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Video Processing Editing

erichowens/some_claude_skills

  • 1k installs
  • 178 repo stars
  • Updated July 14, 2026
  • erichowens/some_claude_skills

video-processing-editing is an agent skill that lets coding agents read, analyze, edit, and generate video content from natural-language instructions for developers building media-aware applications and automation workfl

About

video-processing-editing is an erichowens/some_claude_skills agent skill listed on skills.sh with 793 installs that equips coding agents to work with video through natural-language instructions. Developers use it to analyze footage, apply edits, and generate video content without hand-writing every ffmpeg or editor command. The skill fits media pipelines, content tooling, and agent workflows where video is an input or output artifact. Reach for video-processing-editing when a project needs programmatic video reading, intelligent editing guidance, or generated clips driven from developer prompts rather than manual NLE workflows.

  • Enables Claude, Cursor and Codex agents to process video files directly via natural language
  • Supports video editing, trimming, effects, captioning and format conversion
  • Integrates FFmpeg-powered tools into agentic coding workflows
  • Handles batch processing and automated video pipelines
  • 793 developers have installed this skill

Video Processing Editing by the numbers

  • 1,049 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +44 installs in the week ending Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #216 of 1,335 Generative Media skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: MEDIUM risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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Installs1k
repo stars★ 178
Security audit3 / 3 scanners passed
Last updatedJuly 14, 2026
Repositoryerichowens/some_claude_skills ↗

How do you edit video with a coding agent?

Let their coding agent intelligently read, analyze, edit, and generate video content using natural language instructions.

Who is it for?

Developers building content pipelines or agent tools that must process, edit, or generate video programmatically.

Skip if: Professional nonlinear editing projects requiring frame-precise manual color grading outside agent automation.

When should I use this skill?

The developer asks to analyze, edit, trim, or generate video using natural-language instructions in an agent session.

What you get

Analyzed video metadata, edited video outputs, and agent-driven generation scripts or commands.

  • edited video files
  • analysis summaries
  • processing commands or scripts

By the numbers

  • Lists 793 installs on skills.sh

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

Video Processing & Editing

Expert in FFmpeg-based video editing, processing automation, and export optimization for modern content creation workflows.

When to Use

✅ Use for:

  • Automated video editing pipelines (script-to-video)
  • Cutting, trimming, concatenating clips
  • Adding transitions, effects, overlays
  • Audio mixing and normalization
  • Subtitle/caption handling
  • Export optimization for platforms
  • Batch video processing
  • Color grading and correction

❌ NOT for:

  • Real-time video editing UI (use DaVinci Resolve/Premiere)
  • 3D compositing (use After Effects/Blender)
  • Motion graphics animation (use After Effects)
  • Basic screen recording (use OBS)

---

Technology Selection

Video Editing Tools

ToolSpeedFeaturesUse Case
FFmpegVery FastCLI automationProduction pipelines
MoviePyMediumPython APIProgrammatic editing
PyAVFastLow-level controlCustom processing
DaVinci ResolveSlowFull NLEManual editing

Decision tree:

Need automation? → FFmpeg
Need Python API? → MoviePy
Need frame-level control? → PyAV
Need manual editing? → DaVinci Resolve

---

Common Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern 1: Not Using Keyframe-Aligned Cuts

Novice thinking: "Just cut the video at any timestamp"

Problem: Causes artifacts, black frames, and playback issues.

Wrong approach:

# ❌ Cut at arbitrary timestamp (not keyframe-aligned)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:23.456 -to 00:02:45.678 -c copy output.mp4

# Result: Black frames, artifacts, sync issues

Why wrong:

  • Video codecs use keyframes (I-frames) every 2-10 seconds
  • Non-keyframe cuts require re-encoding
  • Using -c copy (stream copy) without keyframe alignment breaks playback
  • GOP (Group of Pictures) structure depends on keyframes

Correct approach 1: Re-encode for precise cuts

# ✅ Re-encode for frame-accurate cutting
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:23.456 -to 00:02:45.678 \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium \
  -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  output.mp4

# Frame-accurate, but slower (re-encoding)

Correct approach 2: Keyframe-aligned stream copy

# ✅ Fast cutting with keyframe alignment
# Step 1: Find keyframes near cut points
ffprobe -select_streams v -show_frames -show_entries frame=pkt_pts_time,key_frame \
  -of csv input.mp4 | grep ",1$" | awk -F',' '{print $2}'

# Step 2: Cut at nearest keyframes (fast, no re-encoding)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:22.000 -to 00:02:46.000 -c copy output.mp4

