everyone. The version before is kept, and one click makes it the film again.

The first round of changes on a film uses no credits. After that, a round uses only the seconds its notes cover ([What a round uses](#what-a-round-uses)).

## Who can change a film, and which films

- **Who:** the person who made the film, signed in. In a shared workspace, the workspace's owners and admins can too ([Workspaces](https://kitcut.ai/docs/workspaces.md)). Nobody else sees **Change something**, and a visitor's view of the film does not change.
- **Which films:** a finished film, on its own page (kitcut.ai/film/…). A film from the idea box, from a project or from a template can all be changed.
- **Not offered:**
  - for a film that is still being made, or that failed;
  - for KitCut's longest films, the ones made scene by scene: **Change something** does not appear on their pages yet;
  - from an AI assistant: notes are left on the website ([Assistants](https://kitcut.ai/docs/assistants.md)).

![A finished film's page: the video, and under it Done in 14:37, then the buttons Change something, Download and Publish to YouTube and the view count; a red circle around Change something.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-button.webp "Change something is first in the row under a finished film of your own.")

## Leaving a note

**Change something** opens the notes over the film: the film with its own play bar, a filmstrip of the whole film, the narration line being said at that moment, the note box, and the list of notes. A note has two parts: what it points at, and what should change there.

### What a note can point at

| A note on | How to make it | It covers |
|---|---|---|
| A spot in the picture | Click the picture where the change should be. A pin lands there, at that moment of the film. | 2 seconds from that moment |
| An area of the picture | Drag a box around it on the picture. On a phone, tap the spot, then **Box an area**. | 2 seconds from that moment |
| A stretch of the film | Drag across the filmstrip, then drag either end to fit. | the stretch's length |
| The words | Click the narration line under the filmstrip (**Change the words**). | that line's length |
| A moment | Pause anywhere and type. | 2 seconds from that moment |
| The whole film | Choose **Whole film** in the note box. | the film's length |

- **A spot** is for one small thing on screen: a label, a face, a number. A click drops one pin on it. Claude is given the exact frame with the spot ringed on it, and the note's words say what should change there.
- **An area** is for something bigger, for a group of things, or for one of two things that sit close together. Drag a box around it; then drag a corner to resize the box, or drag inside it to move it. **Box an area**, beside a pin's chip in the note box, turns a pin into a box around it. Claude is given the exact frame with the box drawn on it.
- **A stretch** is for timing and motion: too fast, too slow, a pause that should be longer.
- **The words** can be changed two ways, chosen in the note box:
  - **Describe a change:** say what should be different ("shorter", "mention the price").
  - **Rewrite the words:** type the line as it should be said. The note shows the old line struck through and the new one under it.
  - The line is recorded again in the same voice, and what happens on screen at those words moves with the new recording.
- **A moment** is for anything at that point of the film that is not one spot: the whole frame, the sound, the music there.
- **The whole film** is for what runs through it: the music, the pace, a colour used everywhere.

![The notes with a spot marked and no note added yet: the film paused at 0:03.2 with a plus-shaped pin on a label in the picture; in the note box the chip "0:03.2, this spot" with the link Box an area beside it, and the text "Move this label clear of the flower and make it a little bigger." beside the button Add note. The panel on the right lists the ways to point: click the picture or drag to box an area, drag across the filmstrip, click the words, or pause anywhere and type. Red circles: 1 the pin on the picture, 2 the note box with its chip.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-spot.webp "A spot: ① click the picture and a pin lands there, ② say what should change at that spot.")

![The notes with an area boxed: the film paused at 0:03.2 with an orange box drawn around a label in the picture, a round handle on each of its four corners; under the filmstrip the hint "Drag a corner to resize the box, drag inside it to move it"; in the note box the chip "0:03.2, this area" and the text "Make this label bigger and move it clear of the flower." beside the button Add note. The panel on the right lists the ways to point, the first being "Click the picture to mark a spot, or drag to box an area". Red frames: 1 the box on the picture, 2 the note box with its chip.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-area.webp "An area: ① drag a box around the thing, then adjust it by its corners, ② say what should change in it.")

