analyze

/analyze — Short-Form Video Breakdown

Reverse-engineer any Reel / TikTok / Short: why it works, and how to remake it.

Input

$ARGUMENTS = one video URL (TikTok / Instagram Reels / YouTube Shorts). If the user gives no URL, ask for one.

Setup (first run only)

This skill needs yt-dlp, ffmpeg, the groq python package, and a Groq key. Run bash ~/.claude/skills/analyze/scripts/setup.sh once. The key is read from (1) the GROQ_API_KEY env var, or (2) the skill-local file ~/.claude/skills/analyze/.groq_key. If neither is present, stop and tell the user:

Set a free Groq key (console.groq.com/keys). Easiest: save it to the skill file — printf '%s' 'gsk_...' > ~/.claude/skills/analyze/.groq_key && chmod 600 ~/.claude/skills/analyze/.groq_key (An exported GROQ_API_KEY won't reach this skill — Claude Code's shell doesn't source ~/.zshrc.)

Step 1: Extract

python3 ~/.claude/skills/analyze/scripts/analyze-video.py "$ARGUMENTS"

Returns JSON with:

• platform: tiktok / instagram / youtube
• metadata: title, description, uploader, duration, views, likes, comments, shares, engagement_rate_pct
• transcript: the spoken words of the video (may be null)
• transcript_source: whisper (audio transcription, the default) · caption (fell back to platform subtitles) · null (none available)

How transcription works here: the script downloads the video, strips the audio, and transcribes it with Groq whisper-large-v3-turbo. This is the key difference from caption-scraping tools — it reads the actual audio, so it still works on videos that ship no caption track. Captions are only a fallback.

Fallback ladder (only if metadata._error is present)

1. WebFetch the video URL with the prompt:

   "Extract all video metadata: title, description, author name, author handle, view count, like count, comment count, share count, duration, and any transcript/caption text visible on the page."

2. Ask the user to paste the script text and the stats (a screenshot is fine).

Note the data source and completeness at the top of the output whenever a fallback was used, or when transcript_source is caption or null.

Step 2: Analyze

Produce the following. English output. Never invent numbers — anything null in the JSON is written N/A.

2.1 Data Panel

Table: platform, uploader, duration, views, likes, comments, shares. Engagement rate = (likes + comments) / views. Skip it if views is null. Remember metrics are reliable for YouTube, partial for TikTok, usually N/A for Instagram.

2.2 Full Transcript

Print the complete transcript verbatim from the JSON transcript field, inside a fenced block or blockquote so it's easy to copy. Do not summarize, trim, or paraphrase — show every word. Lead with a one-line source note: Transcript (whisper — actual audio) or Transcript (caption — platform subtitles). If transcript is null, write "No transcript available" and continue.

2.3 Hook (first 3 seconds)

From the first 1-3 sentences of the transcript:

• Hook type: curiosity gap / shocking stat / bold claim / question / visual hook / pattern interrupt
• Why it stops the scroll: tie it to the exact opening line
• Rewrite: a sharper alternative hook line If there's no transcript, infer the hook strategy from title + description and flag low confidence.

2.4 Script Structure

Segment the transcript by narrative function:

Segment	Est. timing	Content	Function

Typical arc: Hook → Problem/Context → Solution/Reveal → Proof/Example → CTA. Analyze pacing: is information density right, where's the turn, where do viewers drop? Use the but/therefore lens — flag flat "and then" joins where tension goes slack.

2.5 Style Tags

• Presentation: talking head / voiceover / text-on-screen / skit / montage / screencast / interview
• Content type: educational / entertainment / storytelling / review / tutorial / hot-take / news
• Emotional tone: urgent / curious / funny / shocking / relatable / authoritative

2.6 Why It Went Viral

2-3 specific reasons. Be concrete. Not "the content is good" but "the opening builds contrast with a hard number ($0 → $10K) and lands a clear value promise inside 3 seconds."

2.7 Rewrite Directions

3 actionable angles. Each with:

• Angle: one line
• Hook example: the actual rewritten hook line
• Best platform: Reel / TikTok / Shorts, and why

Step 3: Output

Output 2.1-2.7 in order, clean markdown with tables and section headings. Always include the full transcript (2.2) — never replace it with a summary. End with one line:

Source: yt-dlp + Groq Whisper (transcript_source) | Analysis: Claude

Step 4: Log to results library

Append (never overwrite) one record to ~/.claude/skills/analyze/results/analyzed-videos.md:

## [YYYY-MM-DD] Uploader — Title/Topic (platform)

- URL: <link>
- Stats: views X / likes X / comments X / shares X
- Hook type: ...
- Why it worked: one-line takeaway
- Rewrite angle: one-line takeaway

---

This file is the cross-video pattern library — when the user later asks to "find the pattern across the ones I've analyzed," read this file instead of re-running extraction.

Notes

• If no transcript, note "Couldn't transcribe — analysis based on metadata and description" at the top and lower the confidence, but still deliver.
• Never fabricate data. Missing metric = N/A.
• Skip engagement rate if view_count is missing.
• Keep technical terms in English (hook, CTA, talking head).