video-processing

Video Processing

Automate repetitive video editing tasks using FFmpeg - the industry-standard tool powering YouTube, Netflix, and most video platforms.

When to Use This Skill

• Social media optimization - Resize videos for Instagram (9:16), TikTok, LinkedIn
• Upload preparation - Compress large videos to meet platform limits
• Audio extraction - Pull audio from webinars, interviews for podcasts
• Content clipping - Extract highlights, quotes, or segments
• Batch processing - Apply same operations to multiple videos

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures production workflow | Final creative direction | | Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices | | Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards | | Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions | | Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

Dependencies

pip install ffmpeg-python moviepy click
# Also requires ffmpeg installed on system
# macOS: brew install ffmpeg
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install ffmpeg

Commands

Compress Video

python scripts/main.py compress video.mp4 --target-mb 10
python scripts/main.py compress video.mp4 --crf 28 --output compressed.mp4

Extract Audio

python scripts/main.py extract-audio video.mp4 --format mp3
python scripts/main.py extract-audio video.mp4 --format wav --output audio.wav

Resize for Social

python scripts/main.py resize video.mp4 --format instagram  # 1080x1920 (9:16)
python scripts/main.py resize video.mp4 --format youtube    # 1920x1080 (16:9)
python scripts/main.py resize video.mp4 --format square     # 1080x1080 (1:1)
python scripts/main.py resize video.mp4 --width 1280 --height 720

Clip Segment

python scripts/main.py clip video.mp4 --start 00:30 --end 01:45
python scripts/main.py clip video.mp4 --start 00:30 --duration 60

Merge Videos

python scripts/main.py concat video1.mp4 video2.mp4 --output merged.mp4
python scripts/main.py concat ./clips/ --output compilation.mp4

Generate Thumbnail

python scripts/main.py thumbnail video.mp4 --time 00:30
python scripts/main.py thumbnail video.mp4 --best  # Auto-select best frame

Examples

Example 1: Prepare Video for Instagram Reels

# Original: 4K horizontal video, 500MB
python scripts/main.py resize long-video.mp4 --format instagram
python scripts/main.py compress long-video_instagram.mp4 --target-mb 50

# Output: long-video_instagram_compressed.mp4 (1080x1920, <50MB)

Example 2: Extract Podcast from Webinar

# Extract audio track
python scripts/main.py extract-audio webinar-recording.mp4 --format mp3 --bitrate 192k

# Output: webinar-recording.mp3 (ready for podcast hosting)

Example 3: Create Highlight Reel

# Extract multiple clips
python scripts/main.py clip interview.mp4 --start 05:30 --end 06:15 --output clip1.mp4
python scripts/main.py clip interview.mp4 --start 12:00 --end 12:45 --output clip2.mp4
python scripts/main.py clip interview.mp4 --start 28:30 --end 29:00 --output clip3.mp4

# Merge into highlight reel
python scripts/main.py concat clip1.mp4 clip2.mp4 clip3.mp4 --output highlights.mp4

Social Media Format Reference

| Platform | Format | Resolution | Max Size | Max Duration | |----------|--------|------------|----------|--------------| | Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 4GB | 90s | | Instagram Feed | 1:1 | 1080x1080 | 4GB | 60s | | TikTok | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 287MB | 10min | | YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | - | 60s | | YouTube | 16:9 | 1920x1080 | 256GB | 12h | | LinkedIn | 1:1/16:9 | 1920x1080 | 5GB | 10min | | Twitter/X | 16:9 | 1920x1080 | 512MB | 2:20 |

Performance Tips

1. GPU acceleration - FFmpeg uses hardware encoding when available (NVENC, VideoToolbox)
2. CRF values - Lower = better quality, larger file. 18-28 typical range
3. Preset selection - ultrafast for drafts, slow for final exports
4. Two-pass encoding - Better quality for target bitrate

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

• Structuring audio production workflows
• Providing technical guidance
• Creating quality checklists
• Suggesting creative approaches

What This Skill Cannot Do

• Replace audio engineering expertise
• Make subjective creative decisions
• Access or edit audio files directly
• Guarantee commercial success

Related Skills

• [whisper-transcription](../whisper-transcription/) - Transcribe video audio
• [youtube-downloader](../youtube-downloader/) - Download videos to process
• [image-batch](../image-batch/) - Process video thumbnails

Skill Metadata

• Mode: cyborg

category: automation
subcategory: video-processing
dependencies: [ffmpeg-python, moviepy]
difficulty: beginner
time_saved: 5+ hours/week