Remotion Beautiful Videos

Remotion Beautiful Videos

Create 40-second product launch videos that look like a $50k agency produced them. The secret: build animated product UI mockups — real dashboards, conversation interfaces, code editors, data visualizations — all constructed in code and spring-animated.

When to Use

User names a brand or gives a URL and wants a product launch / marketing / demo video.

Tech Stack

Remotion 4.x + React 19 + TypeScript + Zod + lucide-react + @remotion/transitions + @remotion/google-fonts + @remotion/paths + @remotion/light-leaks + @remotion/media

Core Philosophy

1. Build product UI mockups, not abstract graphics. The UI IS the animation.
2. Scrape first, design second. Every color, font, logo comes from the real brand site.
3. Pacing is luxury. 40 seconds lets content breathe. Never rush features.
4. Taste over templates. If it looks like "AI made this," redesign.
5. One font family, weight hierarchy. 300-600 range only, never bold (700+).

Rules

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

Design System

• rules/typography.md - Font weights (max 600), size hierarchy (min 24px), text safety
• rules/color.md - Brand polarity, neutral tinting, 60-30-10 rule, accent opacity levels
• rules/layout.md - Grid system, 4px spacing scale, safe zones, border-radius hierarchy, anti-overlap

Visual Content

• rules/ui-mockups.md - Product UI construction, density, title bars, syntax coloring, cursor simulation
• rules/cards.md - Staggered card grids, interior fill techniques, animated card bodies, no duplicates
• rules/data-viz.md - SVG charts, animated metrics, tabular-nums, status badges, anti-hero-metric

Motion & Production

• rules/motion.md - Springs, easeOutExpo, per-character stagger, timing standards, hold-then-snap
• rules/transitions.md - TransitionSeries, light leaks, fluid backgrounds, noise textures, parallax
• rules/cinematic.md - Film grain, vignette, shimmer sweep, color grading, glassmorphism, render settings

Strategy & Quality

• rules/taste.md - AI slop blacklist, design principles, UX laws, self-review checklist, pacing
• rules/narrative.md - 5-act structure, headline/UI rhythm, story arc, logo constellation
• rules/narrative-templates.md - Industry-specific narrative templates (AI SaaS, FinTech, DevTool, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Cybersecurity, Collaboration)
• rules/workflow.md - Brand scraping, icon system, asset strategy, video embedding, file organization

Reference Files (Code Patterns)

• references/animations.md - FadeIn, ScaleIn, SplitText, Typewriter, CountUp, AnimatedPath
• references/audio.md - Audio sync, beat detection, voiceover ducking
• references/components.md - GradientMesh, GlassPanel, FilmGrain, ProductFrame, BrandIcon
• references/lottie.md - @remotion/lottie integration, recommended sources
• references/visual-effects.md - Tiered visual effects library reference (lottie, motion-blur, confetti, flubber, three.js)

Remotion API Reference (Bundled)

This skill bundles the full remotion-best-practices reference for Remotion API patterns. Load these when you need Remotion-specific API knowledge:

• remotion-best-practices/rules/videos.md - Video embedding, trimming, volume, speed, looping
• remotion-best-practices/rules/audio.md - Audio importing, trimming, volume, speed, pitch
• remotion-best-practices/rules/timing.md - Interpolation curves, linear, easing, spring
• remotion-best-practices/rules/transitions.md - Scene transition patterns
• remotion-best-practices/rules/compositions.md - Compositions, stills, folders, default props
• remotion-best-practices/rules/sequencing.md - Sequence delay, trim, duration limiting
• remotion-best-practices/rules/fonts.md - Google Fonts and local font loading
• remotion-best-practices/rules/images.md - Img component usage
• remotion-best-practices/rules/charts.md - Bar, pie, line, stock chart patterns
• remotion-best-practices/rules/light-leaks.md - @remotion/light-leaks overlay effects
• remotion-best-practices/rules/lottie.md - @remotion/lottie integration
• remotion-best-practices/rules/text-animations.md - Typography animation patterns
• remotion-best-practices/rules/calculate-metadata.md - Dynamic composition metadata
• remotion-best-practices/rules/voiceover.md - AI voiceover with ElevenLabs TTS
• remotion-best-practices/rules/parameters.md - Zod schema parametrization
• remotion-best-practices/rules/ffmpeg.md - FFmpeg operations for video trimming

Workflow (MUST follow in order)

Step 0: Scaffold Project (30 seconds, not 30 minutes)

Copy the built-in scaffold to create a ready-to-run Remotion project:

