remotion-best-practices

name	remotion-best-practices
description	Use when Donald is planning or refining Remotion-based video logic, composition structure, captions, or render decisions.
platform	both
scope	agent:donald

Remotion Best Practices

Use this skill when a workflow step involves Remotion design decisions rather than pure script execution.

Use This For

• planning Remotion compositions before rendering
• mapping transcript logic into scenes, timing, and transitions
• deciding caption handling and subtitle timing
• choosing when to use FFmpeg before or after Remotion
• checking whether a step is a Remotion planning task or just a render command

Do Not Use This For

• simple shell execution with no Remotion decision-making
• generic React advice unrelated to video composition
• pipeline orchestration questions that belong to SOP design

Working Rules

1. Separate planning from rendering.

   • Planning is a skill-guided step.
   • Rendering is usually a deterministic script step.

2. Keep compositions explicit.

   • Define scene purpose, duration, inputs, and transitions before coding.

3. Treat captions as a first-class design layer.

   • Check timing, line length, readability, and overlap with other visuals.

4. Use FFmpeg for media preprocessing.

   • Trim, crop, detect silence, or normalize assets before Remotion when possible.

5. Prefer reusable composition patterns.

   • Reuse scene types and layout logic instead of inventing a new structure per video.

Review Checklist

• What is the composition list?
• What props or metadata does each composition need?
• Which inputs are required from transcript, audio, or assets?
• Which steps belong in Remotion, and which belong in FFmpeg or other scripts?
• Is the output format already clear before coding starts?

References

• Official upstream source: https://github.com/remotion-dev/skills/blob/main/skills/remotion/SKILL.md
• Use the upstream repo for deeper domain guidance if this local canonical version is not enough.