Guide
Five editing mistakes make UGC look fake, and each one has a simple fix
Updated
UGC works because it looks like a real person talking, not like an ad. UGC often looks fake because of the edit, not the filming.
In short
- The five mistakes are too many effects, no product on screen, text that sounds like an ad, music over the voice and a slow start.
- Every fix makes the video simpler. Jump straight between sentences, show the product when you say its name, and caption your own words.
- Cutroom's Magic Editor takes a fix in plain words, like "Use plain cuts only", and makes a new version with it.
A skincare creator's serum review, before and after Cutroom's Magic Editor
The product shows up when it's named, and two chat messages take the ad feel out.
Drawing of an example clip, not a customer video
Before · the clip as filmed
A 40-second phone video of a skincare creator holding a serum
“So, um, my skin was so dry this winter that my makeup just sat on top. I, uh, I tried this serum for two weeks … (pause) and now it actually sinks in. I use two drops at night, and that's it.”
struck through = what Jacob cuts
After · Jacob's first edit, Verdict style
“My skin was so dry this winter that my makeup just sat on top. tried this serum for two weeks and now it actually sinks in. I use two drops at night, and that's it.”
- On “serum”: your product photo serum.jpg cut in
- On “drops”: your product photo of the dropper cut in
- On “sinks”: the word set big in your accent colour
- Under the whole video: calm music under your voice
window: serum.jpg
Then you ask Jacob
- “Use plain cuts only”v2the same edit with straight cuts and no flashes
- “Turn the music down a bit”v3the same edit with the music lower under your voice
What editing mistakes make UGC look fake?
Five editing choices make a creator's video feel like a brand ad. Here they are, with the fix for each.
Five UGC editing mistakes and their fixes
| Mistake | Why it looks fake | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Flashy effects and zooms between clips | Viewers expect a phone video, not a music video | Straight jumps, one effect at most |
| Only your face, never the product | Viewers can't see what you're talking about | Show the product when you name it |
| Text like "BEST SERUM EVER" | It reads like a banner ad | Captions of your own words |
| Music louder than your voice | It sounds like a commercial | Music low, or off |
| A slow start | People scroll before the point | Start on your strongest line |
Mistake: Flashy effects and zooms between clips
- Why it looks fake
- Viewers expect a phone video, not a music video
- Fix
- Straight jumps, one effect at most
Mistake: Only your face, never the product
- Why it looks fake
- Viewers can't see what you're talking about
- Fix
- Show the product when you name it
Mistake: Text like "BEST SERUM EVER"
- Why it looks fake
- It reads like a banner ad
- Fix
- Captions of your own words
Mistake: Music louder than your voice
- Why it looks fake
- It sounds like a commercial
- Fix
- Music low, or off
Mistake: A slow start
- Why it looks fake
- People scroll before the point
- Fix
- Start on your strongest line
A slow start and no product in sight
Get to the point in your first sentence. People decide fast whether to keep watching, so a slow start loses them.
People also need to see what you're talking about. A video of only your face leaves them guessing.
- Open with the line that names the problem, like "My makeup kept sliding off".
- If your clip starts with hello or small talk, cut it.
- Film a few close shots of the product in your hand, and put one in each time you say its name.
How Cutroom's Magic Editor edits a video like this
Jacob is the AI editor inside Cutroom's Magic Editor: it edits your video for you, then changes it when you ask in a chat.
The 4 styles, as example edits
Steps
Three steps, four angles
Skit
Hook, hard stop, demo card
Verdict
The tester's verdict
Poster
Typography does the talking
Hover or tap an example to play it, without sound. These are example edits of each style; the presenters in them are generated with AI.
- Your take: one video of you talking, up to 3 minutes
- Your style: one of 4: Steps, Skit, Verdict or Poster
- Your files: screenshots, a screen recording or a logo, if you have them
- Your goal: what the video is for, in a few words, if you like
- Jacob makes it: normally 10 to 15 minutes, and you get an email
- Your edit: ask Jacob for changes in a chat, then export
Then you ask Jacob, for example
- “Make this about 10 seconds shorter”
- “Put a clip on the strongest sentence”
- “Change the music to something calmer”
Each change is a new version, and going back is free. First cut 250 credits, each change 40, questions free, export 30 credits per started minute.
Too much editing
A spin, a zoom and a whoosh on every sentence tell people a brand made this. A UGC video should feel like a friend filmed it on their phone, cut cleanly.
Keep the small human bits, like a laugh or a quick look at the product. Cut the ums, the repeats and the false starts, because those only slow people down.
- Jump straight from one sentence to the next with no effect in between. Editors call this a plain cut.
- Use a fancy switch, like a flash or a spin, once at most.
- Don't speed up your voice. It sounds rushed and odd.
- Go easy on sound effects. A few are fine, but one on every jump sounds like an ad.
Text and music that read like an ad
On-screen text should be what you say, not a slogan. Big words like "LIFE CHANGING" or "50% OFF" make it look like an ad.
Music should sit under your voice so you can hear every word. If someone has to strain to hear you, they leave.
- Use captions of your own words, and make one or two key words stand out.
- End with one short, calm line that tells people what to do, like "Try it free".
- Keep the music low, or turn it off when you talk the whole time.
Fixing these mistakes with Cutroom's Magic Editor
In Cutroom's Magic Editor you upload one clip of you talking and press "Make my video". Jacob, its AI editor, makes the whole edit. Add your product photos with the clip, and each one is cut in on the right word.
If the first edit has one of the mistakes above, you type the fix to Jacob in plain words. Each change makes a new version, and the old one stays.
- "Use plain cuts only" takes out the flashy effects between clips.
- "Turn the music down a bit" puts the music back under your voice.
- "Use less text on screen" shows fewer words on top of the video.
- "Cut the first sentence" gets you to the point faster. Jacob can't move a sentence, so if your best line is at the end, film it again with that line first.
- Each style adds sound effects to the edit, and you can ask Jacob to make them quieter or turn them off. A chat message that changes the video costs 40 credits.
Questions people ask
- Why does my UGC look like an ad?
- Usually because of the edit, not the filming. Flashy effects, slogan text and loud music make a real person's video look like a brand made it.
- Should UGC have transitions?
- Very few. Jumping straight from one sentence to the next looks the most natural. One effect, like a flash, at a key moment is fine. One on every sentence looks staged.
- Should UGC have music?
- It can, as long as it's low and under your voice. When you talk the whole time, no music at all often feels more real.
- Can an AI editor fix these mistakes for me?
- Yes, if you tell it what to change. In Cutroom's Magic Editor you type a fix like "Use plain cuts only" and Jacob makes a new version with it. Each change costs 40 credits, and the old version stays.
Got a UGC clip that feels too much like an ad? Make it plainer, and keep the product in view.