# Copy scaffold to new project directory
cp -r /path/to/skills/remotion-video/scaffold/ <brand-name>-launch-video/

# Replace project name in package.json
sed -i '' 's/{{PROJECT_NAME}}/<brand-name>-launch-video/' <brand-name>-launch-video/package.json

# Create required directories
mkdir -p <brand-name>-launch-video/public/brand
mkdir -p <brand-name>-launch-video/scripts

# Install dependencies
cd <brand-name>-launch-video && npm install

Scaffold provides: Remotion 4.x + Tailwind v4 + TransitionSeries + light-leaks + noise + paths + Google Fonts + lucide-react + Zod. Plus pre-built: MainVideo.tsx (5-act TransitionSeries), Animations.tsx (FadeIn/ScaleIn/SplitText/Typewriter/CountUp), Background.tsx (GradientMesh/FilmGrain/Vignette/ColorGrade), UI.tsx (GlassPanel/BrandIcon/GradientText), theme.ts (token 占位).

Pre-requisites (install if missing):

# yt-dlp — video downloader (REQUIRED for brand video assets)
brew install yt-dlp   # macOS
# or: pip install yt-dlp   # any OS with Python

# ffmpeg — video/audio processing (REQUIRED for trimming + BGM)
brew install ffmpeg   # macOS
# or: sudo apt install ffmpeg   # Linux

# Verify both are available
yt-dlp --version && ffmpeg -version

Only proceed to Step 1 after npm run dev works AND yt-dlp + ffmpeg are installed.

Step 1: Scrape Brand + Download ALL Assets (BLOCKING — nothing starts before this)

This step has THREE mandatory outputs. Do NOT proceed until ALL THREE exist in public/brand/.

1A. Scrape Design DNA

Use whichever browser tool is available. Try in order:

# Option 1: bb-browser (if installed)
bb-browser open https://brand-site.com
bb-browser snapshot -i
bb-browser eval "getComputedStyle(document.documentElement).cssText"
bb-browser eval "document.querySelector('h1')?.textContent"
bb-browser eval "document.querySelector('link[rel*=icon]')?.href"
bb-browser screenshot public/brand/homepage.png
bb-browser close

# Option 2: MCP chrome-devtools (if available)
# Use navigate_page, evaluate_script, take_screenshot MCP tools

# Option 3: curl + manual inspection (always works)
curl -s https://brand-site.com -o /tmp/brand-page.html
# Extract CSS: grep for font-family, --color-, background in the HTML
# Extract hero: grep for <h1, og:title, og:image in the HTML
# Screenshot: open the URL in your browser, take screenshot manually

Any method works — the OUTPUT matters, not the tool. You need: hex colors, font names, logo URL, hero copy, product type.

1B. Download Logo SVG (MANDATORY — NEVER hand-write)

curl -o public/brand/logo.svg <favicon-or-header-svg-url>
# Verify it renders: open public/brand/logo.svg in browser

1C. Download Video OR Product Screenshots (MANDATORY — at least ONE)

Try video first (ALWAYS preferred over static images):

# Option A: Found YouTube/Vimeo embed on brand site
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080][ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]" \
  -o public/brand/demo-full.mp4 "<video-url>"
ffmpeg -i public/brand/demo-full.mp4 -ss 0 -t 8 -c copy public/brand/demo.mp4

# Option B: No embed found — search YouTube
yt-dlp "ytsearch1:<BrandName> official product demo 2024" \
  -f "bestvideo[height<=1080][ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]" \
  -o public/brand/demo-full.mp4
ffmpeg -i public/brand/demo-full.mp4 -ss 0 -t 8 -c copy public/brand/demo.mp4

# Option C: Direct CDN video found on page
curl -o public/brand/demo-full.mp4 "<cdn-video-url>"
ffmpeg -i public/brand/demo-full.mp4 -ss 0 -t 8 -c copy public/brand/demo.mp4

After downloading, WATCH the clip. Does it show the product's core experience? If it's a random promo with talking heads or unrelated footage, search for a better one. The video must show the actual product UI in action — dashboards, editors, conversations, the thing users interact with.

