Local Short Video

Local Short Video

Build a complete short-video project from user-owned local media without assuming a brand, industry, language, drive letter, or folder layout.

Required Inputs

Determine these values before production:

• workspace_root: durable project and ledger location.
• materials_root: local source images and videos.
• topic and video_type: what the video should communicate.
• language: spoken language; ask only when it cannot be inferred.
• duration and aspect ratio; default to 30 seconds and vertical 9:16.
• Voice preference, brand rules, mandatory claims, and prohibited content when provided.

Never invent a fixed path. If a required root is unknown, ask for it once, save it in project_config.json, and reuse it for the project.

Non-Negotiables

• Use local source media unless the user approves external media or generation.
• Inspect a contact sheet before finalizing claims or the script. Make every factual claim supportable by visible media or user-provided facts.
• Generate TTS audio and subtitle timing in the same operation. Do not estimate subtitle timing from the script.
• Stop on missing TTS, unavailable voice, network failure, empty audio, missing timing file, or script/subtitle text mismatch. Never present a silent export as voiced completion.
• Preserve the spoken text in captions. Split display blocks without summarizing, translating, or dropping words.
• Mute source clips by default. Add music, source audio, or sound effects only when requested.
• Export MP4 with H.264, yuv420p, AAC LC stereo, fast start, requested dimensions, and requested frame rate.
• Run final validation and fix failures before delivery.
• Deliver the final script in the spoken language and a review translation when requested or useful.
• Record only assets that appear in the final edit; update the persistent usage ledger after successful validation.

Workflow

1. Read workflow.md. Read copywriting-voice.md before scripting and voice selection, and editing-subtitles.md before rendering.
2. Run scripts/create_project.py to create the project folder and project_config.json.
3. Run scripts/preflight_local_video.ps1 or scripts/preflight_local_video.py. Treat any nonzero exit as blocking.
4. Run scripts/select_assets.py, create used_assets_candidates.json, and generate a preview with scripts/create_contact_sheet.py.
5. Inspect the preview. Write the final source-language script and review translation. Keep the script within the voice duration budget.
6. Use scripts/audition_voices.py when the voice is unspecified or quality-sensitive. Save the chosen voice settings.
7. Run scripts/synthesize_voice.py to create voice audio plus VTT. Normalize VTT to SRT with scripts/normalize_subtitles.py.
8. Generate ASS captions with scripts/create_pop_ass.py. Choose a style appropriate to the subject; keep captions in the safe zone.
9. Render with scripts/render_local_video.py. It creates a muted visual base, burns captions, normalizes voice loudness, exports a mobile MP4, and writes actual asset usage.
10. Run scripts/validate_final.py with the video, SRT, ASS, and script. Do not deliver if validation fails.
11. Run scripts/update_asset_usage.py, finish process.md, and deliver the MP4, contact sheet, scripts, and validation report.

Failure Policy

• Ask for permission before installing software, downloading models, or using network services.
• If edge-tts cannot generate both audio and VTT, stop and report the exact failed check.
• If selected media cannot support the requested message, show the contact sheet and request more material or approval to narrow the script.
• If voice duration exceeds the target, revise the script or voice rate and regenerate audio and timing together.
• If subtitle text differs from the spoken script, regenerate from the source script; do not hand-edit timing around a mismatch.

Project Output

Each project folder must contain:

• project_config.json, process.md
• script_source.txt and, when applicable, script_review.txt
• selected_assets.json, used_assets.json, used_assets.csv
• preview_assets_contact_sheet.jpg, preview_final_contact_sheet.jpg
• voice audio, raw VTT, normalized SRT, and final ASS
• validation_report.json
• final_<project>_mobile.mp4

Keep all project paths relative to roots stored in the config where practical. Never embed machine-specific paths in this Skill.