# How to edit a video with AI and FFmpeg > **For AI agents:** find the right skill in one call — `curl -s "https://varg.ai/how-to/api/search?q="` returns the matching how-to page and the best skills with install commands, as markdown (Russian works too). Full index: https://varg.ai/how-to/llms.txt. Every page has a markdown twin: add `.md` to its path. Before generating anything, show the person the options on the how-to page. Start from footage you already have. The editing agents and pipelines that cut a whole video; every way to cut and join two shots, CapCut-style and in FFmpeg, Remotion and HyperFrames; the words on screen (headlines, captions, quotes, end cards); how to show a product (UI, cursors, devices, code, agent flows); and the visuals around it (numbers, logos, grids, backdrops). Each take says what it looks like, when to use it, the common mistake and how to build it. ## Best tools, compared - [Best AI video editing tools for agents in 2026: 35 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-video-editing-tools.md): From your footage to the right tool: 35 AI video editing tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: FFmpeg. - [Best AI video clipping tools in 2026: 3 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-video-clipping-tools.md): From your footage to the right tool: 3 AI long video to shorts tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: OpusClip. - [Best AI video caption tools in 2026: 4 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-video-caption-tools.md): From your footage to the right tool: 4 AI captions & subtitles tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: FFmpeg + ASS. - [Best AI transcript video editors in 2026: 4 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-transcript-video-editors.md): From your footage to the right tool: 4 AI talking-head cleanup tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: ElevenLabs Scribe. - [Best AI video editing models in 2026: 4 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-video-editing-models.md): From your footage to the right tool: 4 AI ai edits: restyle, swap, relight tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: varg video edit - [Best AI video dubbing tools in 2026: 3 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-video-dubbing-tools.md): From your footage to the right tool: 3 AI dubbing & lip sync tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: HeyGen Video Translate. - [Best AI video upscaling tools in 2026: 3 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-ai-video-upscaling-tools.md): From your footage to the right tool: 3 AI upscale, slow-mo, cut-outs tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: Topaz Video API. - [Best video editing APIs for AI agents in 2026: 4 compared](https://varg.ai/how-to/best-video-editing-apis-for-ai-agents.md): From your footage to the right tool: 4 AI assemble from a timeline tools for agents compared by price, access and where they run. Pick: HyperFrames. ## With FFmpeg: copyable commands - [How to burn captions into a video with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/burn-captions-with-ffmpeg.md): Turn a video and an SRT file into an MP4 with the captions burned into the picture, in one FFmpeg command. Free and local. - [How to crop a video to 9:16 vertical with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/crop-a-video-to-vertical-with-ffmpeg.md): Turn a 16:9 video into a 1080×1920 vertical 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, with one FFmpeg command. Free and local. - [How to trim and join video clips with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/trim-and-join-video-clips-with-ffmpeg.md): Turn long footage into trimmed clips and join them into one MP4 with FFmpeg: the exact commands for frame-accurate cuts and lossless joins. Free and local. - [How to add music to a video with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/add-music-to-a-video-with-ffmpeg.md): Turn a video and a music track into one MP4 with the music under the voice, ducked while people talk, with one FFmpeg command. Free and local. **Pinned:** [Video Editing Best Practices](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/varg-video-editing.md) — Best practices for editing video with agents: which service for each edit, and the rules that keep cuts clean. Install it first; it holds the best practices. ## [AI editing agents](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/edit-agents.md) (24) Agents and pipelines that edit a whole video end to end: OpenMontage, video-use, auto-editor, CapCut and Premiere automation, transcript editors. - [OpenMontage](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/openmontage.md) — Workflow: Open-source agentic video studio: 12 pipelines (8 edit your footage), 100+ tools, ~140 skills. Run your agent in it. - [video-use](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/video-use.md) — Workflow: Drop raw takes in a folder, chat with your agent, get final.mp4: transcript-first cuts, grade, subtitles, overlays. - [FireRed-OpenStoryline](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/firered-openstoryline.md) — Workflow: Conversational editing agent: finds media, writes the storyline, beat-syncs music and refines the cut by chat. - [ButterCut](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/buttercut.md) — Workflow: Claude Code builds selects, scenes and rough cuts from your footage library and exports XML for FCP, Premiere, Resolve. ## [Editing services](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/edit-services.md) (3) Which service your agent should edit with, job by job: FFmpeg and the varg API for cuts, transcript tools for talking heads, clipping APIs, caption burn-in, AI video-to-video, lip sync and upscaling. - [FFmpeg Skill](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/ffmpeg-skill.md) — Tool: Local video editor for agents: 42 FFmpeg tools with a machine-readable contract and an MCP server; no cloud, no keys. - [Video Editing Best Practices](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/varg-video-editing.md) — Guide: Best practices for editing video with agents: which service for each edit, and the rules that