make-clips
Turn a raw episode transcript into a ranked list of catchy, self-contained,
post-ready clips with verbatim quotes and timestamps.
When to use
- A transcript (
.txt/.srt/.vtt) lands in a campaign folder under
~/Desktop/Clippings/<Campaign>/ (Yahoo, Solana, Touchgrass, …), or the user
pastes one and says "clip this / make clips / find the best moments".
Inputs
The transcript, plus (if known) the show name and host/guest. If the target
editor is Canva and frame-accurate cuts matter, ask up front for a word-level
transcript (.srt/.vtt) or the audio/video — block-level transcripts can't
give exact end times.
Procedure
- Read the whole transcript before cutting anything. Sweep for every catchy
moment, including spicy / hot-take / contrarian segments — don't stop at the
first few.
- Identify the speakers by content, not by the raw "Speaker N" labels (they
lie/swap). The cast changes every episode: get names from the intro or ask the
user. A solo show attributes everything to the one host.
- Select only segments that are catchy AND worth posting (see Selection).
- Verify length on each:
end − start ≥ 60s. If short, extend to the nearest
sentence boundary. If it can't reach 60s, log it under "Not shipped" — never
silently drop a viral-but-short moment.
- Write the clips file to
~/Desktop/Clippings/<Campaign>/<slug>-clips.md in
the house style below: clips chronological first, then a Ranking section.
- Match the folder's existing clip files (e.g.
memefi-stocks-clips.md) for
house style rather than guessing.
- Report the clips + ranking, and flag any timestamp-precision limits.
Selection — qualifies only if catchy AND worth posting
At least one of: hot take / contrarian claim · surprising stat or fact ·
relatable analogy · personal story or origin · memorable one-liner/hook · a clean
self-contained explanation of one important idea.
Quality guardrails: hook in the first ~3s (start on the strongest line, not
filler) · self-contained (makes sense with zero prior context) · one idea per
clip · start/end on natural sentence boundaries (never mid-sentence) · end on
a punch · skip filler, logistics, unresolved cross-talk.
Length (hard rule)
Every clip ≥ 60s, never shorter. Sweet spot 60–90s, up to ~2.5min if the
value justifies it. Always compute end − start and confirm ≥ 60s.
House style (output format — every clip, every time)
Clip N : start–end (≈Xs) — short tag
[Speaker]-led headline — the core point in plain words
"Full verbatim quote 1 pulled straight from the transcript"
"Full verbatim quote 2"
- Speaker-led headline ("Marcus on why Robinhood's capital is durable"), never
a vague descriptor.
- No quotation marks in headlines, ever (not even around coined terms).
- No ellipsis anywhere — no
..., no (...). Never splice non-adjacent
fragments; each quote is one contiguous stretch.
- Every quote starts capitalized; the rest stays verbatim, word-for-word
(keep the transcript's real wording, including stutters/typos).
- No
Caption: / Why it works: lines. No emojis.
- Chronological clips first, then a Ranking section ordered by
viral / hot-take / controversy potential, with a short "Not shipped" note for
anything dropped for length.
Timestamps & precision
Block-level transcripts timestamp only every 15–30s (block starts), so the true
cut usually falls between markers. Don't present an interpolated end as exact
(use `07:15). For each boundary give a Cut:line with the **in-words** and **out-words** to scrub to, plus the real markers that bracket it. For frame-exact cuts, require an.srt`/word-level transcript or the media file.
Rules
- Keep quotes verbatim; put transcription fixes (e.g. "board" → "borrowed
conviction", "mean" → "meme stocks") in a bracketed note outside the quote.
- Free transcribers cut off (UniScribe free ≈ first 30 min) — say what couldn't be
clipped past the cutoff rather than inventing timestamps.
- Confirm a guessed host name with the user before locking it into headlines.
- The standing source of truth is
~/Desktop/Clippings/rules.md; keep this skill
and that file in sync. Background: domains/clippers/notes/.
