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How to edit video with Claude Code, step by step

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Claude Code is an assistant from Anthropic that works inside a folder on your computer. It can read files, run programs like ffmpeg, and write scripts. That is what video editing needs. This page is the Claude Code part of the full guide.

You need a paid Claude plan or an Anthropic API account. Claude Code runs on macOS 13 or newer, Windows 10 or newer and Linux, with 4 GB of RAM or more.

1. Open a terminal

  • Mac: press Cmd+Space, type “Terminal”, press Enter.
  • Windows: press the Windows key, type “PowerShell”, press Enter.

Anthropic also keeps a terminal guide for first-time users. Prefer no terminal? There is a Claude desktop app with Claude Code inside. The steps below still apply to the skills.

2. Install Claude Code

Mac, Linux or WSL:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Or with a package manager: brew install --cask claude-code on a Mac, winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode on Windows.

The installer prints nothing while it downloads. When it stops, open a new terminal window and run:

claude --version

A version number means it worked.

3. Install ffmpeg and the two skills

brew install ffmpeg

On Windows use winget install Gyan.FFmpeg. Then the skills, from solo-factory:

npx skills add fortunto2/solo-factory --skill solo-transcribe --skill solo-video-edit --global

This needs Node.js. Choose Claude Code when it asks where to install. If you would rather not use Node, start claude and say: “Install the skills solo-transcribe and solo-video-edit from github.com/fortunto2/solo-factory”. Do not copy skill files by hand. A copy stops getting fixes.

4. Start in your clips folder

cd ~/Movies/lisbon-day1
claude

The first time, it asks you to log in. Then it asks before it runs anything. Read what it wants to run. Approve the ones that look right.

5. Ask for the film

The folder has 40 clips from one day. Transcribe all of them with the transcribe skill, then read the transcript and propose a story in five lines. Wait for my answer before cutting.

Answer with your pick, then:

Cut a 3-minute trailer in that story. Use ~/Music/score.mp3 and cut on the beat. Before rendering, show me the script and a contact sheet of the shots.

Claude Code will:

  1. run the transcription, one text file for the whole day;
  2. detect the beat of your track;
  3. write the cut as a small script file;
  4. render an mp4 with ffmpeg and check that length and sound match.

Claude Code can also connect to the Life2Film Studio app on a Mac. That gives it the shot and quality analysis from the app. The command is in the technical write-up.

When something goes wrong

  • claude: command not found. Close the terminal, open a new one. If it still fails, run claude doctor or see Anthropic’s install troubleshooting.
  • Transcript has strange names. Give it a word list: “Anna is my sister, the cafe is called Oficina”. It fixes the text once, before subtitles use it.
  • A clip has no speech. Crowds and music can produce invented sentences. Say “treat clip 17 as no speech”.
  • The cut feels flat. Say what is wrong in plain words. “Too many wide shots in a row.” “Open on the best moment.”

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