name

video-ad-reverse-engineer

description

Reverse-engineer any video ad into a reusable template. Extracts ad format, hook type, script structure, visual strategy, pacing, and creative decisions. Produces a detailed breakdown that can be used to recreate the ad style with different products. Use when: "analyze this ad", "reverse engineer", "break down this creative", "what format is this ad", "storyboard this video", "recreate this ad style", "ad template", "deconstruct this ad", "ad breakdown", "competitor ad analysis", "extract ad format", "what makes this ad work", or when video files are uploaded for ad analysis.

Video Ad Reverse Engineer

Deconstruct any video ad into a reusable creative template — extract the format, structure, hooks, and strategies that make it work.

How It Works

Input: Provide a video ad file, URL, or series of screenshots
Extract frames: Pull key frames at critical moments (hook, transitions, CTA)
Analyze structure: Identify the ad format, pacing, and creative patterns
Document template: Output a reusable template with timing, script structure, and visual direction
Recreate: Use the template to create new ads in the same style

Frame Extraction

Use scripts/extract_frames.py to pull key frames from the video:

python scripts/extract_frames.py input_video.mp4 --output-dir frames/ --num-frames 12

More frames = more detail in the breakdown. Use 8-12 for standard ads, 15-20 for complex ones.

Analysis Framework

Step 1: Identify the Ad Format

Classify the ad into one of these primary formats (see references/ad-formats.md for full catalog):

Format	Characteristics	Common Duration
UGC Talking Head	Single person speaking to camera	15-60s
Product Demo	Product in action, hands-on	15-30s
Before/After	Split or sequential transformation	15-30s
Testimonial Compilation	Multiple review clips	30-60s
Problem-Solution	Pain point → product introduction	15-30s
Listicle	"3 reasons why..." numbered format	30-60s
Unboxing	Package reveal and first impression	15-45s
Day-in-the-Life	Product woven into daily routine	30-60s
Comparison	Side-by-side against competitor	15-30s
Story Arc	Mini-narrative with characters	30-60s
Text-on-Screen	Animated text overlays, no presenter	15-30s
Mashup / Montage	Rapid cuts of multiple scenes	15-30s

Step 2: Analyze the Hook (0-3 seconds)

Identify the hook type (see references/hook-types.md for full catalog):

What to extract:

Exact first words spoken or displayed
Visual element in frame 1
Audio (music, sound effect, silence, voice)
Text overlay content and style
Hook category (pattern interrupt, question, bold claim, POV, stat, visual)

Step 3: Map the Scene Structure

For each scene/segment, document:

SCENE [number]
  Timestamp: [start] - [end] ([duration])
  Visual: [what's on screen]
  Audio: [voiceover text / music / SFX]
  Text overlay: [any on-screen text]
  Camera: [angle, movement, framing]
  Purpose: [hook / problem / agitate / solution / feature / proof / CTA]
  Transition: [how it connects to next scene — cut / dissolve / swipe / zoom]

Step 4: Extract the Script Pattern

Transcribe the audio and identify the script structure:

SCRIPT PATTERN
==============
Total word count: [X]
Words per second: [X]
Tone: [conversational / professional / urgent / humorous]

STRUCTURE:
  [0-3s] HOOK: [type] — "[exact words or description]"
  [3-Xs] SECTION 1: [purpose] — "[key message]"
  [X-Xs] SECTION 2: [purpose] — "[key message]"
  ...
  [X-end] CTA: [type] — "[exact words or description]"

NOTABLE TECHNIQUES:
  - [e.g., "Uses rhetorical questions to transition between sections"]
  - [e.g., "Repetition of key phrase 'in just 5 minutes'"]
  - [e.g., "Social proof embedded mid-script, not at the end"]

Step 5: Analyze Visual Strategy

Document the visual decisions:

VISUAL STRATEGY
===============
Aspect ratio: [9:16 / 16:9 / 1:1 / 4:5]
Color palette: [dominant colors, warm/cool, saturated/muted]
Lighting style: [natural / studio / dramatic / phone-camera]
Text overlays: [font style, color, position, frequency]
B-roll usage: [percentage of ad, types of shots]
Presenter: [age, gender, style, on-screen vs voiceover]
Brand elements: [when/where logo appears, brand colors, watermarks]
Subtitles/Captions: [style, position, auto vs designed]

Step 6: Document Pacing

PACING ANALYSIS
===============
Total duration: [X seconds]
Number of cuts/transitions: [X]
Average shot length: [X seconds]
Pacing pattern: [constant / accelerating / decelerating / variable]

Cut map:
  [0.0s] Scene start
  [2.5s] Cut — [type: hard cut / dissolve / swipe]
  [5.0s] Cut — ...
  ...