1---2name: make-clips3description: Cut post-ready short-form clips from a show/podcast transcript, following a fixed set of guardrails and house style. Use when the user says "make clips", "cut clips", "clip this", "clip the transcript/episode", "find clips", "give me clips", points at a transcript in a Clippings campaign folder (Yahoo, Solana, Touchgrass, or a new one), or asks to extract the best/viral/hot-take moments from a transcript. Distilled from the clippers domain — see domains/clippers/notes/.4---56# make-clips78Turn a raw episode transcript into a ranked list of catchy, self-contained,9post-ready clips with verbatim quotes and timestamps.1011## When to use12- A transcript (`.txt`/`.srt`/`.vtt`) lands in a campaign folder under13 `~/Desktop/Clippings/<Campaign>/` (Yahoo, Solana, Touchgrass, …), or the user14 pastes one and says "clip this / make clips / find the best moments".1516## Inputs17The transcript, plus (if known) the show name and host/guest. If the target18editor is Canva and frame-accurate cuts matter, ask up front for a **word-level19transcript** (`.srt`/`.vtt`) or the audio/video — block-level transcripts can't20give exact end times.2122## Procedure231. **Read the whole transcript** before cutting anything. Sweep for every catchy24 moment, including spicy / hot-take / contrarian segments — don't stop at the25 first few.262. **Identify the speakers by content**, not by the raw "Speaker N" labels (they27 lie/swap). The cast changes every episode: get names from the intro or ask the28 user. A solo show attributes everything to the one host.293. **Select** only segments that are catchy AND worth posting (see Selection).304. **Verify length** on each: `end − start ≥ 60s`. If short, extend to the nearest31 sentence boundary. If it can't reach 60s, log it under "Not shipped" — never32 silently drop a viral-but-short moment.335. **Write** the clips file to `~/Desktop/Clippings/<Campaign>/<slug>-clips.md` in34 the house style below: clips **chronological first, then a Ranking section**.356. **Match the folder's existing clip files** (e.g. `memefi-stocks-clips.md`) for36 house style rather than guessing.377. **Report** the clips + ranking, and flag any timestamp-precision limits.3839## Selection — qualifies only if catchy AND worth posting40At least one of: hot take / contrarian claim · surprising stat or fact ·41relatable analogy · personal story or origin · memorable one-liner/hook · a clean42self-contained explanation of one important idea.4344Quality guardrails: hook in the first ~3s (start on the strongest line, not45filler) · self-contained (makes sense with zero prior context) · **one idea per46clip** · start/end on natural sentence boundaries (never mid-sentence) · **end on47a punch** · skip filler, logistics, unresolved cross-talk.4849## Length (hard rule)50Every clip **≥ 60s, never shorter.** Sweet spot 60–90s, up to ~2.5min if the51value justifies it. Always compute `end − start` and confirm ≥ 60s.5253## House style (output format — every clip, every time)54```55Clip N : start–end (≈Xs) — short tag5657[Speaker]-led headline — the core point in plain words5859"Full verbatim quote 1 pulled straight from the transcript"6061"Full verbatim quote 2"62```63- **Speaker-led headline** ("Marcus on why Robinhood's capital is durable"), never64 a vague descriptor.65- **No quotation marks in headlines**, ever (not even around coined terms).66- **No ellipsis anywhere** — no `...`, no `(...)`. Never splice non-adjacent67 fragments; each quote is one **contiguous** stretch.68- **Every quote starts capitalized**; the rest stays **verbatim, word-for-word**69 (keep the transcript's real wording, including stutters/typos).70- **No `Caption:` / `Why it works:` lines. No emojis.**71- **Chronological clips first, then a Ranking section** ordered by72 viral / hot-take / controversy potential, with a short "Not shipped" note for73 anything dropped for length.7475## Timestamps & precision76Block-level transcripts timestamp only every ~15–30s (block starts), so the true77cut usually falls *between* markers. Don't present an interpolated end as exact78(use `~07:15`). For each boundary give a `Cut:` line with the **in-words** and79**out-words** to scrub to, plus the real markers that bracket it. For frame-exact80cuts, require an `.srt`/word-level transcript or the media file.8182## Rules83- Keep quotes verbatim; put transcription fixes (e.g. "board" → "borrowed84 conviction", "mean" → "meme stocks") in a bracketed note **outside** the quote.85- Free transcribers cut off (UniScribe free ≈ first 30 min) — say what couldn't be86 clipped past the cutoff rather than inventing timestamps.87- Confirm a guessed host name with the user before locking it into headlines.88- The standing source of truth is `~/Desktop/Clippings/rules.md`; keep this skill89 and that file in sync. Background: `domains/clippers/notes/`.
rajdeep-singha