How to Use Templates & Reels (Make a Video in Minutes)
The fastest edit is the one you don’t start from scratch. Templates and Reels give you a finished structure — you just swap in your clips, change the words, and export. Here’s how.
A blank timeline is intimidating; a finished template isn’t. Templates and Reels hand you the structure — the cuts, transitions, titles, and timing — so your job shrinks to “put my stuff in the slots.” It’s how you go from idea to export in minutes.
Templates vs. Reels
- Templates — bundled, fully-built starting points for all kinds of videos. Open one and replace the placeholders.
- Reels — the same finished-structure idea, tuned for short vertical video. Apply one, fill its slots, and restyle the colors to match your look. Great when you want the same cut in a few different brands.
Step 1 — Pick one and apply it
Open Templates or Reels on the home screen
Browse the gallery and preview the motion.
Apply the one you like
It opens in the editor fully assembled — clips, text, transitions, music slots, all timed.
Swap in your media
Replace each placeholder clip and photo with your own. The animations and timing stay; only the content changes.
The Templates tab on the home screen
Each one is fully built — Speaker Card · Events · 20 slots
Scrub the live preview of the motion
Apply it, then fill in your content
When you apply a template, ExpoCut walks you through its slots one at a time — fill each placeholder (text or media), or tap Use defaults to drop straight into the editor with the sample content.
Fill each placeholder slot with your own content
…or tap Use defaults to skip ahead
Step 2 — Make it yours
- Change the words. Edit every title and caption to your message.
- Recolor it. Edit any layer’s colors, or restyle the whole thing at once with a brand kit.
- Stamp your brand. That same brand kit drops your logo and palette across the whole edit in one move.
Match the clip to the slot. Templates are timed for specific shot lengths. Trim your footage to roughly match each placeholder’s duration so the rhythm still lands.
Step 3 — Export
When it looks right, export at the template’s aspect ratio (usually 9:16 for Reels). Because preview equals export, what you see is what ships.
When to use a template (and when not to)
Templates win for consistency and speed — series intros, product spotlights, recurring formats. Build from scratch when the idea is genuinely one-off and the structure is the creative point.
Where to go next
- Brand every video the same: templates & brand kits (.ectpl).
- Rework the words: text & titles.
- Ship it right: best export settings.
Pick a template, drop in your clips, change the words, export — the finished-first workflow that turns “I should post” into “posted.”
Frequently asked questions
How do I use a video template?
On the home screen, open Templates (or Reels), pick one, and it opens in the editor fully built. Swap each placeholder clip for your own footage, change the text, and export. The timing, transitions, and animations are already done for you.
What's the difference between a Template and a Reel?
Both give you a ready-made structure you fill with your own content. Reels are tuned for short vertical video and are quick to restyle to your colors; Templates are the broader set of bundled starting points across formats. Either way, the cuts, transitions, and timing are already built.
Can I change the colors of a template?
Yes — edit any individual layer's color, text, and media after you apply it, or apply your brand kit to stamp your logo and colors across the whole thing at once.
Start finished, not blank
Bundled Templates and Reels — fill the slots, change the words, recolor to your brand, export. A good-looking video in minutes.
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