Agent skill · creative production · erichowens
video-processing-editing
FFmpeg automation for cutting, trimming, concatenating videos. Audio mixing, timeline editing, transitions, effects. Export optimization for YouTube, social media. Subtitle handling, color
Why this skill is useful
Adds specific FFmpeg commands and automation techniques for video processing that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires ffmpeg, python installed locally. About 10k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-07-14. 180 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Video Processing & Editing Expert in FFmpeg-based video editing, processing automation, and export optimization for modern content creation workflows. When to Use ✅ Use for: Automated video editing pipelines (script-to-video) Cutting, trimming, concatenating clips Adding transitions, effects, overlays Audio mixing and normalization Subtitle/caption handling Export optimization for platforms Batch video processing Color grading and correction ❌ NOT for: Real-time video editing UI (use DaVinci Resolve/Premiere) 3D compositing (use After Effects/Blender) Motion graphics animation (use After Effects) Basic screen recording (use OBS) --- Technology Selection Video Editing Tools Tool Speed Features Use Case ------ ------- ---------- ---------- FFmpeg Very Fast CLI automation Production pipelines MoviePy Medium Python API Programmatic editing PyAV Fast Low-level control Custom processing DaVinci Resolve Slow Full NLE Manual editing Decision tree: --- Common Anti-Patterns Anti-Pattern 1: Not Using Keyframe-Aligned Cuts Novice thinking: "Just cut the video at any timestamp" Problem: Causes artifacts, black frames, and playback issues. Wrong approach: Why wrong: Video codecs use keyframes (I-frames) every 2-10 seconds Non-keyframe cuts require re-encoding Using -c copy (stream copy) without keyframe alignment breaks playback GOP (Group of Pictures) structure depends on keyframes Correct approach 1: Re-encode for precise cuts Correct approach 2: Keyframe-aligned stream copy Correct approach 3: Two-pass for best of both worlds Performance comparison: Method Time (1-hour video) Accuracy Quality -------- --------------------- ---------- --------- Stream copy (arbitrary) 2s ❌ Broken ❌ Artifacts Stream copy (keyframe) 2s ±2s ✅ Perfect Re-encode (simple) 15min ✅ Frame ⚠️ Quality loss Two-pass (optimal) 3min ✅ Frame ✅ Perfect Timeline context: 2010: FFmpeg required full re-encoding for cuts 2015: -c copy added for stream copying 2020: Two-pass cutting became best practice 2024: Hardw …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills erichowens/video-processing-editing