Editing multicam footage in Descript is just as easy as editing a single recording. With sequences, you can group files and edit them in a single unified script. This keeps your related tracks in sync with each other, making it simple to manage multiple speakers and create dynamic multicam layouts.

Whether you’re working with multiple camera angles or recording a podcast with several speakers, this guide will show you how to create and edit sequences in Descript.

1. Create a sequence

Creating a sequence in Descript is the first step if you have multiple recordings that need to stay in sync while you edit, like in a multi-track interview, or with multiple camera angles.

The simplest way to create a sequence is when you’re importing your files after creating a new project.

Creating a sequence when importing files

To create a sequence when importing files, do this:

1. Drag and drop your recordings onto the script area of your project at the same time.
2. Add in Speaker names if needed.
3. Select Combine into sequence.

Creating a sequence from files already in your project

If you already imported your files into the project, you can also create a sequence and add the files in your Projects tab.

To create a sequence with files you’ve already imported, do this:

1. Open the Projects tab in the sidebar.
2. Select the files you want to add to the sequence and click Create sequence.
3. The Sequence editor will appear and is where you can make edits to individual tracks if needed; select Done to return to the main editor.
4. Select the sequence in the Projects tab and choose Insert into script. If the files haven't been transcribed yet, this will initiate the transcription process.

If you want to transcribe individual of the files in your sequence, you can do so from the Project tab by selecting thevertical ellipses next to the file name and choosing transcribe file from the dropdown menu.

2. Arrange your footage

Now that your sequence is added to a composition, you’ll see the unified script and the videos in the Canvas. Here’s how to arrange the visuals:

Create scenes using Automatic multicam

Automatically create cuts to who is speaking in your project by using Automatic multicam. This creates scenes—which are like slides in a presentation—and displays the corresponding video layer.

Have Underlord quickly layout scenes and sequence videos by active speakers in your project. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Underlord in the sidebar.
2. Find and select  Automatic multicam.
3. Set the editing style:
   • Automatic will create Cutaways—scenes displaying multiple speakers simultaneously— during overlapping dialogue; you can also set the amount of Cutaways to  Frequent, Occasional, or None.
   • Show Only Active Speaker displays only the active speaker, so you'll only see one speaker at a time.
4. Configure the Camera setup to link video and audio tracks in the sequence, ensuring Underlord cuts to the correct video when someone is talking.
5. Select a multicam template to apply to the edits.
6. Select Submit and sit back while Underlord makes your multicam edits.

Displaying videos and creating layouts

Once you've applied Automatic multicam, you can further customize your scenes to display a different speaker, camera angle, or show multiple videos from your sequence at the same time.

1. Open the Scenes panel in the sidebar.
2. Toggle on the script video's visibility.
3. Position and resize the videos in your scene from the Canvas.

Adding and adjusting scenes

Anytime you want something to change, like you want to cut to a different speaker, or you want to add stuff like captions or stock media to part of your video, you’ll use a scene. Scenes are unique to Descript. We’ll cover them quickly here, but you can learn more about working with scenes here.

To create a scene:

1. Place your cursor where you want add a scene.
2. Type / or select the slash icon next to your script. Once it’s added, you can move a scene boundary by clicking and dragging the / slash in your script.

3. Share your work or fine tune your sequence’s audio tracks

Once you’ve got your multicam project looking the way you want, you're set to share your work, or continue fine tuning with more advanced editing in the Sequence Editor. In the Sequence Editor, you can edit the audio in individual files contained in your sequence.

When should I use the Sequence Editor?

The Sequence Editor isn’t a replacement for your main editor. Here are some situations where you would want to use the Sequence Editor:

• Two speakers were talking at the same time, and you want to edit one of them out.
• You have multiple camera angles of the same speaker, and you need to remove one of the transcriptions from your project’s script.
• A track’s video-audio sync is out of alignment and needs to be adjusted by detaching a track's audio. 
• You need to move a track forward or backward in your sequence.
• You want to add audio effects or Studio Sound to a single track only.
• You want to change the panning or volume of individual tracks.

Check out our guide on working in the Sequence Editor.