Use case
Documentary editing: find it in hours.
Hundreds of hours, a dozen subjects, a story that keeps changing. Search the footage instead of re-watching it.
In short: Documentary editors can index all their drives in Sift, name the main subjects once, and search interviews by the words said (Spoken), B-roll by description (Visual) and people by name. It runs on your computer, so interviews aren’t uploaded.
No editor needed. Sift works on its own as a desktop app on Mac and Windows: search, preview, build Selects and share footage by link without opening an editor. The editor panels are optional.
The problem.
Documentaries gather more footage than anyone can hold in their head, shot over months, stored on whatever drives were available. The story changes and a theme you cut last month needs a new shot you half remember filming.
When you don’t need it.
If your whole project is imported in Premiere or Resolve, and you have a transcript service you’re happy with, the editor’s built-in search plus your transcripts may cover you. Sift helps when the footage is bigger than one project.
A workflow that fits.
- Index everything
Add every drive with footage, including old ones.
- Name your subjects
People: label each main subject once.
- Search by theme
Spoken for what was said; Visual for the shot you need.
- Keep selects with notes
Group moments by theme with notes, then send to your editor or share with the director.
What helps most.
Search across every take and subject at once.
Transcription and face grouping run on your computer.
Archive drives remain in the index when unplugged.
Searchable notes explain why each moment is in.
Questions
Can it replace transcripts?
No. It finds moments by their words but doesn’t export transcripts as documents or label speakers.
Is it safe for sensitive interviews?
Footage and audio aren’t uploaded to search them. See the privacy page for everything Sift sends, and check your own contracts.
Does it handle camera RAW?
RAW formats such as R3D or BRAW need proxies. See Help for supported formats.
What does it cost?
$99 a year for one computer. Free for 3 days or 25 searches. No card.
Updated 2026-10-22
Keep reading.
Try it on your own footage.
Free for 3 days or 25 searches. No card. Then $99 a year for one computer, Mac or Windows. Everything in Sift, including the optional editor panels and one free link to share footage.