Yt Package

Plan a YouTube video inspired by a reference transcript at $ARGUMENTS.

Step 0 — read the packaging rules FIRST (required)

Before writing any title or thumbnail brief, read:

~/content/BRAIN/youtube/packaging-rules.md

That file is the operational checklist, measured on Tyler's own channel and on a 180-video competitor pull. It is not general YouTube advice and it overrides generic instincts. In particular it carries the search-demand gate, the "transformation verb not description" rule, the before/after thumbnail rule, the duration dead zone, and the standing prohibitions (no money in titles, no em dashes, never imply Tyler is not a developer).

Also read ~/content/BRAIN/youtube/brain.md for the reasoning and the per-video history behind those rules.

Every title and thumbnail you propose must be checkable against that file. If a proposal breaks a rule there, either fix it or say plainly which rule it breaks and why it is worth breaking on this video.

Workflow Context

Step 3 of the weekly content pipeline (after /yt-search → /transcribe).

Run twice per week — once per long-form video topic. Each run produces a full package at ~/content/youtube/<slug>/. After this, run /yt-seo to optimize titles/descriptions, then /social-copy to generate the LinkedIn + YT Community text posts for that video.

Data Location

All video packages are saved to ~/content/youtube/<video-slug>/ where the slug is derived from the working title.

Flow

Step 0: Check Video Ideas Tracker

Before doing anything else, read ~/content/youtube/video-ideas.md and scan for ideas related to the topic of this video.

1. Duplicate check — If an Active or Backlog idea closely matches this topic, tell the user:

   "Found a matching idea in your tracker: [title] ([status], [priority]). Want me to use this as the starting point?"

   • If yes, pull in the idea's angle, target audience, and notes as additional context for the planning process.
   • If the idea's status is "Planned" or "Backlog", update it to "In Progress" and add a research link: **Research:** [Video Package](./slug/)

2. Related ideas — If other ideas share the same tool/theme (even if not an exact match), briefly list them:

   "Related ideas in your tracker: [titles]. Want to reference any of these angles?"

   • The user might want to weave in a related angle or set up a sequel.

3. No match — If nothing matches, continue normally. Don't ask about it.

After this check, proceed to Step 1.

Step 1: Read & Analyze the Source Transcript

Read the transcript file provided. Produce a thorough analysis and present it to the user:

• Structure breakdown — Segments with timestamps, duration, and purpose (hook, demo, teaching, CTA)
• What works well — Effective hooks, pacing, rhetorical techniques, key phrases worth noting
• Weaknesses / gaps — What's missing, what could be improved, what questions go unanswered (these are opportunities for differentiation)
• Target audience — Who the source video is for and what technical level it assumes

Download the reference thumbnail: If the transcript came from a YouTube video (check for a video ID in the filename like transcript_<video_id>.txt), download the thumbnail for reference:

yt-dlp --write-thumbnail --skip-download -o "~/content/youtube/<slug>/reference-thumbnails/<source-name>" "https://youtu.be/<video_id>"

Save it to ~/content/youtube/<slug>/reference-thumbnails/ and show it to the user during the analysis.

Analyze the reference thumbnail: After downloading, read/view the thumbnail image and create ~/content/youtube/<slug>/yt-thumbnail.md with a detailed breakdown:

• Layout — Where are elements positioned? (left/right thirds, centered, split-screen, etc.)
• Color scheme — Background colors, accent colors, overall palette (dark/light, warm/cool)
• Typography — What text is on the thumbnail? Font style (bold, serif, sans), size, color, placement
• Visual elements — Icons, logos, screenshots, illustrations, arrows, badges, effects (glow, shadow, gradient)
• Face/person — Is there a person? Expression, position, size relative to frame
• Composition style — Minimal/clean vs busy, how much whitespace, focal point placement
• What makes it clickable — Why would someone click this? Curiosity, contrast, clarity, emotion?
• Recommended approach for our thumbnail — Based on this analysis, suggest 2-3 specific thumbnail concepts for our video, each with a detailed prompt description

This file becomes the brief for Step 5 (thumbnail generation). When generating thumbnails later, read thumbnail.md and use the analysis to craft prompts that match the proven style while differentiating our version.

Step 2: Research the Topic Online

After analyzing the transcript, use WebSearch to research the topic thoroughly. This is NOT optional — always do real web research. Search for:

• The tool/topic itself — Official website, features, pricing, recent updates, documentation
• Competitor landscape — How this tool compares to alternatives. What are the key differentiators?
• Existing YouTube content — What videos already exist on this topic? Who are the main creators? What angles have been covered?
• Content gaps — What hasn't been covered well? What questions are unanswered? These are opportunities.
• Community sentiment — What are people saying on Reddit, forums, social media? What do they love/hate?
• Recent news — Any recent updates, controversies, or developments?

Run multiple searches (at least 4-6 different queries) to get comprehensive coverage. Include all findings and source URLs in the analysis.md file.

Step 3: Interactive Q&A

After presenting the analysis AND research, ask the user these questions one at a time, conversationally:

1. "What's your angle on this topic? What would you do differently or better?"
2. "What examples or demos will you show on screen?"
3. "Who's your target audience?"
4. "Anything specific you want to include or avoid?"

If the user gives short answers, that's fine — don't over-ask. If they give detailed answers, absorb everything.