If video truly impossible, download product screenshots:

# Download hero image, product screenshots, og:image
curl -o public/brand/hero.png "<hero-image-url>"
curl -o public/brand/product-ui.png "<product-screenshot-url>"

# Full-page screenshot (use whichever tool is available)
bb-browser screenshot public/brand/homepage-full.png --full-page  # bb-browser
# or: use MCP chrome-devtools take_screenshot
# or: manually screenshot in browser and save to public/brand/

1D. Download BGM Track (MANDATORY — NEVER ask user for music)

Try sources in order until one works. All are royalty-free, no attribution required:

# Source 1: Pixabay Music API (no login needed for direct MP3 links)
# Search: https://pixabay.com/music/search/?q=corporate+ambient&duration=30-60
# Find a track page, look for the download button's direct URL
curl -L -o public/brand/bgm-raw.mp3 "<pixabay-direct-mp3-url>"

# Source 2: Mixkit (direct download, no login)
# Browse: https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/
# Each track has a direct download link — right-click "Download" → copy URL
curl -L -o public/brand/bgm-raw.mp3 "https://assets.mixkit.co/music/download/mixkit-<track-name>.mp3"

# Source 3: Uppbeat (direct download for free tier)
# Browse: https://uppbeat.io/browse/music
# Free tracks have direct download URLs after browsing

# Source 4: YouTube royalty-free music (always works as last resort)
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o public/brand/bgm-raw.mp3 \
  "ytsearch1:royalty free corporate ambient background music 30 seconds"

# After downloading from ANY source, trim + fade:
ffmpeg -i public/brand/bgm-raw.mp3 -t 45 -af "afade=in:0:d=2,afade=out:st=42:d=3" public/brand/bgm.mp3

Tone matching guide:

If one source fails (login wall, CAPTCHA, region block), move to the next. yt-dlp YouTube search (Source 4) ALWAYS works as ultimate fallback. See rules/workflow.md for full BGM sourcing protocol.

⛔ BLOCKING GATE — Verify Before Proceeding

ls -la public/brand/
# MUST contain ALL of these:
# ✅ logo.svg (or logo.png)          — brand logo, downloaded verbatim
# ✅ demo.mp4 OR hero.png            — real product visual (video preferred)
# ✅ bgm.mp3                         — background music track
# ✅ homepage.png                     — reference screenshot

🚫 DO NOT PROCEED TO STEP 2 IF ANY OF THESE ARE MISSING:

• No logo.svg? → Go back and download it. NEVER hand-write SVG paths.
• No demo.mp4 AND no hero.png? → Go back and download product visuals. NEVER build a video with zero real assets.
• No bgm.mp3? → Go back and download from Pixabay. NEVER ship a silent video.

Extract from scrape: exact hex colors, font families, hero copy, product features, visual style.

Step 1.5: Ask User for Storyline (BLOCKING — never assume narrative)

After scraping, STOP and ask the user:

I've scraped [brand] and extracted: [colors, fonts, product type, features list].

Before I build scenes, I need your storyline:

1. What story do you want to tell? (product launch? feature highlight? brand intro? problem→solution?)
2. Which features to showcase? (I found: [list from scrape]. Pick 2-4, or tell me others)
3. What's the key message / tagline? (or I can use: "[hero copy from scrape]")
4. Any proof points? (metrics, benchmarks, user count, testimonials — or skip Act 4)
5. Tone? (hype launch? calm authority? playful? technical?)

Why this step exists: Every user's video must be DIFFERENT. The 5-act structure is a FRAMEWORK, not a script. ACT 1 (Hook) is always a product UI — but WHICH UI, showing WHAT interaction, depends on the user's story. ACT 3 (Showcase) could be 2 features or 4. ACT 4 could be data or testimonials or cut entirely for a longer showcase.

Match industry template: After identifying the brand's industry, load rules/narrative-templates.md for pre-built narrative patterns (AI SaaS, FinTech, DevTool, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Cybersecurity, Collaboration). Use the matching template as a STARTING POINT, then adapt to the user's answers.

NEVER auto-generate storyline. "It reasons. It codes. It creates." is lazy template output. Ask, listen, then build.

Step 2: Build Theme from Scraped Data

Update theme.ts using ONLY scraped values. Replace all #REPLACE_ME tokens. Update lib/fonts.ts to load the brand's actual fonts. Update index.css @theme vars to match.

Step 3: Build 6-Act Scenes (from user's storyline) — MUST USE REAL ASSETS

The structure is a framework. Adapt content to the user's story. ACT 0 (Logo) is MANDATORY.

⚠️ CRITICAL: ACT 0/5 logo usage does NOT count. Among ACT 1-4, at least 2 acts MUST use a real downloaded video or screenshot via staticFile(). This means <OffthreadVideo src={staticFile("brand/demo.mp4")} /> or <Img src={staticFile("brand/hero.png")} /> showing actual product visuals — not just the logo SVG. Pure code-built UIs are SUPPLEMENTS, not replacements. If ACT 1-4 contain zero staticFile("brand/...") references for video/images, you are doing it wrong.

