| name | manim-video |
| description | Build reusable Manim explainers for technical concepts, graphs, system diagrams, and product walkthroughs, then hand off to the wider video stack if needed. Use when the user wants a clean animated explainer rather than a generic talking-head script. |
| origin | ECC |
| cluster | social-media |
| version | 1.0.0 |
Manim Video
Use Manim for technical explainers where motion, structure, and clarity matter more than photorealism.
When to Activate
- the user wants a technical explainer animation
- the concept is a graph, workflow, architecture, metric progression, or system diagram
- the user wants a short product or launch explainer for X or a landing page
- the visual should feel precise instead of generically cinematic
Tool Requirements
manim CLI for scene renderingffmpeg for post-processing if neededvideo-editing for final assembly, polish, composited UI, captions, or additional motion layers
Default Output
- short 16:9 MP4
- one thumbnail or poster frame
- storyboard plus scene plan
Workflow
- Define the core visual thesis in one sentence.
- Break the concept into 3 to 6 scenes.
- Decide what each scene proves.
- Write the scene outline before writing Manim code.
- Render the smallest working version first.
- Tighten typography, spacing, color, and pacing after the render works.
- Hand off to the wider video stack only if it adds value.
Scene Planning Rules
- each scene should prove one thing
- avoid overstuffed diagrams
- prefer progressive reveal over full-screen clutter
- use motion to explain state change, not just to keep the screen busy
- title cards should be short and loaded with meaning
Network Graph Default
For social-graph and network-optimization explainers:
- show the current graph before showing the optimized graph
- distinguish low-signal follow clutter from high-signal bridges
- highlight warm-path nodes and target clusters
- if useful, add a final scene showing the self-improvement lineage that informed the skill
Render Conventions
- default to 16:9 landscape unless the user asks for vertical
- start with a low-quality smoke test render
- only push to higher quality after composition and timing are stable
- export one clean thumbnail frame that reads at social size
Reusable Starter
Use assets/network_graph_scene.py as a starting point for network-graph explainers.
Example smoke test:
manim -ql assets/network_graph_scene.py NetworkGraphExplainer
Output Format
Return:
- core visual thesis
- storyboard
- scene outline
- render plan
- any follow-on polish recommendations
Related Skills
video-editing for final polish, motion-heavy post-processing, or compositingcontent-engine when the animation is part of a broader launch