![The notes with a stretch marked: an orange range on the filmstrip from 0:11.2 to 0:15.2 with a handle at each end, the hint "Drag its ends to resize it, click outside to clear it" under it, and in the note box the chip "0:11.2 to 0:15.2" with the text "The water number drops too fast to read. Slow it down." A red circle around the range on the filmstrip.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-stretch.webp "A stretch: drag across the filmstrip, then drag either end to fit.")

![The notes with the words chosen: the narration line "Seal it with wax, and it's honey." under the filmstrip is highlighted and its stretch is marked on the filmstrip; in the note box the chip "The words at 0:15.3", a switch between Describe a change and Rewrite the words, set to Rewrite the words, and the new line "Capped with wax, it becomes honey." typed in. Red circles: 1 the narration line, 2 the switch between describing a change and rewriting the words.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-words.webp "The words: ① click the line being said, ② describe the change or type the line as it should be said.")

### Writing, editing and removing notes

- **Each note says what should change,** in up to 500 characters. **Add note** (or Enter) adds it to the list.
- **One version takes up to 20 notes.**
- **Every note is numbered.** Its number sits on the filmstrip at its moment, and on the picture when the film is at that moment; a boxed area shows its box there too. Clicking a note takes the film there.
- **Edit or delete** a note with the two buttons on it, until it is sent. A deleted note can be brought back with **Undo** for a few seconds.
- **Notes are kept** when the page is closed, and are there on any device you sign in on. A note that could not be saved says **Not saved**, with **Try again**.
- **Say one thing per note,** and say what you want to see. "Make the label bigger and move it off the flower" works better than "fix this".

### Keys

| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space | Play or pause |
| ← → | One frame back or forward |
| Shift + ← → | One second back or forward |
| C | A note at this moment |
| W | A note on the whole film |
| Enter | Add the note |
| Ctrl + Enter | Make the next version |
| B, held | Show the version before |
| Esc | Clear what is selected |

### On a phone

The picture stays at the top of the screen while the filmstrip, the note box and the notes scroll under it, and the send button stays at the foot of the screen. Dragging the filmstrip moves through the film; **Mark a stretch from here** under it starts a stretch, and its ends can be dragged. A tap on the picture drops a pin; **Box an area** beside the pin's chip turns it into a box, adjusted by dragging its corners or the box itself (a finger dragged across the picture scrolls the page, so a box is not drawn that way on a phone).

![The notes on a phone: the film at the top with a numbered pin on the picture, the play bar, the filmstrip with numbered marks, the narration line with Change the words, the note box, the first note of the list, and at the foot of the screen "This round is included: the first on a film uses none of your time. Ready in about 4 minutes." above the button Make version 2.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-phone.webp "On a phone: the picture stays at the top, and Make version 2 stays at the foot of the screen.")

## Sending the notes

**Make version 2** (then 3, and so on) sends all the notes at once, and Claude makes them in one go. One press is one **round** of changes.

- **Before you press it,** the page says what the round uses and how long it should take.
- **How long it takes:** a version of a short film is usually ready in about 3 minutes. The whole film is drawn again, so a longer film takes longer: about 7 minutes for a one-minute film, about 39 minutes for an 8-minute one.
- **What Claude changes:** only what the notes ask for. Everything not mentioned stays: the scenes, the timing, the words and the music.
- **What stays fixed whatever the notes say:** the film's length, its look, and how many narration lines it has (a line can be said differently; lines are not added or removed).

