videoeditor

name	videoeditor
description	Automated video editing using FFmpeg. Use when trimming videos, merging clips, adding audio, or automating video production workflows.
version	1.0.0

Video Editor

Note: Review PROFILE.md for user-specific video quality settings, encoding preferences, and workflow defaults.

Master Briefing: Global brand voice at ~/.superskills/master-briefing.yaml applies automatically. Skill profile overrides when conflicts exist.

Automate video editing tasks with FFmpeg-powered operations including trimming, merging, audio mixing, and format conversion.

Tools

VideoEditor.py (in src/):

• Video trimming and cutting
• Clip merging and concatenation
• Audio track mixing and replacement
• Format conversion (MP4, MOV, AVI, etc.)
• Resolution and quality adjustment
• Thumbnail extraction
• Batch processing support
• Metadata preservation

Core Workflow

1. Video Preparation

• Receive video file(s) and editing requirements
• Validate file formats and codecs
• Determine output specifications
• Plan editing operations

2. Editing Operations

• Trim videos to specific time ranges
• Merge multiple clips into one
• Add or replace audio tracks
• Convert formats and resolutions
• Extract thumbnails or frames
• Apply basic filters if needed

3. Delivery

• Export in requested format and quality
• Validate output file integrity
• Package with metadata (duration, resolution, file size)
• Handoff for distribution or further processing

Usage

Trim Video:

from superskills.videoeditor.src import VideoEditor

editor = VideoEditor(output_dir="output/videos")

result = editor.trim_video(
    input_file="long_recording.mp4",
    start_time="00:02:30",
    end_time="00:15:45",
    output_name="trimmed_section"
)

print(f"Trimmed video: {result.output_file}")
print(f"Duration: {result.duration_seconds}s")

Merge Multiple Videos:

clips = [
    "intro.mp4",
    "main_content.mp4",
    "outro.mp4"
]

result = editor.merge_videos(
    input_files=clips,
    output_name="complete_video"
)

print(f"Merged video: {result.output_file}")

Add Audio Track:

result = editor.add_audio(
    video_file="video.mp4",
    audio_file="narration.mp3",
    output_name="video_with_audio"
)

Convert Format:

result = editor.convert_format(
    input_file="video.mov",
    output_format="mp4",
    quality="high"
)

Extract Thumbnail:

thumbnail = editor.extract_thumbnail(
    video_file="video.mp4",
    timestamp="00:00:10",
    output_name="thumbnail.jpg"
)

Environment Variables

# No API keys required - FFmpeg is a local tool
# Ensure FFmpeg is installed on system

FFmpeg Installation:

# macOS
brew install ffmpeg

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

# Windows
# Download from ffmpeg.org

Quality Checklist

• FFmpeg installed and accessible
• Input video formats supported
• Output quality appropriate for use case
• Audio sync maintained (if applicable)
• File size reasonable for distribution
• Metadata preserved or updated
• Output validated before delivery

Avoid

• Quality Loss: Re-encoding unnecessarily → Use copy codec when possible
• Audio Desync: Ignoring timing → Validate audio sync after edits
• Large Files: Maximum quality always → Match quality to distribution needs
• Format Issues: Unsupported codecs → Convert to widely supported formats
• Missing FFmpeg: Assume installed → Check FFmpeg availability first

Escalate When

• FFmpeg not installed or misconfigured
• Complex editing beyond basic operations (effects, transitions)
• Need professional-grade color grading
• Performance issues with large files
• Codec compatibility problems

Integration Examples

With Transcriber (Add Subtitles):

from superskills.transcriber.src import Transcriber
from superskills.videoeditor.src import VideoEditor

transcriber = Transcriber()
subs = transcriber.transcribe("video.mp4", output_format="srt")

editor = VideoEditor()
result = editor.add_subtitles(
    video_file="video.mp4",
    subtitle_file=subs.output_file,
    output_name="video_with_subs"
)

With Narrator (Add Voiceover):

from superskills.narrator.src import VoiceoverGenerator
from superskills.videoeditor.src import VideoEditor

narrator = VoiceoverGenerator()
audio = narrator.generate(
    script="Welcome to this tutorial...",
    content_type="educational"
)

editor = VideoEditor()
result = editor.add_audio(
    video_file="silent_video.mp4",
    audio_file=audio['output_file'],
    output_name="video_with_narration"
)

With CoursePackager (Package Video Course):

from superskills.videoeditor.src import VideoEditor
from superskills.coursepackager.src import CoursePackager

editor = VideoEditor()

# Merge lesson videos
lessons = ["lesson1.mp4", "lesson2.mp4", "lesson3.mp4"]
full_course = editor.merge_videos(lessons, output_name="full_course")

# Package with materials
packager = CoursePackager()
package = packager.package_course(
    course_name="Video Course",
    files=[full_course.output_file, "workbook.pdf"]
)

Common Operations

Trim: Cut video to specific time range
Merge: Concatenate multiple clips
Add Audio: Mix or replace audio track
Convert: Change format/codec
Extract: Get thumbnails or frames
Resize: Change resolution
Compress: Reduce file size

Dependencies

# System dependency
ffmpeg (install via package manager)

# Python wrapper
pip install ffmpeg-python