Pipeline Identifies and Extracts High-Value Clips

Feed Claude Code a folder of YouTube exports containing MP4 videos and transcripts. Prompt it to scan transcripts for highest tension moments (inspired by Alex Hormozi's advice), selecting top 5 clips per video based on value. Use /plan mode first for a step-by-step architecture: Claude analyzes transcripts, timestamps clips, trims with FFmpeg for speed, then processes into vertical 9:16 MP4s. Provide full context upfront—folder structure, end goals, tools—to get a complete game plan in 5-6 minutes. Output lands in structured folders like clips/ and outputs/.

Adapt 1000+ viral hook templates (e.g., "This represents your X before, during, and after X") to clip context, filling variables dynamically. Claude picks best-fit hooks, ensuring relevance before appending "Watch this" from your HeyGen avatar.

Stack HeyGen Avatars, Remotion Captions, and FFmpeg Edits

Set up .env with Anthropic API key (from claude.ai), HeyGen API key/avatar/voice IDs. Install Remotion agent skill globally via terminal (takes 2 seconds) for programmatic video editing: burn TikTok-style animated captions that appear word-by-word, positioned center or bottom. Use FFmpeg to trim clips precisely, stack picture-in-picture videos (screen top, facecam bottom half), and concatenate HeyGen intro + clip + captions.

HeyGen generates 5-10s avatar intros: start wide shot for hook, punch in 30% zoom on "Watch this," cut speech gaps. Add on-screen text hook in top third to build intrigue alongside spoken version. Remotion handles motion graphics free; no prior install needed as Claude manages it.

Iterate Fixes for Polished Shorts in Minutes

Build full scope first (15 mins), then tweak: fix output paths, raise captions 100-150px, center on split-screen, add intro captions. Rerun on single video tests reveals issues like blurry scaling—Claude auto-adjusts via notes. Handles async HeyGen jobs: submit, poll status, concat on completion. Result: usable vertical shorts from raw long-form, ready for auto-publishing. Trade-off: initial blurriness on upscale, but mobile viewing masks it; refine avatar for punchier hooks.

Start in Antigravity IDE (antigravity.google): clone Claude Code quickstart, new folder, claude terminal command. Throw all assets (transcripts, hooks.md) at it—Claude self-improves via feedback loops, skipping advanced like Karpathy's auto-research for now.