# video

> Edit, process, and render videos using FFmpeg and Remotion. Handles stitching, transitions, captions, teasers, and transcription.

USE THIS SKILL WHEN:
- User mentions video, clip, footage, mp4, mov, avi, mkv, or any video format
- User wants to combine, stitch, merge, or join video files
- User asks about transitions, fades, crossfades, or effects between clips
- User needs captions, subtitles, or TikTok-style word highlighting
- User wants a teaser, trailer, or highlight reel from longer video
- User mentions FFmpeg, ffprobe, Remotion, or related errors
- User asks about video transcription or whisper speech-to-text
- User asks about video duration, resolution, fps, or trimming
- User has .mp4, .mov, .captions.json files or video folders
- User asks about thumbnails, overlays, title cards, or graphics for video

- Author: prabha-oss
- Repository: prabha-oss/benai-skills-develop
- Version: 20260209084150
- Stars: 0
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-09
- Source: https://github.com/prabha-oss/benai-skills-develop
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@prabha-oss/benai-skills-develop~video:20260209084150

---

---
name: video
description: |
  Edit, process, and render videos using FFmpeg and Remotion. Handles stitching, transitions, captions, teasers, and transcription.

  USE THIS SKILL WHEN:
  - User mentions video, clip, footage, mp4, mov, avi, mkv, or any video format
  - User wants to combine, stitch, merge, or join video files
  - User asks about transitions, fades, crossfades, or effects between clips
  - User needs captions, subtitles, or TikTok-style word highlighting
  - User wants a teaser, trailer, or highlight reel from longer video
  - User mentions FFmpeg, ffprobe, Remotion, or related errors
  - User asks about video transcription or whisper speech-to-text
  - User asks about video duration, resolution, fps, or trimming
  - User has .mp4, .mov, .captions.json files or video folders
  - User asks about thumbnails, overlays, title cards, or graphics for video
---

# Video Editing Skill

Edits, processes, and renders videos using FFmpeg and Remotion.

---

## Intelligent Editing Workflow

This skill enables Claude to act as a smart video editor. Before executing commands:

1. **Analyze** - Examine videos (duration, resolution, audio) using ffprobe
2. **Transcribe** - Get speech content for smart cuts (if needed)
3. **Ask** - Clarify user intent and preferences
4. **Plan** - Propose edit approach for approval
5. **QA Test** - Run automated tests before user preview (see [references/qa-testing.md](references/qa-testing.md))
6. **Preview** - Only show to user after QA passes
7. **Iterate** - Refine based on feedback

See [references/intelligent-editing.md](references/intelligent-editing.md) for detailed workflow, questions to ask, and quality checks.

---

## Tool Selection

| Task | FFmpeg | Remotion |
|------|--------|----------|
| **Stitching** | Same codec, no effects | Transitions, overlays, programmatic |
| **Transitions** | Simple crossfades | Multiple types, custom timing |
| **Captions** | SRT burn-in | TikTok-style word highlighting |
| **Teasers** | Quick clips | Text overlays, branded elements |

**General guidance:**
- **FFmpeg**: Fast CLI operations, batch processing, format conversion
- **Remotion**: Styled content, animations, preview before render, React components

---

## Reference Files

Read these files as needed using the Read tool:

### Intelligence Layer
| File | Contents |
|------|----------|
| [references/intelligent-editing.md](references/intelligent-editing.md) | Smart editing workflow, questions, quality checks |
| [references/video-analysis.md](references/video-analysis.md) | Analyze videos with ffprobe |
| [references/transcription.md](references/transcription.md) | Whisper transcription for speech analysis |
| [references/qa-testing.md](references/qa-testing.md) | **QA tests before user preview** |

### Core Editing
| File | Contents |
|------|----------|
| [references/stitching.md](references/stitching.md) | Combine multiple clips into one video |
| [references/transitions.md](references/transitions.md) | Add fade, slide, wipe between clips |
| [references/captions.md](references/captions.md) | Add subtitles and TikTok-style captions |
| [references/teasers.md](references/teasers.md) | Create 30-second teasers/trailers |
| [references/title-cards.md](references/title-cards.md) | Add chapter headers, bumpers, section titles |
| [references/graphics-generation.md](references/graphics-generation.md) | Generate thumbnails, overlays, social graphics |

### Technical Reference
| File | Contents |
|------|----------|
| [references/ffmpeg-basics.md](references/ffmpeg-basics.md) | Common FFmpeg patterns and troubleshooting |
| [references/remotion-setup.md](references/remotion-setup.md) | Remotion project setup and workflow |
| [references/remotion-tips.md](references/remotion-tips.md) | Animations, timing, springs, sequences, and captions |
| [references/reference-implementation.md](references/reference-implementation.md) | **Complete working code to recreate the project** |

---

## Quick Start

### Transcription (Fast)
```bash
# 1. Setup whisper.cpp (one-time)
npx ts-node scripts/setup-whisper.ts

# 2. Transcribe all videos (GPU accelerated)
npx ts-node scripts/transcribe-fast.ts
```

### FFmpeg (CLI)
```bash
# Check installation
which ffmpeg || brew install ffmpeg

# Basic concat (same codec)
ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i list.txt -c copy output.mp4

# Burn in subtitles
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vf "subtitles=captions.srt" output.mp4
```

### Remotion (React)
```bash
# Start preview (always do this first)
npm run dev

# Render (only when user requests)
npx remotion render CompositionName out/video.mp4
```

---

## Key Lessons Learned

### Transcription (IMPORTANT)
- **Use `@remotion/install-whisper-cpp`** - NOT Python whisper (10x faster with GPU)
- Use `base.en` model for speed, `medium.en` for final quality
- **Required parameter**: `whisperCppVersion: '1.5.5'` in transcribe() call
- Enable `tokenLevelTimestamps: true` for word-level captions
- Whisper.cpp uses Metal GPU on Mac - 8.5min video in ~85 seconds

### Teasers
- **Never start clips with**: "But", "And", "So", "Now", "It", "This", "That", "They"
- Each clip must have an **explicit subject** - not pronouns or references
- Aim for 3-4 clips totaling 25-30 seconds
- **Playback speed**: 1.3x for energy (1.5x is too fast)
- **Transitions**: Smooth fade (0.4s) between clips
- **First clip**: Must NOT overlap with intro start (avoid repetition)

### Captions
- **Active word**: Yellow `#FFD700`
- **Spoken words**: White `#FFFFFF`
- **Upcoming words**: Light gray `#E0E0E0`
- **Font**: Roboto at 48px for 1080p
- **Black stroke outline** (works on ANY background):
  ```css
  WebkitTextStroke: '3px black',
  paintOrder: 'stroke fill',
  textShadow: '0px 0px 4px rgba(0,0,0,1), 0px 0px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.8)'
  ```

### Remotion Video Trimming
- Use `OffthreadVideo` component
- Set BOTH `startFrom` AND `endAt` props
- Convert ms to frames: `Math.round((ms / 1000) * fps)`

---

## Edge Cases & Gotchas

### File Naming
- Avoid spaces in video filenames: use `intro.mp4` not `Intro Video.mp4`
- Remotion Folder names can only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens

### Ports
- Remotion Studio may start on port 3001 if 3000 is in use

### Codec Mismatch
- FFmpeg concat demuxer (`-c copy`) fails silently with mismatched codecs
- Use `ffprobe` to check codecs before concatenating
- Use filter_complex for different codecs/resolutions

### Workflow
- **Always preview in Remotion Studio before rendering**
- Never render automatically - wait for user approval
- Copy videos to `public/` folder for Remotion projects