# Blazing fast, no quality loss, but not frame-accurate

Correct approach 3: Two-pass for best of both worlds

# ✅ Fast seek + precise cut
ffmpeg -ss 00:01:20.000 -i input.mp4 \
  -ss 00:00:03.456 -to 00:01:25.678 \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium \
  -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  output.mp4

# -ss BEFORE -i: Fast seek to keyframe (no decode)
# -ss AFTER -i: Precise trim (only decode needed portion)

Performance comparison:

MethodTime (1-hour video)AccuracyQuality
Stream copy (arbitrary)2s❌ Broken❌ Artifacts
Stream copy (keyframe)2s±2s✅ Perfect
Re-encode (simple)15min✅ Frame⚠️ Quality loss
Two-pass (optimal)3min✅ Frame✅ Perfect

Timeline context:

  • 2010: FFmpeg required full re-encoding for cuts
  • 2015: -c copy added for stream copying
  • 2020: Two-pass cutting became best practice
  • 2024: Hardware acceleration (NVENC) makes re-encoding viable

---

Anti-Pattern 2: Re-encoding Unnecessarily

Novice thinking: "Apply all edits in one FFmpeg command"

Problem: Multiple re-encodings cause cumulative quality loss.

Wrong approach:

# ❌ Re-encode for each operation (quality degradation)
# Operation 1: Trim
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -to 00:05:00 \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 23 temp1.mp4

# Operation 2: Add audio
ffmpeg -i temp1.mp4 -i audio.mp3 -c:v libx264 -crf 23 \
  -map 0:v -map 1:a temp2.mp4

# Operation 3: Add subtitles
ffmpeg -i temp2.mp4 -vf subtitles=subs.srt \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 23 output.mp4

# Result: 3x re-encoding = significant quality loss

Why wrong:

  • Each re-encode is lossy (even with high CRF)
  • Cumulative quality loss (generation loss)
  • 3x encoding time
  • Wasted disk I/O

Correct approach 1: Chain operations in single command

# ✅ Single-pass encoding with all operations
ffmpeg -ss 00:01:00 -i input.mp4 -i audio.mp3 \
  -to 00:04:00 \
  -vf "subtitles=subs.srt" \
  -map 0:v -map 1:a \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium \
  -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  output.mp4

# Single re-encode, all operations applied at once

Correct approach 2: Use stream copy when possible

# ✅ Lossless operations with stream copy
# Trim (stream copy)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:00 -to 00:05:00 -c copy temp.mp4

# Add audio (stream copy video, encode audio)
ffmpeg -i temp.mp4 -i audio.mp3 \
  -map 0:v -map 1:a \
  -c:v copy -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  temp2.mp4

# Burn subtitles (must re-encode video)
ffmpeg -i temp2.mp4 -vf subtitles=subs.srt \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium \
  -c:a copy \
  output.mp4

# Only 1 video re-encode (for subtitles)

Quality comparison:

MethodEncoding PassesQuality (VMAF)Time
3x re-encode (CRF 23)382/10045min
Single pass (CRF 23)191/10015min
Stream copy + 1 encode195/10018min
All stream copy0100/10030s

---

Anti-Pattern 3: Ignoring Color Space Conversions

Novice thinking: "Just concatenate videos together"

Problem: Color shifts, mismatched brightness, broken playback.

Wrong approach:

# ❌ Concatenate videos with different color spaces
# clip1.mp4: BT.709 (HD), yuv420p
# clip2.mp4: BT.601 (SD), yuvj420p (full range)
# clip3.mp4: BT.2020 (HDR), yuv420p10le

# Create concat list
echo "file 'clip1.mp4'" > list.txt
echo "file 'clip2.mp4'" >> list.txt
echo "file 'clip3.mp4'" >> list.txt

# Concatenate without color normalization
ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i list.txt -c copy output.mp4

# Result: Color shifts between clips, broken HDR metadata

Why wrong:

  • Different color spaces (BT.601 vs BT.709 vs BT.2020)
  • Different pixel formats (yuv420p vs yuvj420p)
  • Different color ranges (limited vs full)
  • Metadata conflicts

Correct approach:

# ✅ Normalize color space before concatenation

# Step 1: Analyze color space of each clip
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 \
  -show_entries stream=color_space,color_transfer,color_primaries,pix_fmt \
  -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 clip1.mp4

# Step 2: Normalize all clips to common color space
# Target: BT.709 (HD), yuv420p, limited range

# Normalize clip1 (already BT.709)
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -c copy clip1_normalized.mp4

# Normalize clip2 (BT.601 SD → BT.709 HD)
ffmpeg -i clip2.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=in_range=full:out_range=limited,colorspace=bt709:iall=bt601:fast=1" \
  -color_primaries bt709 \
  -color_trc bt709 \
  -colorspace bt709 \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium \
  -c:a copy \
  clip2_normalized.mp4

