> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.memorystring.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.memorystring.app/build-your-movie/long-story-short.md). # Long story short Long story short turns a big pile of photos and videos into a shareable movie. You pick the length. Nothing is deleted. **Long story short** builds a movie you can actually share from a big pile of photos and videos. You pick the length. It picks the best shots and spreads them across the whole trip. Everything else goes to **Outtakes**. Nothing is deleted from your Mac. ## Start it * **File → Long story short** * **Library** Show menu → **Make Long story short** ![Library Show menu: Make Long story short at the top](https://316881897-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6lG8Zi4VdmddHJ8jUOT5%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-9eb6f4b2c5ca7981c4de2d6bb48181c7249de340%2Flibrary-options-menu.png?alt=media) The sheet is titled **Long story short**. Under that: **Pick the best shots for a shareable movie.** Choose a **Duration** from **1** to **30** minutes, then **Create**. The top stops at what the photos can actually fill. **Cancel** closes the sheet. The default is **3 min**, short enough to share. Next time the slider starts where you left it. If the show already has slides, it asks first: **Rebuild the show?** **Continue** opens the Duration sheet. The show stays as it is behind the sheet. **Cancel** changes nothing. Only **Create** rebuilds. A rebuild starts clean. Hand-set slide lengths, transitions, and lens choices are cleared so the new length can land. It keeps the Look, energy, rotation, captions, music, opening and closing title text, the cover photo, and which videos are muted. ![Rebuild the show? Continue or Cancel](https://316881897-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6lG8Zi4VdmddHJ8jUOT5%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-6bfdec321515a37138a3d0387b376e15137cdc90%2Flong-story-short-rebuild.png?alt=media) While the sheet looks through the photos it says **Checking M of N photos…**. When that count is ready, the line under the slider reads **Up to about N min from M distinct shots**. The offer is the nearest minute that show can actually reach. The finished movie lands within about 10 seconds of the minute you pick. **Fit Show to Music** can slow or speed the open show. That does not change this longest length, unless you moved the Energy slider yourself. ![Long story short: Duration sheet](https://316881897-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6lG8Zi4VdmddHJ8jUOT5%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fd04d5fdb9836ba96246bcb372f23655cf0501c2%2Flong-story-short-duration.png?alt=media) ## Large imports When an import would put more than **150** photos and videos on the show, MemoryString asks first: **That would make a N-photo show**. ![That would make a 2359-photo show: Long story short, Import all, Cancel](https://316881897-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6lG8Zi4VdmddHJ8jUOT5%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f53aba2989fdd22a9db0cdcc366b9f517a2d8843%2Flong-story-short-large-import.png?alt=media) * **Long story short**: pick the best ones for a shareable movie * **Import all**: put everything on the show * **Cancel**: import nothing Same on every import path: **+**, Finder drop, **Import from Photos…**, Photos.app drag, folders, and paste. ## What it picks * **Sharp, well-exposed** photos. Blurry, very dark, and tiny files are skipped * **Near-duplicates** stay out. A different pose stays in. At most two shots from one pose, and those are not placed side by side * **One group per shoot.** Photos from the same moment stay together. A two-shot series does not have to be a **Perspective Pair**. **Auto** may still pick Pair as one of the kinds. Uncheck Pair and those shots become single slides, with another slide between them when there is room. Pair stays off after **Shuffle**, a length change, reopening the project, and clicking the **Look** again * **The whole trip**, not just the best day. Shots are spread across your dates * **Videos** too. Each one is cut with [Auto Trim](/build-your-movie/auto-detection.md#auto-trim) The show plays in date order. The length lands within about 10 seconds of the minute you picked. While it works you may see **Making a long story short...**, **Checking M of N photos…**, **Picking the best shots...**, **Reviewing M of N...**, **Straightening M of N...**, **Arranging N shots…**, and **Finding focus M of N…**. While it fits the length, the line shows the clock so far, such as **2:23 of 10:00**. Kept shots are upright before the movie is laid out. Focus lands on a face, not the middle of the frame. After **Finding focus** finishes, the show comes up. It does not sit on that last count. **Cancel** on the Duration sheet changes nothing. **Cancel** while it is building puts the previous show back. See [Orientation](/build-your-movie/auto-detection.md#orientation). **Add**, **+**, Import Media, Import from Photos, Music, and drops stay grey while Long story short is running. They unlock when it finishes, including after Close, Open, or Cancel. Hover: **Wait until Long story short finishes**. ## After it runs ![After Long story short: a one-minute show, extras in Outtakes](https://316881897-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6lG8Zi4VdmddHJ8jUOT5%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bf414f55463aba6f11832bf723960b8609ae019a%2Flong-story-short-result.png?alt=media) * Groups are dealt across the finished show, the same way **Shuffle** does, with the usual gap between them, not back to back * The title bar shows the new length * Close the project and open it again: the same order, the same length * Shots that did not make it are in [Outtakes](/build-your-movie/library.md#outtakes). Drag any of them up to put them back * A show you already styled keeps its **Look** and soundtrack. If the new cut runs longer than your music, bundled songs fill the rest when **Music Follows Show** is on. Your own tracks are never replaced. To fit the show to one song instead, use [Fit Show to Music](/build-your-movie/music.md#length) * A brand-new project starts on **Clean**, on the **Light** stage, with bundled music * Undo with **⌘Z** Run it again anytime with a different length. It chooses from everything in the project, **Outtakes** included. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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