Examples

Natural-language requests and the commands the agent runs for them. Paths assume the skill is installed at ~/.claude/skills/ffmpeg-skill; shorten with S=~/.claude/skills/ffmpeg-skill/scripts.

Run bash examples/make_demo.sh to generate sample footage from nothing and push it through every script (outputs land in examples/out/).

---

"What am I working with?"

python3 $S/probe.py footage.mov --compact
python3 $S/probe.py footage.mov            # full JSON, check variable_frame_rate_suspected

"Cut from 1:20 to 2:05"

python3 $S/cut.py footage.mov --start 1:20 --end 2:05             # lossless, keyframe-snapped
python3 $S/cut.py footage.mov --start 1:20 --end 2:05 --accurate  # frame-exact

"Keep the intro and the ending, drop the middle"

python3 $S/cut.py talk.mp4 --segments 0-1:30,18:40-20:00 -o talk_short.mp4

"Make it exactly 60 seconds"

python3 $S/fit.py talk_short.mp4 --duration 60                  # speed up/down (pitch preserved)
python3 $S/fit.py talk_short.mp4 --duration 60 --method trim    # keep the first 60 s

"Make a vertical version for TikTok / Reels"

python3 $S/fit.py final.mp4 --aspect 9:16 --fit pad --width 1080 --pad-color black
python3 $S/fit.py final.mp4 --aspect 9:16 --fit crop --width 1080   # centre-crop instead

"Square for Instagram feed, 15 seconds"

python3 $S/fit.py final.mp4 --aspect 1:1 --fit crop --duration 15 --method trim --from-center

"Add these captions"

cues.txt:

0:00-0:02.5 Welcome back
0:02.5-0:06 Today: three tips | for cleaner audio
Tip one: get the mic close

python3 $S/caption.py final.mp4 --text cues.txt --size 26 --bold --position bottom
python3 $S/caption.py final.mp4 --srt subtitles.srt --font "Inter" --color FFFFFF --outline 3
python3 $S/caption.py final.mp4 --ass styled.ass
python3 $S/caption.py --text cues.txt --write-srt cues.srt           # SRT only, no video

"Japanese subtitles"

fc-list | grep -i "cjk"      # find an installed CJK font
python3 $S/caption.py final.mp4 --srt jp.srt --font "Noto Sans CJK JP" --size 28
python3 $S/overlay.py final.mp4 --text "第1話" --font-file /usr/share/fonts/opentype/noto/NotoSansCJK-Bold.ttc --position top --box

"Logo top-right, 80% opacity, fade in and out"

python3 $S/overlay.py final.mp4 --image logo.png --position top-right --scale 220 --opacity 0.8 --start 0.5 --end 58 --fade 0.5

"Title card for the first 4 seconds"

python3 $S/overlay.py final.mp4 --text "Episode 12 — Clean Audio" --position top-left --font-size 48 --box --start 0 --end 4 --fade 0.4

"Cut out the pauses"

python3 $S/silence.py talk.mp4 --list                          # see what would go
python3 $S/silence.py talk.mp4 --threshold -40 --margin 0.2    # render talk_tight.mp4
python3 $S/silence.py talk.mp4 --edl keep.txt                  # hand-edit keep.txt, then:
python3 $S/cut.py talk.mp4 --segments "$(paste -sd, keep.txt)" --accurate

"Stitch the clips with a crossfade"

python3 $S/join.py intro.mp4 main.mp4 outro.mp4 --transition fade --duration 0.5 -o final.mp4
python3 $S/join.py phone.mov camera.mp4 screen.mkv --transition fadeblack --width 1920 --height 1080 --fps 30

"Let me see it" (and let the agent see it)

python3 $S/look.py final.mp4                          # final_sheet.png, 12 tiles with timecodes
python3 $S/look.py final.mp4 --at 4.5 --at 12         # individual frames
python3 $S/look.py before.mp4 --compare after.mp4 --at 4

"Tell me what you'd run first"

python3 $S/fit.py input.mp4 --duration 60 --aspect 9:16 --dry-run
python3 $S/export.py input.mp4 --preset reels --json          # structured result incl. probe of the output

"Do the whole edit and let me tweak it"

python3 $S/render.py --init project.json      # fill in clips, captions, music, export, check
python3 $S/render.py project.json --dry-run   # review the command plan
python3 $S/render.py project.json --fast      # preview
python3 $S/render.py project.json             # final

"Process the whole folder"

cat > batch.json <<'EOF2'
{"glob": "*.mp4", "output_dir": "out", "suffix": "_yt",
 "steps": [["silence.py", "{in}", "-o", "{out}"], ["loudness.py", "{in}", "-o", "{out}"], ["export.py", "{in}", "--preset", "youtube", "-o", "{out}"]]}
EOF2
python3 $S/batch.py ~/Shoot --recipe batch.json            # second run: cached, only new files
python3 $S/batch.py ~/Shoot --recipe batch.json --watch 60

"Transcribe and caption it" (needs a local whisper)

python3 $S/caption.py talk.mp4 --transcribe --language en --animate pop --karaoke

"Add a lower third / title / countdown"

python3 $S/graphics.py talk.mp4 --template lower-third --name "Ada Lovelace" --title "Analyst" --start 2 --end 8 --brand brand.json
python3 $S/graphics.py talk.mp4 --template title --title "Episode 12" --subtitle "The math of video" --start 0 --end 4
python3 $S/graphics.py intro.mp4 --template countdown --from 5 --start 1 --end 6
python3 $S/graphics.py talk.mp4 --template progress