# Normalize clip3 (BT.2020 HDR → BT.709 SDR)
ffmpeg -i clip3.mp4 \
  -vf "zscale=t=linear:npl=100,format=gbrpf32le,zscale=p=bt709,tonemap=hable:desat=0,zscale=t=bt709:m=bt709:r=limited,format=yuv420p" \
  -color_primaries bt709 \
  -color_trc bt709 \
  -colorspace bt709 \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium \
  -c:a copy \
  clip3_normalized.mp4

# Step 3: Concatenate normalized clips
echo "file 'clip1_normalized.mp4'" > list.txt
echo "file 'clip2_normalized.mp4'" >> list.txt
echo "file 'clip3_normalized.mp4'" >> list.txt

ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i list.txt -c copy output.mp4

Color space guide:

StandardColor SpaceTransferPrimariesUse Case
BT.601SDbt470bgbt470bgOld SD content
BT.709HDbt709bt709Modern HD/FHD
BT.2020UHD/HDRsmpte2084bt20204K HDR
sRGBWebiec61966-2-1bt709Web delivery

---

Anti-Pattern 4: Poor Audio Sync

Novice thinking: "Video and audio are separate, just overlay them"

Problem: Lip sync issues, audio drift, broken playback.

Wrong approach:

# ❌ Replace audio without sync consideration
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i audio.mp3 \
  -map 0:v -map 1:a \
  -c:v copy -c:a copy \
  output.mp4

# Problems:
# - Audio duration ≠ video duration
# - No audio stretching/compression
# - Drift over time

Why wrong:

  • Audio and video have different durations
  • No timebase synchronization
  • No drift correction
  • Ignores original audio sync

Correct approach 1: Stretch/compress audio to match video

# ✅ Adjust audio speed to match video duration

# Get durations
VIDEO_DUR=$(ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration \
  -of default=noprint_wrappers=1:nokey=1 video.mp4)
AUDIO_DUR=$(ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration \
  -of default=noprint_wrappers=1:nokey=1 audio.mp3)

# Calculate speed ratio
RATIO=$(echo "$VIDEO_DUR / $AUDIO_DUR" | bc -l)

# Stretch audio to match video (with pitch correction)
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i audio.mp3 \
  -filter_complex "[1:a]atempo=${RATIO}[a]" \
  -map 0:v -map "[a]" \
  -c:v copy -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  output.mp4

Correct approach 2: Precise offset and trim

# ✅ Sync audio with offset and trim

# Audio starts 0.5s late, trim to match video
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -itsoffset 0.5 -i audio.mp3 \
  -map 0:v -map 1:a \
  -shortest \
  -c:v copy -c:a aac -b:a 192k \
  output.mp4

# -itsoffset: Delay audio by 0.5s
# -shortest: Trim to shortest stream

Correct approach 3: Mix multiple audio tracks with sync

# ✅ Mix dialogue, music, effects with precise timing

ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i dialogue.wav -i music.mp3 -i sfx.wav \
  -filter_complex "
    [1:a]adelay=0|0[dlg];
    [2:a]volume=0.3,adelay=500|500[mus];
    [3:a]adelay=1200|1200[sfx];
    [dlg][mus][sfx]amix=inputs=3:duration=first[a]
  " \
  -map 0:v -map "[a]" \
  -c:v copy -c:a aac -b:a 256k \
  output.mp4

# adelay: Precise millisecond timing
# amix: Mix multiple audio streams
# volume: Normalize levels

Audio sync checklist:

□ Verify video and audio durations match
□ Use -shortest to prevent excess audio
□ Apply adelay for precise timing offsets
□ Use atempo for speed adjustment (maintains pitch)
□ Set audio bitrate appropriately (128k-256k)
□ Test lip sync at beginning, middle, end

---

Anti-Pattern 5: Wrong Codec/Bitrate for Platform

Novice thinking: "One export settings for everything"

Problem: Wasted bandwidth, poor quality, rejected uploads, compatibility issues.

