Turn Claude into your video editor

The tools (all free and open source)

HyperFrames by HeyGen: video made from code, built for AI agents (74,000+ stars on GitHub, Apache-2.0)
FFmpeg: cuts, joins and exports video
Whisper: turns speech into text, for captions and cutting pauses
yt-dlp: saves reference videos so Claude can study a style.

What you need

The Claude desktop app with Claude Code. Claude installs everything else (Node.js 22+, FFmpeg, Whisper, yt-dlp).

Steps

Step 1. Make your editing folder

Create a folder called AI Video Editor. In the Claude app, open the Code tab and choose that folder.

Step 2. Paste this setup prompt

Set up an AI video editing workspace in this folder.
Install FFmpeg, Node.js 22+, Whisper and yt-dlp if they're missing. Tell me what you'll install first.
Install the HyperFrames skills:
  claude plugin marketplace add heygen-com/hyperframes
  claude plugin install hyperframes@hyperframes
Create these folders: footage, references, music, exports.
Render a 5-second test video to exports to prove everything works.

Step 3. Teach Claude your style

Put 3 to 5 reels you love into the references folder (files or links). Then paste:

Study the reels in references. Write style.md with exact numbers:
hook length, cut rhythm, caption font, size, colors and position,
motion graphics, music and sound effects, transitions and the end card.

Step 4. Edit with one prompt

Drop your raw clips into footage, then paste:

Edit everything in footage into a 9:16 reel that follows style.md.
Transcribe with Whisper, cut silences and filler words, add word-by-word captions,
put music under the voice and add motion graphics on the key points.
First show me a storyboard (one line per scene with timecodes) and wait for my OK.
Then render 1080x1920 into exports.

Step 5. Fix it in plain words

"Make the first second punchier." "Captions bigger." "Cut scene 4." Claude re-renders.

Good to know

Always ask for the storyboard first. It saves renders.
Use references to learn a style, never to repost someone else's video.
Use music you have the rights to.

You need the Claude desktop app with Claude Code (any paid plan, Pro is enough). For setup we recommend Opus 5.5.