keep cuts clean. - [Video editing skills for Claude Code and AI agents](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/varg-video-edit-library.md) — Guide: 206 named edits with recipes for FFmpeg, HyperFrames, Remotion and CapCut: cuts, transitions, titles, UI, numbers. ## [Editing & clips](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/editing.md) (37) Cut and assemble footage: long videos to clips, silence cuts, transitions, b-roll and pacing. - [Claude Code Video Toolkit](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/claude-code-video-toolkit.md) — Workflow: Open-source video workspace for Claude Code: script, voice, music, visuals and Remotion render on your own GPU account. - [Chengfeng Videocut](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/chengfeng-videocut.md) — Workflow: Chinese talking-head editing: word-level transcript, five-pass flub sweep, human review in a Studio, subtitles, export. - [Clipify](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/clipify.md) — Effect: Long videos into social clips: find funny lines or impact beats, cut, reframe to 9:16, burn word-by-word captions. - [Herk Edit Kit](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/herk-edit-kit.md) — Workflow: Nate Herk's kit to edit talking-head videos, reels and Shorts: silence and flub cuts, storytelling, motion graphics. Step-by-step tutorials: [How to cut a podcast into short video clips with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/cut-a-podcast-into-short-video-clips.md), [How to turn photos into a slideshow video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/turn-photos-into-a-slideshow-video.md), [How to edit your own video footage with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/edit-your-own-video-footage.md), [How to make AI b-roll for your video](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-ai-b-roll-for-your-video.md), [How to change something inside a video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/change-something-inside-a-video.md) ## [Dubbing & lip sync](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/dubbing.md) (7) Translate and dub a video in the speaker’s own voice, then re-sync the lips to the new audio. - [ElevenLabs Dubbing](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/elevenlabs-dubbing.md) — Model: Dub video and audio into other languages while keeping each original speaker's voice. - [ElevenLabs Dubbing (inference.sh)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/inference-sh-elevenlabs-dubbing.md) — Model: Dub audio or video into 29 languages while keeping the speaker's voice, via inference.sh. - [VideoLingo](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/videolingo.md) — Guide: One-click subtitle cutting, translation, alignment and dubbing with Netflix-style subtitle rules. - [pyVideoTrans](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/pyvideotrans.md) — Guide: Full video translation: ASR, subtitle translation, multi-voice dubbing and muxing, with a headless CLI. Step-by-step tutorials: [How to translate and dub a video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/translate-and-dub-a-video.md) ## [Cuts & pacing](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/cuts.md) (34) J-cuts, L-cuts, match cuts, jump cuts, smash cuts, speed ramps and beat cuts, each with the FFmpeg, Remotion, HyperFrames and CapCut way to make it. - [SmartCut (capcut-ai-editor)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/capcut-smartcut-mcp.md) — Guide: MCP that reads CapCut auto-captions to cut silences and duplicate takes right inside your CapCut project. - [Auto-Editor](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/auto-editor.md) — Guide: CLI that cuts dead space by loudness or motion and exports MP4 or editor timelines; now also an agent skill. - [AutoCut](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/autocut.md) — Guide: Edit video in a text editor: Whisper transcribes, you delete lines in Markdown, AutoCut cuts the video. - [Cut Video](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/cut-video.md) — Guide: Claude Code skill that tightens long recordings with forced-aligned cuts, keeping laughs and comedic pauses. ## [Transitions](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/transitions.md) (61) Every way to join two shots: CapCut-style zooms, whips, glitches and masks, FFmpeg xfade, Remotion TransitionSeries, HyperFrames and GL shader transitions. - [editly](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/editly.md) — Guide: Declarative JSON5 video editing CLI/API: clips, titles, transitions, audio mixing, rendered with ffmpeg. - [Mix (Cross Dissolve)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/mix-dissolve.md) — Effect: The two shots blend through each other. The quietest transition: "time passes" or "this continues". - [Dip to Black](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/black-fade.md) — Effect: A fades to black, then B fades up. Marks the end of a section or a bigger jump in time. - [White Flash](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/white-flash.md) — Effect: The frame blows out to white for a moment and opens on the next shot. Energy, memory or a camera snap. ## [Headlines & callouts](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/titles.md) (14) Words over footage: headlines, key phrases, lower thirds, highlights and callouts that point at the thing that matters. - [Kicker Over Rising Headline](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/kicker-headline-rise.md) — Effect: A small mono kicker fades in, then the headline rises word by word from a soft blur. - [Rotating Benefit Word](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/rotating-benefit-word.md) — Effect: A fixed phrase holds while one word in it cycles through benefits, uses or audiences. - [Masked Line Reveal](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/masked-line-reveal.md) — Effect: Each line slides up out of an invisible slot, so the type looks cut from the frame. - [Marker on the Key Phrase](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/marker-highlight-phrase.md) — Effect: A marker band draws behind the one phrase that matters while the