media-under-size

name	media-under-size
description	Shrink a GIF or video file under a target file size, defaulting to 10 MB, using ffmpeg/ffprobe. Use when the user wants media small enough for upload limits like Discord, GitHub comments, chat apps, or email.

Media Under Size

Use this skill when the user wants you to:

• make a GIF under 10 MB
• compress a video to fit an upload limit
• keep the original file untouched while writing a smaller copy
• trade some quality for a hard size cap

Requirements

• ffmpeg must be installed
• ffprobe must be installed
• python3 should be available for size parsing helpers

Inputs

Accept any of these forms:

• a path to a GIF or video file
• an optional target size such as 10mb, 8mb, or 2500kb
• an optional output path
• optional preferences like mute, keep audio, or keep GIF format

Default target size: 10mb

Workflow

Run all relative paths from this skill directory.

1. Confirm the input file exists.
2. Run the helper script:

./scripts/compress_media_under_size.sh --input <PATH>

With an explicit target:

./scripts/compress_media_under_size.sh --input <PATH> --target 10mb

With an explicit output path:

./scripts/compress_media_under_size.sh --input <PATH> --target 10mb --output <OUTPUT_PATH>

Mute the output video if the user wants that:

./scripts/compress_media_under_size.sh --input <PATH> --target 10mb --mute

3. Read the script output and report:
   • output path
   • original size
   • new size
   • whether the target was met
   • any notable tradeoffs, like GIF palette reduction or video conversion to MP4
4. Keep the original file unless the user explicitly asks to overwrite it.

Format behavior

• GIF input stays GIF output.
• Video input defaults to H.264 MP4 output for best compatibility and compression.
• For videos, preserve audio by default when practical; use --mute if the user asks for silent output.

Notes

• Prefer the script over manually hand-writing ffmpeg commands unless debugging the script itself.
• If the file already fits under the target, the script copies it to the default output path and reports success.
• If the user says only “make this under 10mb,” use the default target and let the script choose the compression strategy.