cutpilot

name	cutpilot
description	Use cutpilot to turn local footage into simple transcript-aware EDLs, 15-second shorts, and carousel-style social edits with ffmpeg dry-run planning and pre-render checks.

cutpilot Skill

Use this skill when the user wants a local video edit from footage on disk and wants an agent to plan or execute the edit.

Boundaries

• Keep source footage untouched.
• Write outputs only in the footage folder's .cutpilot/ directory unless the user asks for a different output path.
• Ask before publishing, uploading, posting, or sending rendered media anywhere.
• Confirm the edit strategy before rendering final media.

Workflow

1. Run cutpilot init in the footage directory.
2. Run cutpilot inspect. If ffprobe is unavailable but metadata was provided, use cutpilot inspect --probe-json <file>.
3. Look for transcripts in .cutpilot/transcripts/. If none exist, explain that generated cuts will be duration-based and can be improved with word timestamps.
4. Pick a preset:
   • short-15: vertical hook, proof, payoff, CTA.
   • carousel: square or social sequence with beat-card overlays.
   • talking-head-cleanup: longer cleanup pass for dead space and filler.
5. Run cutpilot edl create --preset <preset> --title "<title>".
6. Read the EDL and diagnostics. Manually adjust the EDL if needed.
7. Run cutpilot edl validate.
8. Run cutpilot render --dry-run and inspect the ffmpeg plan.
9. Render only after strategy confirmation: cutpilot render.
10. Run cutpilot artifacts after EDL changes so future agents can resume.

Viral-Style 15-Second Short Pattern

• Start with the strongest concrete claim or visual hook.
• Keep 3 to 6 segments.
• Prefer word-boundary cuts from transcript data.
• Trim silence aggressively, but do not cut inside words.
• End on a clear payoff or action.
• Use render --dry-run before any final render.

Carousel Pattern

• Treat each EDL segment as a card-like beat.
• Keep one idea per beat.
• Use overlay metadata for titles, but verify whether the current renderer burns those overlays before promising final graphics.
• Keep text short enough for mobile viewing.

Talking-Head Cleanup Pattern

• Preserve meaning and cadence.
• Remove long dead air, false starts, and repeated restarts.
• Keep natural reactions when they carry the point.
• Run validation after every manual timing edit.

Pre-Render Self-Check

• EDL has no error diagnostics.
• Word-boundary warnings have been reviewed.
• Expected duration matches the user's target.
• ffmpeg command plan points only at local footage and .cutpilot/tmp.
• Output path is intentional.

Agent Artifacts

Use cutpilot artifacts to produce:

• .cutpilot/artifacts/takes_packed.md
• .cutpilot/artifacts/timeline_diagnostics.md
• .cutpilot/artifacts/agent_brief.md

Read these first when resuming an existing edit.