### While the version is being made

![The notes while a version is made: the panel is headed "Claude is making version 2"; a line says what Claude is doing now, "Slowing the water countdown at 0:11", with a clock at 1:36; the first note carries a green tick and Claude's reply, the second is being worked on and the others wait; at the foot "You can leave this page. We email you when version 2 is ready, in about 2 minutes. Until then people see version 1." and the button Stop making version 2.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-making.webp "Being made: what Claude is doing now, each note ticked as it is dealt with, and Stop.")

- **The page says where it stands:**
  - **"Version N is waiting its turn"** when the studio is busy, with how many films are ahead. Nothing is being made yet.
  - **"Claude is making version N"**, with what Claude is doing now and a clock. Each note is marked as it is dealt with.
  - **"This is taking longer than usual"** when it is well past the usual time. It is still being made.
- **The page can be closed.** An email says when the version is ready ([Emails](#emails)).
- **Until it is ready, people see the version before.** Nothing about the film changes for them.
- **Stop making version N** stops it. Nothing is used, the film is as it was, and the notes are back in the list to change and send again.
- **Meanwhile:** no notes can be added, and the film can't be published to YouTube; **Publish to YouTube** on the film's page is off and says why. The film's page shows "Claude is making version N" beside its status, and the film is marked the same way in your lists (the account page and its project's page).

## When the version is ready

The new version is the film: its video, its download, its poster, its link preview and its subtitles.

![The same film as version 2: the picture is tagged Version 2 and the label in it is bigger and clear of the flower; under it a switch between Version 1 and Version 2. On the right, Version 2, Ready: a green box headed What Claude changed with one paragraph, then each note with a green tick and Claude's reply starting with Done, then "People with the link now see version 2.", the buttons Change something else and Done, and the link Go back to version 1. Red circles: 1 What Claude changed, 2 Claude's reply under the first note, 3 the switch between the two versions.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-made.webp "Version 2, ready: ① what Claude changed, in one paragraph, ② its reply under each note, ③ the two versions at the same moment of the film.")

- **What Claude changed:** one paragraph, in plain words, of what is different in this version.
- **A reply under every note:**
  - **Done,** with one sentence saying what changed.
  - **Not changed,** with the reason and what would make it possible. **Ask again, another way** puts that note back in the box to reword.
- **Compare the versions:** the switch under the picture shows each kept version at the same moment of the film. Holding **B** shows the version before for as long as it is held.
- **Change something else** starts the notes for the next version. **Done** closes the notes.
- **Where the new version shows:** on the film's page at once, and on its share page within the hour.

![Version 2 with one note not changed: the note on the whole film, "Warmer music, please", carries a red exclamation mark, and under it "Not changed." with Claude's reason and the button Ask again, another way; the other notes carry green ticks, and the foot says "One note was not changed. People with the link now see version 2." A red frame around the note that was not changed.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-not-changed.webp "A note Claude did not change says why, and Ask again, another way puts it back in the box.")

### A version that is not made

- **It failed, or the studio restarted:** "Version N did not finish."
- **Claude found nothing it could change:** "Version N was not made," with its reason.
- **In each case** nothing is used, the film is exactly as it was, the notes are there to change and send again, and an email says so.

## Versions, and going back

- **A film's page says which version it shows** once there is more than one ("Version 2 of 3"). Clicking it opens the notes.
- **The last 3 versions are kept.** The switch under the picture plays each of them.
- **Watching an older version** shows a bar over the notes: "You are watching version 1. People with the link see version 2."
- **Go back to version N** makes that version the film again, for everyone: its video, its download, its poster and its subtitles. Nothing is made again and nothing is used. The later version stays kept, and can be gone back to in turn.
- **The next round always makes a new version,** numbered one past the highest there is, from the version the film shows.
- **A version that is no longer kept** can't be gone back to.

![The notes while watching an older version: the picture is tagged Version 1, the switch under it is on Version 1, and a bar says "You are watching version 1, as it was before the changes. People with the link see version 2." with the buttons Go back to version 1 and Back to version 2. A red circle around the bar.](https://kitcut.ai/docs/img/notes-older.webp "Watching the version before: the bar says which version people see, and Go back to version 1 makes it the film again.")