"Use our brand"

cp examples/brand.json ./brand.json          # edit fonts, colours, logo
python3 $S/caption.py talk.mp4 --text cues.txt --brand brand.json
python3 $S/overlay.py talk.mp4 --logo --brand brand.json

"Give me a report of what you did"

python3 $S/report.py --before raw.mov --after final.mp4 --platform youtube --commands commands.txt -o report.html

"Make a 60 second highlight from an hour"

python3 $S/scenes.py event.mp4 --highlights 6 --target 60 --edl picks.txt --sheet scenes.png
python3 $S/cut.py event.mp4 --segments "$(paste -sd, picks.txt)" --accurate -o digest.mp4

"Is it OK to upload?"

python3 $S/check.py final.mp4 --platform reels
python3 $S/check.py spot.mov --platform broadcast      # EBU R128 -23 LUFS

"Three cameras and a recorder — cut it together"

python3 $S/multicam.py camA.mp4 camB.mp4 camC.mp4 zoom.wav --offsets-only
python3 $S/multicam.py camA.mp4 camB.mp4 camC.mp4 zoom.wav --audio 3 --fix-drift \
  --switch "0-45:0,45-80:1,80-95:2,95-140:0" -o edit.mp4
python3 $S/multicam.py camA.mp4 camB.mp4 --auto 10 -o rough.mp4     # alternate every 10 s

"Run it on my actual footage first"

python3 $S/verify.py ~/Footage/iphone.MOV ~/Footage/gopro.MP4 ~/Footage/obs.mkv --report verify.md
python3 $S/verify.py ~/Footage --quick

"Is this Log footage?"

python3 $S/probe.py a7s.mp4 --analyze --compact          # [Log?] when flat + desaturated

"The iPhone HDR footage looks washed out"

python3 $S/probe.py IMG_0231.MOV --field video.hdr_format        # HDR10/PQ, HLG, ...
python3 $S/color.py IMG_0231.MOV --to-sdr                          # real tone mapping to BT.709
python3 $S/color.py IMG_0231.MOV --to-sdr --tonemap mobius --peak 1200
python3 $S/color.py IMG_0231.MOV --strip-dovi                      # keep HDR, drop the Dolby Vision layer

"Apply the S-Log3 conversion LUT" / "give it this look"

python3 $S/color.py a7s.mp4 --lut SLog3SGamut3.CineToLC-709TypeA.cube
python3 $S/color.py final.mp4 --lut teal_orange.cube --lut-strength 0.6

"Clean up the audio and add music under it"

python3 $S/audio.py talk.mp4 --voice                                     # highpass, de-ess, denoise, compress
python3 $S/audio.py talk.mp4 --music bed.mp3 --duck --music-volume -16 --fade-out 3
python3 $S/audio.py surround.mov --downmix                               # 5.1 -> stereo
python3 $S/audio.py clip.mp4 --replace narration.wav --fade-in 0.5

"TikTok-style captions"

python3 $S/caption.py final.mp4 --text cues.txt --animate pop --karaoke --bold --size 30
python3 $S/caption.py final.mp4 --srt subs.srt --animate fade --position center
# the generated .ass sits next to the output; tweak it and re-run with --ass

"Smooth half-speed slow motion"

python3 $S/fit.py shot.mp4 --duration 10 --smooth interpolate     # 5 s clip -> fluid 10 s (slow to render)
python3 $S/fit.py shot.mp4 --duration 10 --smooth blend           # quick alternative

"Sync the lav mic to the camera"

python3 $S/sync.py camera.mp4 lav.wav --json                       # just tell me the offset
python3 $S/sync.py camera.mp4 lav.wav --replace-audio -o camera_synced.mp4
python3 $S/sync.py camera_synced.mp4 lav.wav --json                # verify: offset should be ~0 (on the new file's audio)

"Line up camera B with camera A"

python3 $S/sync.py camA.mp4 camB.mp4 --trim-second -o camB_aligned.mp4

"It's an hour-long recording and the audio drifts"

python3 $S/sync.py camera.mp4 zoom_h5.wav --fix-drift --json                 # reports offset + drift ppm
python3 $S/sync.py camera.mp4 zoom_h5.wav --fix-drift --replace-audio -o camera_synced.mp4

"Fix the levels"

python3 $S/loudness.py final.mp4                    # -14 LUFS / -1 dBTP (YouTube, Spotify)
python3 $S/loudness.py podcast.wav -I -16 --tp -1.5 # Apple Podcasts
python3 $S/loudness.py final.mp4 --measure-only     # report only

"Export for YouTube and Reels, plus a ProRes master"

python3 $S/export.py final.mp4 --preset youtube
python3 $S/export.py final.mp4 --preset reels --fit crop
python3 $S/export.py final.mp4 --preset prores -o final_master.mov
python3 $S/export.py final.mp4 --preset h265
python3 $S/export.py final.mp4 --preset gif -o preview.gif

Full pipeline in one go

python3 $S/probe.py raw.mp4 --compact
python3 $S/cut.py raw.mp4 --segments 0:45-3:10,5:00-6:30 -o step1.mp4
python3 $S/fit.py step1.mp4 --duration 60 --aspect 9:16 --fit crop --width 1080 -o step2.mp4
python3 $S/caption.py step2.mp4 --text cues.txt -o step3.mp4
python3 $S/overlay.py step3.mp4 --image logo.png --position top-right --scale 180 -o step4.mp4
python3 $S/loudness.py step4.mp4 -o step5.mp4
python3 $S/export.py step5.mp4 --preset reels -o final_reels.mp4
python3 $S/probe.py final_reels.mp4 --compact     # confirm 60 s, 1080x1920, 30 fps