guided-explainer-video

name	guided-explainer-video
description	End-to-end guided workflow for creating an explainer or walkthrough video. Extracts brand identity from the repo, generates a measured soundtrack, and produces a narrative-driven motion.dev composition rendered via Helios CLI. Use when making how-it-works, feature walkthrough, or educational videos.

You may be operating inside the brand's repository, or working from an external context.

Do not guess brand identity. Either analyze the codebase or research the provided URL.

---

EXECUTION PIPELINE

STEP 1 — Gather Context

⛔ STOP. Ask the user these two questions:

1. "Are we inside your brand's repository, or would you like to provide a URL (e.g. your marketing site) so I can research your brand online?"

2. "Would you like generated background music? If yes, you'll need an ELEVEN_LABS_API_KEY in your environment. You can get one at https://elevenlabs.io → Profile → API Keys."

Wait for the user to respond to both questions.

Do not attempt to read .env files or verify keys yourself. Trust the user's responses.

If the user provides a URL, use it for brand research in STEP 3 instead of analyzing the codebase. If the user declines music, skip STEP 4 and STEP 5.

---

STEP 2 — Ensure Helios Runtime Dependencies

Install required packages:

npm install @helios-project/core @helios-project/renderer @helios-project/cli

You will render using DOM mode.

---

STEP 3 — Extract Brand Intelligence From Repo

If the user provided a URL instead of a repo, fetch that URL and extract the same brand signals from the live site. Skip codebase-specific items (Tailwind config, design tokens, etc.) and focus on visible brand elements.

Analyze:

• Tailwind config or CSS variables • Global stylesheets • Design tokens • Logo assets • Favicon • Documentation structure • Feature descriptions • Onboarding flows • Help text and microcopy • Information architecture • UI components • Existing motion usage

Construct internal brand profile:

• Core value proposition • Target audience • Tone of voice (instructional, supportive, authoritative) • Visual density • Primary palette • Accent palette • Typography character • Information hierarchy patterns • Explanation style (visual-first vs text-heavy)

All creative decisions must align with this.

---

STEP 4 — Generate Original Music (Skip if no music)

Use ElevenLabs with existing ELEVEN_LABS_API_KEY.

Generate instrumental track matching:

• Calm, supportive tone • Steady progression without dramatic peaks • Subtle background presence (must not compete with narration) • Target runtime

Save audio locally.

---

STEP 5 — Analyze Audio With ffmpeg (Skip if no music)

Extract:

• BPM • Beat timestamps • Downbeats • Energy peaks

Create beat timing map.

Section transitions should align to downbeats. On-screen text reveals should align to beats.

---

STEP 6 — Read Motion Design Rules

Before producing the creative specification, read and internalize:

skills/guided/motion-design-rules

Every rule in that skill is mandatory for this composition.

---

STEP 7 — Produce Creative Specification

You are a senior creative director and instructional design architect designing for Helios using motion.dev.

Input example: explain how our checkout flow works in 60 seconds

Output:

• One structured creative specification • Wrapped in a single code block • No explanation outside it

The specification must include:

• Duration • Aspect ratio (16:9) • Brand summary • Narrative arc (Introduction → Problem → Solution → How It Works → CTA) • Motion language (measured, deliberate, progressive) • Beat synchronized section breakdown • Exact timestamps per section • Voiceover script (conversational, clear) • On screen text (section headers, feature labels, step numbers) • Visual composition (clean layouts, generous whitespace) • Explicit motion.dev animation behavior • Transition logic (smooth crossfades between sections, slide-ins for content) • Layering order • Audio direction • Asset requirements • Step indicators or progress markers

Use motion.dev compatible terminology only.

Narrative structure requirements:

• Opening hook (first 5 seconds) • Problem identification • Solution introduction • Step-by-step walkthrough • Summary and CTA

---

STEP 8 — Implement DOM Based Helios Composition

Using the creative specification:

Create a composition.html file that:

• Uses HTML + CSS + motion.dev • Implements animations using WAAPI / CSS / motion.dev • Aligns section transitions to downbeats • Uses clear section headers with step numbering • Includes generated audio file • Has exact duration • Prioritizes readability and visual clarity

Expose Helios runtime:

import { helios } from "@helios-project/core";

window.helios = helios;

helios.bindToDocumentTimeline({
  autoSyncAnimations: true
});

Requirements:

• window.helios must be defined • helios.bindToDocumentTimeline() must be called • autoSyncAnimations: true must be enabled • All CSS and WAAPI animations must sync correctly • No randomness • Deterministic timing • Text must remain on screen long enough to read (minimum 3 seconds per key message)

---

STEP 9 — Render Using Official Helios CLI (DOM Mode)

Render with:

npx helios render ./composition.html -o output.mp4

Requirements:

• 16:9 aspect ratio • Correct duration • Audio attached • CSS and WAAPI fully synchronized • High quality MP4 output

Output file must be:

output.mp4

---

RUNTIME RULES

If duration ≤ 30 seconds Compress to: Hook → Core Concept → CTA.

If no duration specified Default to 60 seconds.

Maximum 5 sections for any duration. Each section must have a clear on-screen header. Pacing must allow comprehension — never rush information.

Never restate the original prompt. Never explain reasoning. Creative specification must be output inside a single code block only.