Turn a talking-head recording into a rough cut by editing its transcript.
Telltake is a native macOS app for solo, Mandarin-first video creators. Import your clips, transcribe them, get an AI Rough Cut, then keep or remove lines in the transcript. The export is rendered from your original clips, and every removal can be undone.
Version 1.0.0 · macOS 13 or later · Apple silicon and Intel. The download is a notarized disk image: open it and drag Telltake to Applications.
How it works
- Add your clips and confirm their order. Telltake checks that they match (size, frame rate, audio, colour) before anything else happens.
- Transcribe with Doubao. Only the audio leaves your Mac, one clip at a time, and finished clips are saved as it goes.
- Generate the AI Rough Cut. The transcript text goes to GPT-5.6 Sol, which proposes the passages worth keeping. Anything the app cannot verify against your transcript is kept and marked Needs review.
- Review in the transcript. Keep or remove lines and gaps, compare takes, shorten pauses, correct text, undo and redo. Removed lines stay visible, dimmed, one click from restored.
- Preview, approve, export. Watch the full cut, approve exactly that plan, and export an MP4 from the original clips with their resolution, frame rate, audio and colour intact, including HDR.
What you need
- A Mac running macOS 13 or later.
- Your own Doubao speech API key (Volcengine) for transcription and your own OpenAI API key for the rough cut. Both are entered in the app and stored in your Keychain. Provider charges go to your accounts; the app shows a per-request estimate.
- Recordings of one speaker, one camera, primarily Mandarin with natural English mixed in.
What leaves your Mac
| Data | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Your video | Never uploaded. Used for preview and export on your Mac. |
| Extracted audio | To Doubao, one clip per request, only when you choose Transcribe and only after you agree in Settings. |
| Transcript text | To OpenAI, with stored responses turned off, only when you ask for a rough cut. |
| Keys, agreement, projects | Stay on your Mac: Keychain and the .easycut project file. |
Full details, including what a request contains and how to revoke or delete: Privacy.
What it is not
Telltake makes a first pass you review, not a finished video. It edits in your recording's order; it does not rearrange, add captions, music or effects, or publish anywhere. Cut quality and time saved have not been measured by an independent evaluation yet; see the development evidence for what has been measured.