make-a-video

Files (7)

• SKILL.md
• build-checklist.md · references/
• catalog-intent-map.md · references/
• composition-scaffold.md · references/
• interview-questions.md · references/
• storyboard-template.md · references/
• style-intake.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Make a Video — The Beginner-to-Finished-MP4 Skill

Two phases, eight sequential gates. Every gate produces a concrete artifact the next gate consumes. Don't skip gates.

## When to use this skill — and when to hand off

**Use this skill when:**
- The user is new to HyperFrames and starting from a concept, script, or outline
- They want an end-to-end walkthrough, not framework reference material
- They haven't decided on format yet

**Hand off when:**
- The user pastes a URL and wants a video from that site → invoke `/website-to-hyperframes`
- The user explicitly wants a 9:16 vertical talking-head with face-cam + scene overlays → run Gates 1–4 here, then invoke `/short-form-video` from Gate 5 onward
- The user asks for framework rules, not a video → invoke `/hyperframes`

## The two phases

- **Phase 1 — INTERVIEW (Gates 1–4):** one conversational pass to gather *everything* before touching code. Intent, format, script, voice, style, assets, pacing. Synthesize into a `BRIEF.md` and wait for explicit approval.
- **Phase 2 — BUILD (Gates 5–8):** scaffold → storyboard → compositions → lint → Studio preview → draft render → visual verification → MP4 preview → final render.

---

## Gate 1 · Intent & format

Ask one question at a time via `AskUserQuestion`, multiple-choice where possible.

1. What's this video for? (promo · social ad · launch teaser · product demo · tutorial · explainer · intro/outro card · other)
2. Who's the audience? (open-ended)
3. Target duration? (10–20s short · 20–45s promo · 45–90s explainer · 1.5–3 min lesson · custom)
4. Aspect ratio? (16:9 1920×1080 · 9:16 1080×1920 · 1:1 1080×1080)
5. Frame rate? (30 default · 60 for crisp UI · 24 cinematic)
6. Platform / delivery constraints? (file size · deadline · where it'll play)

**Gate:** all six captured. If the answer is 9:16 + face-cam, plan to hand off to `/short-form-video` at Gate 5.

Full question bank: `Read: references/interview-questions.md`

---

## Gate 2 · Script & voice

1. Script source? (paste · outline → I'll draft · I'll record · TTS from text · no narration)
2. If TTS: voice preference. Offer choices from `npx hyperframes tts --help`. Also capture pace.
3. If face-cam: recording path · full-screen or corner placement · need transcription? (`npx hyperframes transcribe <file> --model small.en --json`)
4. Captions? (off · hype · corporate · karaoke-word-by-word · minimal)

**Gate:** script captured (or drafted), audio plan captured, caption plan captured.

---

## Gate 3 · Style intake

**Before asking the user anything, inventory existing assets.** Check `<workspace-root>/assets/` and any project `assets/` folder. Don't ask for what's already there.

Then ask progressively — they don't need answers to all of these:

1. Style guide or brand doc? (paste/path · no)
2. Color palette? (hex codes · none — use MOTION_PHILOSOPHY defaults)
3. Fonts? (Google Fonts name(s) · file paths · none — use Inter + JetBrains Mono defaults)
4. Logo file? (path · none — use text wordmark instead)
5. Reference videos for vibe? (URLs/paths · none)
6. Other assets? (screenshots · product photos · b-roll · music — list paths)
7. MOTION_PHILOSOPHY aesthetic (black canvas · chrome type · perspective grid · whip transitions) or a different feel?
8. Pacing? (kinetic 1–2s · balanced 2–3s · relaxed 3–5s)
9. Music? (none · ambient pad 0.15 · music bed 0.4 · full 0.8 — file path if they have one)
10. Outro / call-to-action text?

**Never impose a brand on the user.** Fall back to MOTION_PHILOSOPHY defaults *only* when they explicitly decline to supply a style.

Full style flow + MOTION_PHILOSOPHY defaults: `Read: references/style-intake.md`

---

## Gate 4 · Brief synthesis (HARD-GATE before building)

1. **Read `MOTION_PHILOSOPHY.md`** if it exists in the workspace root — mandatory if present. If missing, proceed with the defaults in `references/style-intake.md` and note the absence in the brief.
2. **Ask where projects live** if it's not obvious:
   - If `video-projects/` exists → use `video-projects/<slug>/`
   - Otherwise → ask the user
3. **Write `<project-folder>/BRIEF.md`**:
   - slug · intent · audience · dimensions · fps · duration
   - script (full or outline)
   - voice choice · caption plan · face-cam plan
   - style profile: palette (hex), fonts, logo path, reference videos
   - pacing
   - asset inventory with paths
   - outro / CTA text
4. **Show the brief. WAIT for explicit approval.** Don't proceed to Gate 5 without a clear "yes, build it."

---

## Gate 5 · Scaffold & storyboard

### Handoff check first

If the brief describes a 9:16 vertical talking-head with face-cam + scene overlays, invoke `/short-form-video` NOW and hand off the brief. Its 4-layer scaffold is purpose-built for that format.

Otherwise continue:

### Scaffold

1. `mkdir <project-folder>`
2. If a sibling project with similar format exists, offer to copy its `hyperframes.json` + `meta.json` as a template. Otherwise from inside the folder: `npx hyperframes init`
3. Edit `meta.json` with the user's slug, dimensions, fps.
4. Copy supplied assets into `<project-folder>/assets/`.
5. Create `<project-folder>/assets/style-profile.md` from Gate 3 — single source of truth for palette/fonts/logo.

### Storyboard

Generate `<project-folder>/STORYBOARD.md` using the template in `references/storyboard-template.md`. Every beat gets:

```
Beat N — TITLE (start–end, duration) — Concept in one sentence
Visual elements: [each element, size, animation, timing]
Motion language: [kind of motion]
Eases used: [3–4 distinct GSAP eases]
Exit: [transition into next beat]
Audio: [VO line / SFX / music layer]

From techfreakworm/claude-soma, MIT.

More from techfreakworm/claude-soma