Use it for: industry news, market updates, commentary on a launch.
For a real event with real footage. The footage tells the story, so the rules are about keeping it clean.
Before you start: run video-intake and opening-hook (look A, launch title, for news).
Every size. The same build makes 9:16, 4:5, 1:1 and 16:9. Size objects from PANEL, then run every-format.
Step 1: Ask for three things, then wait
- The footage, the original files you have the right to use. Note the source of each.
- The press shots, if any: screenshots of real headlines.
- The cut transcript with word timings.
The rules that held up
- One continuous run per spoken line. Pick one stretch of one clip and play it straight. No hopping between moments of the same clip.
- In source order. Line 2's footage comes after line 1's in the original.
- The action lands on the word. "Let go" = the release. "Wheels" = the landing. Slide the run's start so the moment hits the word.
- When the clip turns to something off topic (a presenter, its own transition), hold its last useful frame instead.
- Hard cuts between runs. Static frame, no zooms, no effects. The footage is the effect.
- Press headlines get a highlight on the ink, never retyped. Trim the box to the letters, pad 3px.
- Footage fills the top panel or the full frame. Your face card or cut-out stays below it.
Step 2: Build the shot list, then wait
One row per line: spoken words, start and end, clip file, the clip's in point, and the word the action lands on. Show it and wait for a yes.
Step 3: Pull frames and build
ffmpeg -ss <in> -t <length> -i clip.mp4 -vf "fps=30,scale=1080:-2" -q:v 3 shots/03/%06d.jpg
Paste into Claude Code:
Edit video.js only. One beat per row of my shot list. Each beat shows shots/NN/ frames in order, frame = round((t - beat start) * 30) + 1, held on its last frame if the line runs longer.
Layout split: footage fills the top panel, my face card below. Hard cut between beats, no zoom, no transition.
Press shots: the screenshot fills the top panel, with one highlight box trimmed to the ink of [WORD], the rest greyed at rgba(255,255,255,.55).
Check a still at the landing word of every beat: the action must be on screen at that moment.
Step 4: Music, then check
Run video-sound (one bed level to the last frame). Then video-check.
What I learned the hard way
- Cutting between three moments of one clip looks messy. One clean run per line looks intentional.
- A music take that fades early leaves the end of the video flat. Cut it before its own fade and loop whole phrases.
- Credit and rights matter more here than anywhere. Use footage you are allowed to use.