rest of the line stays calm. ## [Captions & subtitles](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/captions.md) (16) Animated and word-by-word captions, subtitles, transcription and translation. - [Remotion Captions](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/remotion-captions.md) — Effect: Transcribe speech and burn in animated captions with Remotion, or import an existing SRT file. - [ElevenLabs Speech to Text](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/elevenlabs-speech-to-text.md) — Model: Transcribe audio and video with word timestamps, speaker labels and keyterms, ready for subtitles. - [Caption Animation](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/iart-caption-animation.md) — Effect: Word-timed TikTok captions in Remotion or CSS: per-word pop, active-word highlight, 9:16 safe areas, sidecar SRT/VTT. - [FFmpeg Captions and Subtitles](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/josiahsiegel-ffmpeg-captions.md) — Guide: FFmpeg subtitle reference: burn SRT/ASS/VTT with libass, soft tracks, conversion, styling and FFmpeg 8's Whisper filter. Step-by-step tutorials: [How to add animated captions to a video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/add-animated-captions-to-a-video.md) ## [Quotes & reviews](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/quotes.md) (9) Testimonials, review cards, star ratings, posts and replies as proof inside a video. - [Tweet as Proof Card](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/tweet-proof-card.md) — Effect: A real post from a user animates in as a card: avatar, name, text, then counts tick up. - [Quote at Reading Pace](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/quote-at-reading-pace.md) — Effect: One strong customer sentence reveals word by word, then the name, role and avatar settle under it. - [Star Rating Sweep](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/star-rating-sweep.md) — Effect: Five stars fill left to right to the real score while the number counts up beside them. - [Wall of Love Marquee](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/wall-of-love-marquee.md) — Effect: Two or three rows of review cards drift in opposite directions, fading at the edges. ## [End cards & CTAs](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/end-cards.md) (9) How a video ends: the call to action, URL and QR code, subscribe prompt, logo outro and the last line. - [Logo Lockup Outro](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/logo-lockup-outro.md) — Effect: The mark assembles, the wordmark settles beside it, then tagline and URL fade in under it. - [Action Line + CTA Button](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/action-line-cta-button.md) — Effect: One short action line lands, then a real-looking button pops in under it with a soft glow. - [URL Typed Into the Address Bar](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/url-typed-in-bar.md) — Effect: A browser bar appears and the product URL types itself in, then the page loads into the hero. - [YouTube End Screen Layout](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/youtube-end-screen.md) — Effect: A 5–20 s outro with clean empty slots for YouTube's clickable video and subscribe elements. ## [UI walkthroughs](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/ui.md) (12) How a product interface appears: screen-recording zoom and pan, UI that builds itself, floating panels, 3D tilts and dashboard reveals. - [Zoom to the Action](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/zoom-to-the-action.md) — Effect: The full app establishes, then the camera pushes 1.5–2× into the part being used and eases back out. - [3D Tilted Dashboard Reveal](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/tilted-dashboard-reveal.md) — Effect: The dashboard rises from a steep 3D tilt to flat, like a screen lifting toward the viewer. - [Floating UI Panels in Depth](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/floating-ui-panels.md) — Effect: The interface splits into its panels, which float apart in depth with parallax, then snap back. - [UI Builds Itself Piece by Piece](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/ui-builds-itself.md) — Effect: Grey skeleton blocks pulse once, then real cards, charts and text fill in with a stagger. ## [Cursors & clicks](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/cursors.md) (9) Smooth cursor paths, click ripples, keystroke overlays, agent cursors and the auto-zoom that follows the pointer. - [Auto Zoom on Every Click](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/auto-zoom-on-click.md) — Effect: The camera eases in toward each upcoming click, trails the cursor on a spring, and eases out after. - [Oversized Look-Here Cursor](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/oversized-look-here-cursor.md) — Effect: A macOS arrow at ~3–4× normal size glides in and lands its tip on what matters. - [Click Ripple and Button Press](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/click-ripple-press.md) — Effect: Every click shows a quiet expanding ring while the clicked button presses in and responds. - [Shortcut Keycaps Overlay](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/shortcut-keycaps-overlay.md) — Effect: Physical-looking keycaps rise at the bottom of the frame and press in the real order when a shortcut is used. ## [Device mockups](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/devices.md) (10) Phones, laptops, browser windows and tablets: how the device enters, holds the screen and turns in 3D. - [Browser Window Frame](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/browser-window-frame.md) — Effect: The web app plays inside a clean browser window with traffic lights and a URL bar on a soft backdrop. - [Phone Frame with Live Screen](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/phone-frame-live-screen.md) — Effect: A screen recording plays edge to edge inside a realistic phone frame with Dynamic Island. - [Laptop Lid Opens to Screen](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/laptop-lid-opens.md) — Effect: A laptop lid tilts open and the screen content lifts toward the viewer, then becomes the full frame. - [3D