Energy curve:
  Start: [low / medium / high]
  Middle: [trajectory — building / maintaining / dipping]
  End: [low / medium / high]

Peak moment at: [timestamp] — [what happens]

Step 7: Produce the Reusable Template

Combine all analysis into a fill-in-the-blank template:

REUSABLE AD TEMPLATE
====================
Format: [identified format]
Duration: [X seconds]
Aspect Ratio: [X:X]

SCENE 1: HOOK ([0-Xs])
  Visual: [description of what to show]
  Audio: "[script template with [PRODUCT] placeholders]"
  Text: "[overlay template]"
  Camera: [direction]

SCENE 2: [PURPOSE] ([X-Xs])
  Visual: [description]
  Audio: "[script template]"
  Text: "[overlay template]"
  Camera: [direction]

...

FINAL SCENE: CTA ([X-end])
  Visual: [description]
  Audio: "[CTA template]"
  Text: "[overlay template]"

PRODUCTION NOTES:
  - Music: [genre/mood/tempo]
  - Pacing: [X cuts, average X seconds per shot]
  - Tone: [described tone]
  - Key creative decision: [what makes this ad unique]

Use the full template in references/output-template.md.

Recreate at Scale

Turn your extracted templates into new ads automatically:

Using Creatify Ad Clone

The most direct path — provide the original ad as a reference and your product, and the API recreates the style:

import requests

HEADERS = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "X-API-ID": "your-api-id",
    "X-API-KEY": "your-api-key",
}
BASE_URL = "https://api.creatify.ai/api"

# Step 1: Create a link for your product
link = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/links/", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "url": "https://your-product-url.com"
}).json()

# Step 2: Clone the reference ad with your product
clone = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/ads_clone/", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "link": link["id"],
    "video_url": "https://url-of-the-ad-you-reverse-engineered.mp4",
    "aspect_ratio": "9x16",
}).json()

# Step 3: Poll for completion
# Use polling pattern from video-ad-generator skill

Using Extracted Scripts with AI Avatars

Feed your extracted script structure into the avatar API:

# Take the script pattern you extracted and create avatar version
avatar_video = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/lipsyncs/", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "text": "Your adapted script based on extracted template",
    "creator": "persona-id-matching-original-demographics",
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
}).json()

Full Workflow

Reverse-engineer competitor ad with this skill
Extract the template (format, hook, script, pacing)
Adapt template for your product
Generate via video-ad-generator (URL to Video, Ad Clone)
Test avatar versions via ai-avatar-video
Evaluate results via ad-creative-evaluator

Video Ad Reverse Engineer

Deconstruct any video ad into a reusable creative template — extract the format, structure, hooks, and strategies that make it work.

How It Works

Input: Provide a video ad file, URL, or series of screenshots
Extract frames: Pull key frames at critical moments (hook, transitions, CTA)
Analyze structure: Identify the ad format, pacing, and creative patterns
Document template: Output a reusable template with timing, script structure, and visual direction
Recreate: Use the template to create new ads in the same style

Frame Extraction

Use scripts/extract_frames.py to pull key frames from the video:

python scripts/extract_frames.py input_video.mp4 --output-dir frames/ --num-frames 12

More frames = more detail in the breakdown. Use 8-12 for standard ads, 15-20 for complex ones.

Analysis Framework

Step 1: Identify the Ad Format

Classify the ad into one of these primary formats (see references/ad-formats.md for full catalog):

Format	Characteristics	Common Duration
UGC Talking Head	Single person speaking to camera	15-60s
Product Demo	Product in action, hands-on	15-30s
Before/After	Split or sequential transformation	15-30s
Testimonial Compilation	Multiple review clips	30-60s
Problem-Solution	Pain point → product introduction	15-30s
Listicle	"3 reasons why..." numbered format	30-60s
Unboxing	Package reveal and first impression	15-45s
Day-in-the-Life	Product woven into daily routine	30-60s
Comparison	Side-by-side against competitor	15-30s
Story Arc	Mini-narrative with characters	30-60s
Text-on-Screen	Animated text overlays, no presenter	15-30s
Mashup / Montage	Rapid cuts of multiple scenes	15-30s

Step 2: Analyze the Hook (0-3 seconds)

Identify the hook type (see references/hook-types.md for full catalog):

What to extract:

Exact first words spoken or displayed
Visual element in frame 1
Audio (music, sound effect, silence, voice)
Text overlay content and style
Hook category (pattern interrupt, question, bold claim, POV, stat, visual)

Step 3: Map the Scene Structure

For each scene/segment, document:

SCENE [number]
  Timestamp: [start] - [end] ([duration])
  Visual: [what's on screen]
  Audio: [voiceover text / music / SFX]
  Text overlay: [any on-screen text]
  Camera: [angle, movement, framing]
  Purpose: [hook / problem / agitate / solution / feature / proof / CTA]
  Transition: [how it connects to next scene — cut / dissolve / swipe / zoom]

Step 4: Extract the Script Pattern

Transcribe the audio and identify the script structure:

SCRIPT PATTERN
==============
Total word count: [X]
Words per second: [X]
Tone: [conversational / professional / urgent / humorous]

