01
Import local videos
Start with footage you own or manage. ShotMind builds its searchable library from the local videos you choose to import.
Video clip search for your own footage
How to Search Video by Description
Turn a video library into locally searchable shots so you can find concrete visual moments inside your own footage by describing what is visible.
Workflow
02
Split the video into shots
The app turns long videos into smaller visual moments so search can point directly to a specific shot inside each file.
03
Choose shots to analyze
Select the shot clips you want to make searchable. These selected clips are analyzed by cloud AI, then the results and local searchable index return to your library on your Mac.
04
Search by visible details
Describe the shot the way you would describe it to a collaborator: subject, action, scene, lighting, camera movement, mood, or style.
05
Verify important matches
Use the search result to jump back to the relevant visual moment, then check the original video when timing, accuracy, or client approval matters.
What to include in a useful description
Useful queries describe visible evidence with subjects, actions, scenes, mood, and camera details.
- Subject or object: person, product, vehicle, UI screen, character, or prop.
- Action: walking, turning, picking something up, pushing forward, cutting to a transition.
- Scene and mood: neon street, quiet indoor room, low light, warm daylight, tense expression.
- Camera and composition: close-up, wide shot, over-the-shoulder, slow push-in, handheld move.
Search scope, cloud analysis, and review
- Full source videos stay local.
- Only selected shot clips are temporarily sent to cloud AI for analysis.
- Temporary cloud copies are removed from active cloud storage after successful analysis; analysis results, thumbnails, and a local searchable index are saved back to your local library.
- ShotMind's searchable library contains the footage you import; YouTube, TikTok, public-web search, and deleted-file recovery remain outside its scope.
- Review important matches against the original video for timing, accuracy, client approval, and product details.
A documented 163-shot search example
Find a video clip by description inside footage you imported: in a documented ShotMind test, 163 analyzed shots from two openly licensed Blender films were searched with the description “close-up”. The interface showed 50 results from about 85 candidates.
The search returned useful close-ups and broader matches, including wider shots and a title card. Treat the result list as a shortlist, then open the original video before making an important decision.
See the 163-shot search testFAQ
Can I search local videos by description?
Yes. ShotMind turns selected shots from your local video library into searchable visual references. After analysis, the local index lets you search already-analyzed shots by visible subjects, actions, scenes, mood, and camera details.
Which videos can ShotMind search?
ShotMind searches the local videos you import and the selected shot clips you analyze. Its video clip search is built for footage you own or manage.
How does ShotMind use cloud AI?
Full source videos stay local. Only selected shot clips are temporarily sent to cloud AI for analysis; temporary copies are removed from active cloud storage after successful analysis. The analysis results, thumbnails, and local searchable index are saved back to your local library for local browsing and search.
How should I review AI search results?
Use the results as a shortlist, then verify important matches against the original video when timing, accuracy, client approval, or product details matter.