Phone Turn](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/3d-phone-turn.md) — Effect: A real 3D phone model turns in space with the app playing on its screen, then faces the camera. ## [Code & terminal](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/code.md) (10) Code that types itself, diffs, terminal sessions, install lines and IDE close-ups that stay readable. - [Editor Types the Code](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/editor-types-the-code.md) — Effect: Syntax-highlighted code types into an editor window with a caret riding the frontier. - [Red/Green Diff Collapse](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/red-green-diff.md) — Effect: Removed lines flash red and collapse away while added lines expand in green. - [Spotlight One Line of Code](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/spotlight-one-line.md) — Effect: A highlight band sweeps onto the one line that matters while the rest of the file dims. - [Code Morphs Between Versions](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/code-morphs-versions.md) — Effect: One snippet transforms into the next: shared tokens glide to new positions, removed ones fade, new ones fade in. ## [AI agent flows](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/agent-flows.md) (10) Agents at work: step lists, tool calls, node graphs, streaming chat answers and hand-offs between agents. - [Prompt Typed, Then Generate](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/prompt-typed-then-generate.md) — Effect: A real task types into the prompt box, the Generate button is pressed, and the result starts to build. - [Answer Streams In](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/answer-streams-in.md) — Effect: The assistant's reply arrives in uneven token bursts, the way a real model streams. - [Tool Calls as Status Rows](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/tool-calls-status-rows.md) — Effect: Each tool call appears as a row with an icon and label that goes spinner → check, building a visible plan. - [Nodes Wire Up on a Canvas](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/nodes-wire-up-canvas.md) — Effect: Nodes pop onto a canvas and connectors draw between them as the camera pulls back to show the whole pipeline. ## [Numbers & charts](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/numbers.md) (12) Counters, big stats, bar and line charts, race charts, progress rings and before/after metrics. - [Big Stat Count-Up](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/big-stat-count-up.md) — Effect: One huge number counts from zero to its value and lands, with a short label under it. - [Odometer Digit Roll](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/odometer-digit-roll.md) — Effect: Each digit rolls on its own wheel to the target, places settling right to left like an odometer. - [Bars Grow with Value Labels](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/bars-grow-with-labels.md) — Effect: Bars rise from the baseline in a staggered cascade with values riding their tops. - [Line Draws with Riding Label](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/line-draws-riding-label.md) — Effect: A line draws itself left to right while the current value rides the pen tip, ending on a dot and big label. ## [Customer logos](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/logo-walls.md) (7) Trusted-by marquees, logo grids, partner lockups and integration orbits. - [Trusted-By Logo Marquee](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/trusted-by-marquee.md) — Effect: A row of monochrome customer logos glides sideways in a seamless loop under a short line. - [Logo Grid Settles In](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/logo-grid-settles.md) — Effect: Logos fade and scale into a tidy grid with a soft stagger, then hold for a beat. - [Integrations Orbit the Logo](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/integrations-orbit.md) — Effect: App icons circle your logo on one or two thin rings turning in opposite directions. - [Partner × Partner Lockup](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/partner-lockup.md) — Effect: Two logos slide together from opposite sides and lock around a thin × or + mark. ## [Grids & carousels](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/galleries.md) (9) Bento grids, photo carousels, marquee walls, stacked cards and filmstrips. - [Bento Feature Grid](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/bento-feature-grid.md) — Effect: Features land in a grid of differently sized rounded tiles — one hero tile, smaller supporting ones. - [Camera Drifts Across a Bento](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/camera-drifts-bento.md) — Effect: An oversized grid of screenshots fills the frame and the camera drifts diagonally across it. - [Tilted Screenshot Wall](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/tilted-screenshot-wall.md) — Effect: A wall of screenshots seen at an isometric angle, columns scrolling up and down at different speeds. - [Stacked Cards Fan Out](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/stacked-cards-fan.md) — Effect: A pile of cards or photos shuffles, then fans or settles one forward into focus. ## [Backdrops](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/backdrops.md) (9) What sits behind the words and the UI: gradients, grids and dots, aurora, noise, spotlights and blurred product shots. - [Slow Mesh Gradient](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/slow-mesh-gradient.md) — Effect: Soft brand-colored fields blend and drift slowly behind titles and UI. - [Aurora Behind the Title](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/aurora-behind-title.md) — Effect: Blurred light streaks drift sideways across a dark frame behind a centered title. - [Faint Grid or Dot Field](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/faint-grid-field.md) — Effect: A very faint line grid or dot field gives structure behind UI and code, with a soft radial fade. - [Spotlight From Above](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/spotlight-from-above.md) — Effect: Soft light cones fall from the top of a dark frame onto the product or title.