Step 4: Generate the Video Package

After collecting answers, create the ~/content/youtube/<video-slug>/ directory and generate these files:

titles.md

• 5 title options, each under 70 characters
• For each title: one sentence explaining why it works (curiosity, specificity, contrast, etc.)
• Mark the recommended title

hooks.md

• 3 hook options for the first 30 seconds
• Each hook is a word-for-word script the user can read/memorize
• Each hook uses a different technique (curiosity gap, bold claim, story open, pattern interrupt)
• Note which technique each hook uses

description.md

• YouTube description, kept SHORT and tight:
  • 1-2 tight paragraphs on what the video is (front-loaded for search). No multi-paragraph intros.
  • Chapters section with 00:00 - Title format (use placeholder timestamps, mark with [UPDATE])
  • CTA / links
  • Do NOT add a "What's covered" bullet list when the chapters already cover it
  • Do NOT put a tags line or a hashtag line at the bottom of the description
• tags.txt — relevant tags/keywords (comma-separated) for the YouTube tags field via /yt-upload. Tags never go in the description text.

script.md

• Full video script organized by sections
• Each section has:
  • Timestamp estimate (e.g., ## [0:00 - 0:30] Hook)
  • What to say — Written in natural speaking rhythm, not essay prose. Short sentences. Conversational.
  • [SHOW: ...] markers — What should be on screen (screen recording, b-roll, slide, etc.)
  • [NOTE: ...] markers — Production notes (pause here, speed up, cut to demo, etc.)
• Include transitions between sections
• End with a CTA

analysis.md

• The full source video analysis from Step 1
• The full web research from Step 2 — include all findings organized by category (tool overview, features, competitive landscape, content gaps, community sentiment, etc.)
• All source URLs as clickable markdown links at the bottom under a ## Sources section
• This file is the reference hub — everything the user needs to know about the topic lives here

filming-guide.md

• A practical, step-by-step playbook for what to ACTUALLY DO on screen while recording
• Organized by filming steps (Step 1, Step 2, etc.) in chronological order
• Each step includes:
  • What you do — Exact UI clicks, actions, and navigation steps
  • Exact prompts/commands to type — Copy-paste ready, in code blocks
  • What you say — Suggested narration for each moment (in blockquotes)
  • What happens next — What to expect on screen so the user isn't surprised
  • How to fill dead air — What to talk about while waiting for AI to process
• Pre-recording setup section — Settings to configure, files to prepare, environment cleanup
• Timing cheat sheet — Table showing target duration for each section and running total
• On-camera tips — How to handle errors/bugs on camera, energy/pacing advice, visual moments to capture
• Any markdown files or templates the user should have ready — include the full content of these files so they can be copy-pasted
• If the video involves a tool with UI (like an IDE, app builder, etc.), include specific button names, menu paths, and keyboard shortcuts

Step 5: Generate Thumbnails

After generating all written files, generate thumbnail options using the /yt-thumbnail skill's script.

1. Read thumbnail.md first. Use the reference thumbnail analysis and recommended approaches from Step 1 to craft your prompts. The prompts should be informed by what's proven to work in the reference, not generic guesses. If thumbnail.md recommends specific layouts, colors, or compositions — use those.

2. Based on the thumbnail analysis, video title, script, and overall concept, craft 2-3 different thumbnail prompts. Each should be a distinct visual concept but grounded in the reference analysis:

   • One that closely follows the reference thumbnail's proven style/layout
   • One that takes the reference style but adds the user's face (use --reference-images ~/content/youtube/reference-images/your-face.png)
   • One that differentiates — a fresh take that still incorporates elements that work from the analysis

3. For each prompt, run the thumbnail generator:

   python3 ~/.claude/skills/yt-thumbnail/generate_thumbnail.py "<prompt>" --count 1 --resolution 2K --slug <video-slug> --aspect-ratio 16:9
   

4. Thumbnails are saved to ~/content/youtube/thumbnails/<date>-<video-slug>/

5. Show the user the generated thumbnails and ask which direction they prefer. Offer to:

   • Generate more variants of a style they like
   • Remix a specific thumbnail with changes
   • Try a completely different concept

Thumbnail prompt tips:

• Do NOT include text in the prompt — text overlay is added in an editor afterward
• Keep compositions simple with one focal point
• Leave visual space for text overlay (usually left or right third)
• High contrast reads well at small thumbnail sizes
• Mention estimated cost before generating ($0.09/image at 2K)

Step 6: Present & Iterate

After generating all files and thumbnails, show the user:

• The recommended title
• The recommended hook (full text)
• The script outline (section headers + time estimates)
• The generated thumbnail options

Ask: "Want to revise anything — titles, hooks, script sections, filming guide, thumbnails, or the overall structure?"

If they want changes, update the relevant files or regenerate thumbnails. If they're happy, confirm the output location and wrap up.

Rules

• Always save to ~/content/youtube/<slug>/ — never save video files elsewhere
• Slug should be lowercase, hyphenated, derived from the topic (e.g., claude-code-skills)
• Be honest in the analysis — calling out weaknesses is useful, not rude
• Scripts should sound like a person talking, not an article being read aloud
• Keep sentences short in scripts. People breathe between sentences.
• Use [SHOW: ...] liberally — the user needs to know what to record
• Don't pad the script with filler — every line should earn its place
• If the user already provided their angle/ideas in the initial message, skip the Q&A questions they already answered
• ALWAYS do web research — never skip Step 2. The research makes everything better.
• Include ALL source URLs in analysis.md — the user needs to be able to trace where information came from
• The filming guide should be practical enough that someone could follow it without reading the script first — it's the "do this, click that" version