How to use assets in scenes:

// Video inside browser chrome (product UI recordings)
<div style={{ borderRadius: 16, overflow: "hidden", border: "1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1)" }}>
  <OffthreadVideo src={staticFile("brand/demo.mp4")} style={{ width: 1200 }} />
</div>

// Full-screen video (cinematic/lifestyle footage)
<AbsoluteFill>
  <OffthreadVideo src={staticFile("brand/demo.mp4")} style={{ width: "100%", height: "100%" }} />
</AbsoluteFill>

// Product screenshot inside UI mockup
<Img src={staticFile("brand/product-ui.png")} style={{ width: "100%", objectFit: "contain" }} />

ACT 0 Logo Animation Requirements:

• Real brand SVG wordmark/logo — downloaded, NEVER hand-written
• Spring scale entrance (0→1, damping 16, stiffness 50)
• Shimmer sweep across logo (frame 40-80)
• NO text under the logo — logo stands alone, pure and confident
• Premium background required — NEVER plain white/black. Add: GradientMesh (brand colors, low opacity 0.05-0.08), center glow pulse (radial-gradient breathing), subtle conic-gradient radial lines. The background sells luxury.
• Logo appears ONLY in ACT 0 and ACT 5 — NOT in middle acts

See rules/workflow.md for Asset Strategy details.

⛔ Step 3 BLOCKING GATE: Asset Relevance Check (MANDATORY — every asset must make sense)

Before moving to Step 3.5, review EVERY real asset you placed in a scene. Each one MUST pass ALL 4 checks:

How to check:

1. For each scene file, find every staticFile("brand/...") usage
2. Open the actual asset file and WATCH/VIEW it fully
3. Read the scene's headline text — does the asset illustrate THAT specific point?
4. If the asset doesn't match the scene context → find a better asset or change the scene narrative to match

Common violations:

• Downloading one generic product demo and reusing it in 3 different scenes (lazy — each scene needs context-appropriate footage)
• Using a "getting started" tutorial clip in the "enterprise scale" proof scene
• Placing a dashboard screenshot in a scene about "beautiful design" when the dashboard isn't visually impressive
• Using ANY asset you haven't actually watched/viewed yourself

If ANY asset fails relevance → replace it or re-download a better one BEFORE proceeding.

Step 3.5: Wire BGM into MainVideo (MANDATORY — already downloaded in Step 1D)

BGM was downloaded in Step 1D. Now wire it into MainVideo.tsx. This is NOT optional.

// Add to MainVideo.tsx — FIRST thing inside <AbsoluteFill>
import { Audio, staticFile, interpolate, useCurrentFrame, useVideoConfig } from "remotion";

export const MainVideo: React.FC = () => {
  const frame = useCurrentFrame();
  const { fps, durationInFrames } = useVideoConfig();

  // BGM volume envelope: fade in 2s, sustain at 0.3, fade out 3s
  const bgmVolume = Math.min(
    interpolate(frame, [0, 2 * fps], [0, 0.3], { extrapolateLeft: "clamp", extrapolateRight: "clamp" }),
    interpolate(frame, [durationInFrames - 3 * fps, durationInFrames], [0.3, 0], { extrapolateLeft: "clamp", extrapolateRight: "clamp" })
  );

  return (
    <AbsoluteFill>
      <Audio src={staticFile("brand/bgm.mp3")} volume={bgmVolume} />
      {/* ... TransitionSeries with scenes ... */}
    </AbsoluteFill>
  );
};

⛔ BLOCKING: After writing MainVideo.tsx, grep for <Audio in the file. If not found, you forgot BGM. Add it NOW.

Step 3.6: Beat-Sync Scene Transitions (AUTOMATIC)

# Analyze BGM and generate beat map
cp /path/to/skills/remotion-video/scripts/beat-sync.ts scripts/
npx tsx scripts/beat-sync.ts public/brand/bgm.mp3

Use suggestedCuts from public/brand/beat-map.json to fine-tune TransitionSeries durationInFrames so scene cuts land on beats.

Step 4: Polish

Film grain + vignette + color grade + shimmer sweeps. See rules/cinematic.md.