## What a round uses

One **round** is one press of **Make version N**: all the notes sent together.

- **The first round on a film is included.** It uses no credits.
- **After that, a round uses the seconds its notes cover,** one credit a second ([What a note can point at](#what-a-note-can-point-at)):
  - a stretch or a narration line covers its own length;
  - a spot, a boxed area or a moment covers 2 seconds from it, whatever the box's size;
  - a note on the whole film covers the film's length;
  - seconds covered by more than one note count once.
- **At least 5 credits, and never more than the film's length.** A 12-second stretch uses 12 credits, one spot uses 5, and a note on a whole 45-second film uses 45.
- **Each note shows the seconds it covers,** and the page shows what the round uses before it is sent. When the balance is too small the button is off, with a link to get more.
- **Held, then charged,** like a film's credits: held when the notes are sent, charged when the version is made, and given back when it is not made or is stopped. A round that is given back does not count as the film's first.
- **Going back to an earlier version uses nothing.**
- **A film in a shared workspace** uses the workspace's credits, whoever sends the notes ([Workspaces](https://kitcut.ai/docs/workspaces.md)).

Credits themselves are on [Plans and credits](https://kitcut.ai/docs/plans-and-credits.md).

## Emails

- **"Version N of your film is ready,"** with what Claude changed and a link that opens the film's notes.
- **A version that did not finish, or was not made,** gets an email saying so: nothing was used, and the notes are there to send again.
- **A version you stop yourself** sends none.
- **A link opened where you are not signed in** asks you to sign in first, then opens the notes.
- **They follow the same switch as "Your film is ready"** ([Your account](https://kitcut.ai/docs/account.md#emails)).

## A film that is on YouTube

- **A copy on YouTube stays as it was.** YouTube does not let a video's picture be replaced.
- **The notes say so:** "YouTube still has version 1. Publish version 2 from the film's page."
- **Publish the film again** for the new version ([Publishing to YouTube](https://kitcut.ai/docs/youtube.md)). A film is published as the version it shows at that moment.

## Limits

| What | What happens |
|---|---|
| 20 notes on one version | The note box says that is the most for one version; send them, then add more to the next. |
| A note longer than 500 characters | The note box counts down, then shows how many characters to cut. |
| 5 rounds of changes to one film in a day | The notes are kept, to send the next day. |
| A second round while one is being made | One version at a time: the notes open again when it is ready. |
| A film going up to YouTube, or having its KitCut branding removed | The notes wait until that is done, a few minutes. |
| A film told in your own ElevenLabs voice ([Narrator voices](https://kitcut.ai/docs/voices.md)) | Its words can't be rewritten yet; the words button says so. Its picture, timing and music can be changed. |
| Too few credits for the round | The button is off and the price is in red, with a link to get more. The notes are kept. |

## Not possible yet

- **Editing by hand.** There is no timeline, no cutting and no replacing a picture or a sound yourself: a note says what should change, and Claude changes it.
- **Freehand drawing on the picture.** A note marks a spot with a pin or an area with a box. Circling by hand, arrows and writing on the frame are not possible.
- **Changing the film's length or its look** with a note. Make the film again for that (**Make it again**, a new film).
- **Adding or removing narration lines.** A line can be said differently.
- **Rewriting the words of a film told in your own ElevenLabs voice.**
- **Changing KitCut's longest films,** the ones made scene by scene.
- **Notes from someone else:** a client or a colleague who is not the film's maker (or its workspace's owner or admin) can't leave notes.
- **Notes from an AI assistant.** An assistant can make a film again with its idea changed (`remake_film`), which is a new film ([Assistants](https://kitcut.ai/docs/assistants.md)).
- **Notes while a film is still being made.**
- **Replacing a video already on YouTube.**