# Can AI help me choose between two story ideas using footage I already have? By Wideframe Editorial Yes. Ask the assistant to gather evidence for each story direction so you can compare what your footage actually supports. Wideframe’s visual and soundbite workflows can prepare source-linked candidates for that decision. Choose the direction with the material to develop it, rather than committing to an appealing idea before discovering whether the recordings can carry it. ## What you’ll take away - Organize candidates by the decision the producer needs to make. - Include meaningful alternatives instead of every similar hit. - Keep unresolved coverage and factual questions visible. ## Start with the producer’s questions A producer may need to choose the central claim, determine whether a story has enough evidence, or decide which character should lead. Those are different questions from identifying all clips in a folder. Write the decisions first, then request material that helps answer them. In an illustrative community project, the team is choosing between a story about the people who started it and a story about how the space is used today. The producer needs representative interviews and pictures for both directions, not a chronological dump of every recording. ## Compare what each direction can sustain Ask whether each story idea has more than an attractive opening. Does it have an explanation, concrete evidence, and a satisfying place to end? One direction may have the strongest single quote but little material to develop it; another may support a fuller arc. In the community example, an origins story needs evidence of the initial problem and the steps taken, while a current-use story needs varied activity and people who can explain its significance. Compare those requirements before choosing. The footage can inform the decision without pretending there is one objectively correct story. ## Build a shortlist with meaningful alternatives For each possible direction, gather a clear opening contribution, concrete evidence, and an image that communicates the setting or action. Include alternatives that differ in substance, not five versions of the same broad remark. State what each candidate would contribute to the edit. Keep source identity and ranges with the description. A producer should be able to watch the actual passage rather than approving a generated paraphrase. The summary explains why to look; the recording establishes what is available. ## Use Wideframe for the retrieval work The [find-soundbites workflow](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/find-soundbites/) supports topic-based selections in formats useful for review. Pair it with [visual search](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/find-clips-visual/) when the producer needs picture as well as speech. Add and save the relevant public recipes, then identify the authorized footage and editorial questions. For the community example, ask for material supporting origins and current activity as separate themes. Keep a line explaining the role of each candidate and any uncertainty. The result should make the producer’s choice easier, not conceal how the assistant grouped the sources. ## Expose gaps before a direction becomes a promise One direction may have a strong interview but weak pictures. Another may have vivid activity and no clear explanation. Those differences matter before the producer approves a story plan. State them plainly rather than presenting both options as equally complete. A missing piece can lead to a pickup, a revised structure, or choosing the better-supported direction. Do not fill the gap with an invented quote or imply a generic visual proves a specific claim. The selection pack is most useful when it reveals the real limits of the footage. ## Turn the decision into an editing brief Ask the producer to choose the direction, essential passages, and any unresolved question. Carry those source-linked choices into the editor’s assembly brief. The selected material still needs pacing and context; approval of the direction does not prescribe every cut. After that choice—not as a substitute for it—add and save [Rough Cut to Premiere](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/rough-cut-to-premiere/) in a blank Wideframe chat. Invoke it with the chosen direction, source set, essential passages, and desired length. Its assembly recipe supplies a shot-list rationale and calls for both a Premiere project and review MP4, giving the producer a concrete next version to discuss while the editor retains a source-based timeline to refine. Keep unchosen options in a separate group for later revisions. See [interview assembly](https://try.wideframe.com/blog/how-to-build-interview-sequences-with-ai/) and [real-footage tools](https://try.wideframe.com/blog/best-ai-video-editors-that-work-with-real-footage/) for the next steps. Repeat the producer-focused selection when new material changes the available story. ## Try this request with your own footage Prepare a producer shortlist for two possible directions: how the community project began, and how people use it today. Include source-linked interview passages and visual candidates for each, explain what they contribute, and show where either direction lacks coverage. ## Questions ### How is this different from a footage catalog? A catalog maps the material; a producer shortlist selects candidates around specific story decisions. ### How is it different from a rough cut? It supports choosing a direction before committing to sequence structure and pacing. ### Should the producer approve summaries alone? Use summaries to guide attention, but retain access to the actual source passages before making important editorial choices. ## Sources - [Wideframe find-soundbites workflow](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/find-soundbites/) — consulted 2026-09-18 - [Wideframe pricing and requirements](https://try.wideframe.com/pricing/) — consulted 2026-09-18 - [Wideframe visual-search workflow](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/find-clips-visual/) — consulted 2026-09-18 - [Wideframe rough-cut-to-premiere recipe](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/rough-cut-to-premiere/) — consulted 2026-09-18 Published by Wideframe. Examples are not customer results or benchmarks. ## Choose the story your footage can support Give Wideframe two possible story directions and the source material, then compare the evidence before committing to an edit. [Start free trial](https://try.wideframe.com/onboarding?start=trial). Seven days; card required; $100/month afterward unless canceled. Apple Silicon Mac and Premiere Pro required. [Current terms](https://try.wideframe.com/pricing/).