Wrong approach:

# ❌ Export everything at 4K 50 Mbps
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -b:v 50M -s 3840x2160 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 320k \
  output.mp4

# For Instagram story: 2 GB file, rejected (max 100 MB)
# For YouTube: Could use 10 Mbps and look identical
# For Twitter: Exceeds bitrate limits

Why wrong:

  • Platform-specific size/bitrate limits
  • Over-encoding wastes bandwidth
  • Wrong resolution for platform
  • Incompatible codecs

Correct approach: Platform-optimized exports

YouTube (recommended settings):

# ✅ YouTube 1080p upload
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 18 \
  -s 1920x1080 -r 30 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -color_primaries bt709 -color_trc bt709 -colorspace bt709 \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 192k -ar 48000 \
  youtube_1080p.mp4

# YouTube 4K upload
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 18 \
  -s 3840x2160 -r 60 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 256k -ar 48000 \
  youtube_4k.mp4

Instagram (Stories, Reels, Feed):

# ✅ Instagram Story (9:16, max 100 MB, 15s)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 \
  -s 1080x1920 -r 30 -t 15 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k \
  instagram_story.mp4

# ✅ Instagram Reel (9:16, max 90s)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 \
  -s 1080x1920 -r 30 -t 90 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k \
  instagram_reel.mp4

# ✅ Instagram Feed (1:1 or 4:5)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 \
  -s 1080x1080 -r 30 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k \
  instagram_feed.mp4

Twitter/X:

# ✅ Twitter video (max 512 MB, 2:20)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 \
  -s 1280x720 -r 30 -t 140 \
  -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 10000k \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k \
  twitter.mp4

TikTok:

# ✅ TikTok (9:16, max 287 MB, 10 min)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 \
  -s 1080x1920 -r 30 -t 600 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k \
  tiktok.mp4

Web (HTML5 video):

# ✅ Web optimized (fast load, broad compatibility)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 \
  -s 1920x1080 -r 30 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -profile:v baseline -level 3.0 \
  -movflags +faststart \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 48000 \
  web.mp4

Platform specs table:

PlatformMax SizeMax DurationResolutionFPSBitrateCodec
YouTubeUnlimitedUnlimited8K60AutoH.264/VP9
Instagram Story100 MB15s1080x192030~5 MbpsH.264
Instagram Reel1 GB90s1080x192030~8 MbpsH.264
Twitter512 MB2:201920x1080605 MbpsH.264
TikTok287 MB10min1080x192030~4 MbpsH.264
LinkedIn5 GB10min1920x1080305 MbpsH.264
WebVariesVaries1920x1080302-5 MbpsH.264

Export optimization checklist:

□ Use -movflags +faststart for web (progressive download)
□ Use -pix_fmt yuv420p for broad compatibility
□ Set -r 30 for most platforms (avoid variable framerate)
□ Use -preset slow for final exports (better quality)
□ Use -preset ultrafast for drafts
□ Apply -maxrate and -bufsize for streaming
□ Test playback on target platform before bulk export

---

Production Checklist

□ Align cuts to keyframes (or two-pass seek)
□ Chain operations in single FFmpeg command
□ Normalize color spaces before concatenating
□ Verify audio/video sync (test at multiple points)
□ Use platform-specific export presets
□ Apply -movflags +faststart for web delivery
□ Set proper color metadata (bt709 for HD)
□ Test output file on target platform
□ Keep lossless intermediate files (ProRes, FFV1)
□ Use hardware acceleration for batch jobs (NVENC, VideoToolbox)

---

When to Use vs Avoid

ScenarioAppropriate?
Automated video pipeline (script → video)✅ Yes - FFmpeg automation
Batch process 100 videos✅ Yes - parallel FFmpeg jobs
Trim/cut clips programmatically✅ Yes - precise cutting
Add subtitles to videos✅ Yes - burn or soft subs
Color grade footage⚠️ Limited - basic only
Multi-cam editing❌ No - use DaVinci Resolve
Motion graphics❌ No - use After Effects
Real-time preview editing❌ No - use Premiere/Resolve

---

References

  • /references/ffmpeg-guide.md - Complete FFmpeg command reference
  • /references/timeline-editing.md - Timeline concepts, multi-track editing
  • /references/export-optimization.md - Platform-specific export settings

Scripts

  • scripts/video_editor.py - Cut, trim, concatenate, transitions, effects
  • scripts/batch_processor.py - Parallel batch video processing

---

This skill guides: Video editing | FFmpeg | Timeline editing | Transitions | Export optimization | Audio mixing | Color grading | Automated video production

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How it compares

Pick video-processing-editing for agent-driven video tasks; use dedicated NLE or ffmpeg scripts when manual frame control outweighs natural-language automation.

FAQ

What can video-processing-editing do in an agent session?

video-processing-editing lets a coding agent read and analyze video, apply edits, and generate new video content from natural-language instructions instead of manual editor or ffmpeg command authoring.

How popular is video-processing-editing on skills.sh?

video-processing-editing from erichowens/some_claude_skills shows 793 installs on skills.sh, indicating active community use for agent-driven video workflows.

Is Video Processing Editing safe to install?

skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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