STRUCTURE:
  [0-3s] HOOK: [type] — "[exact words or description]"
  [3-Xs] SECTION 1: [purpose] — "[key message]"
  [X-Xs] SECTION 2: [purpose] — "[key message]"
  ...
  [X-end] CTA: [type] — "[exact words or description]"

NOTABLE TECHNIQUES:
  - [e.g., "Uses rhetorical questions to transition between sections"]
  - [e.g., "Repetition of key phrase 'in just 5 minutes'"]
  - [e.g., "Social proof embedded mid-script, not at the end"]

Step 5: Analyze Visual Strategy

Document the visual decisions:

VISUAL STRATEGY
===============
Aspect ratio: [9:16 / 16:9 / 1:1 / 4:5]
Color palette: [dominant colors, warm/cool, saturated/muted]
Lighting style: [natural / studio / dramatic / phone-camera]
Text overlays: [font style, color, position, frequency]
B-roll usage: [percentage of ad, types of shots]
Presenter: [age, gender, style, on-screen vs voiceover]
Brand elements: [when/where logo appears, brand colors, watermarks]
Subtitles/Captions: [style, position, auto vs designed]

Step 6: Document Pacing

PACING ANALYSIS
===============
Total duration: [X seconds]
Number of cuts/transitions: [X]
Average shot length: [X seconds]
Pacing pattern: [constant / accelerating / decelerating / variable]

Cut map:
  [0.0s] Scene start
  [2.5s] Cut — [type: hard cut / dissolve / swipe]
  [5.0s] Cut — ...
  ...

Energy curve:
  Start: [low / medium / high]
  Middle: [trajectory — building / maintaining / dipping]
  End: [low / medium / high]

Peak moment at: [timestamp] — [what happens]

Step 7: Produce the Reusable Template

Combine all analysis into a fill-in-the-blank template:

REUSABLE AD TEMPLATE
====================
Format: [identified format]
Duration: [X seconds]
Aspect Ratio: [X:X]

SCENE 1: HOOK ([0-Xs])
  Visual: [description of what to show]
  Audio: "[script template with [PRODUCT] placeholders]"
  Text: "[overlay template]"
  Camera: [direction]

SCENE 2: [PURPOSE] ([X-Xs])
  Visual: [description]
  Audio: "[script template]"
  Text: "[overlay template]"
  Camera: [direction]

...

FINAL SCENE: CTA ([X-end])
  Visual: [description]
  Audio: "[CTA template]"
  Text: "[overlay template]"

PRODUCTION NOTES:
  - Music: [genre/mood/tempo]
  - Pacing: [X cuts, average X seconds per shot]
  - Tone: [described tone]
  - Key creative decision: [what makes this ad unique]

Use the full template in references/output-template.md.

Recreate at Scale

Turn your extracted templates into new ads automatically:

Using Creatify Ad Clone

The most direct path — provide the original ad as a reference and your product, and the API recreates the style:

import requests

HEADERS = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "X-API-ID": "your-api-id",
    "X-API-KEY": "your-api-key",
}
BASE_URL = "https://api.creatify.ai/api"

# Step 1: Create a link for your product
link = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/links/", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "url": "https://your-product-url.com"
}).json()

# Step 2: Clone the reference ad with your product
clone = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/ads_clone/", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "link": link["id"],
    "video_url": "https://url-of-the-ad-you-reverse-engineered.mp4",
    "aspect_ratio": "9x16",
}).json()

# Step 3: Poll for completion
# Use polling pattern from video-ad-generator skill

Using Extracted Scripts with AI Avatars

Feed your extracted script structure into the avatar API:

# Take the script pattern you extracted and create avatar version
avatar_video = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/lipsyncs/", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "text": "Your adapted script based on extracted template",
    "creator": "persona-id-matching-original-demographics",
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
}).json()

Full Workflow

Reverse-engineer competitor ad with this skill
Extract the template (format, hook, script, pacing)
Adapt template for your product
Generate via video-ad-generator (URL to Video, Ad Clone)
Test avatar versions via ai-avatar-video
Evaluate results via ad-creative-evaluator

video-ad-reverse-engineer

Video Ad Reverse Engineer

How It Works

Frame Extraction

Analysis Framework

Step 1: Identify the Ad Format

Step 2: Analyze the Hook (0-3 seconds)

Step 3: Map the Scene Structure

Step 4: Extract the Script Pattern

Step 5: Analyze Visual Strategy

Step 6: Document Pacing

Step 7: Produce the Reusable Template

Recreate at Scale

Using Creatify Ad Clone

Using Extracted Scripts with AI Avatars

Full Workflow

See Also

Video Ad Reverse Engineer

How It Works

Frame Extraction

Analysis Framework

Step 1: Identify the Ad Format

Step 2: Analyze the Hook (0-3 seconds)

Step 3: Map the Scene Structure

Step 4: Extract the Script Pattern

Step 5: Analyze Visual Strategy

Step 6: Document Pacing

Step 7: Produce the Reusable Template

Recreate at Scale

Using Creatify Ad Clone

Using Extracted Scripts with AI Avatars

Full Workflow

See Also