Step 4.5: Readability & Watchability Audit (MANDATORY)

Before rendering, automatically validate every scene's timing:

• Every text element must be on screen long enough to READ (word_count × 10 frames minimum)
• Headlines hold 60+ frames (2s), UI mockups hold 120+ frames (4s)
• Typing animations MUST complete before scene transitions
• No text smaller than 28px at 1920x1080
• If any scene fails → fix duration/speed BEFORE rendering

See rules/taste.md "Automatic Readability & Watchability Audit" for full checklist.

MANDATORY: Print Timing Audit Table after writing EVERY scene. Do NOT proceed to the next scene without outputting this:

TIMING AUDIT — [SceneName] (durationInFrames: XXXf)
| Element | Type | delay | chars/items | finish frame | breathing (scene end - finish) | PASS/FAIL |
|---------|------|-------|-------------|-------------|-------------------------------|-----------|
| "text"  | SplitText | 10 | 24 chars × 2f stagger | 58f | 92f | ✓ PASS |

If ANY row shows breathing < 45f → STOP and fix before continuing. This is not optional.

Step 5: Open Remotion Studio for User Preview (BLOCKING — never skip)

NEVER render directly. ALWAYS open Remotion Studio first and let the user preview.

# Start studio on an available port
npx remotion studio --port <available-port>
# Then open in browser for the user
open http://localhost:<port>

Tell the user the URL and WAIT for their feedback. Only proceed to render after the user confirms the video looks good. The user may request changes — iterate until approved.

Why this step exists: Rendering takes time. If the video has visual bugs (cropped images, animations cut off, bad pacing), the user discovers them AFTER waiting for a render. Studio preview catches issues in seconds.

Step 6: Run Asset + BGM + Visual Audit (BLOCKING — render will not proceed without this)

Before rendering, run THREE mandatory checks:

6A. Asset Usage Check (MANUAL)

# Check: do scenes actually USE real assets?
grep -r "staticFile" src/scenes/ | grep -E "\.(mp4|png|jpg)" | head -20
# ⚠️ logo.svg references do NOT count for this check.
# MUST find at least 2 matches in ACT 1-4 scenes (Hook, Reveal, Showcase, Proof)
# using demo.mp4, hero.png, product-ui.png, or other downloaded visuals.
#
# ✅ PASS: HookScene.tsx:staticFile("brand/demo.mp4") + ShowcaseScene.tsx:staticFile("brand/product-ui.png")
# ❌ FAIL: only LogoScene.tsx:staticFile("brand/logo.svg") + CloseScene.tsx:staticFile("brand/logo.svg")

# If fewer than 2 video/image matches in ACT 1-4 → GO BACK TO STEP 3 and add real assets.

6A-2. Asset Relevance Check (MANUAL)

For EVERY staticFile("brand/...") match from 6A, verify the asset makes sense for that scene:

• Open the asset, watch/view it
• Read the scene's headline — does the asset illustrate THAT point?
• If mismatched → swap asset or adjust scene narrative
• See Step 3 BLOCKING GATE above for the full 4-check relevance table

6B. BGM Check (MANUAL)

# Check: does MainVideo have <Audio> with bgm.mp3?
grep -n "Audio" src/MainVideo.tsx
grep -n "bgm" src/MainVideo.tsx
# MUST find <Audio src={staticFile("brand/bgm.mp3")} with volume envelope
# If not found → ADD IT NOW. Copy the code from Step 3.5 above.

# Also verify no localhost URLs survived:
grep -r "localhost:8888" src/
# MUST return ZERO results. Fix any matches with staticFile().

6C. Visual Audit Script

cp /path/to/skills/remotion-video/scripts/visual-audit.ts scripts/
cp /path/to/skills/remotion-video/scripts/beat-sync.ts scripts/
npx tsx scripts/visual-audit.ts

The audit checks (9 categories):

1. TIMING — animations complete with 45+ frames breathing room
2. FONT-SIZE — no text smaller than 28px
3. FONT-WEIGHT — no weight above 600 (semi-bold)
4. SAFE-ZONE — padding ≥ 60px from edges for content
5. OBJECTFIT — no objectFit: "cover" on screenshots
6. CONTRAST — basic WCAG AA contrast checks
7. IMG-SAFETY — all <Img> have objectFit or maxHeight
8. REAL-ASSETS — at least 2 scenes reference staticFile("brand/...") for real media
9. BGM-WIRED — MainVideo.tsx contains <Audio src={staticFile("brand/bgm.mp3")}>

If ANY FAIL → fix → re-run → only then render:

npx remotion render --codec h264 --crf 16 --image-format png

Premium vs Template