# Freeze Frame — effect skill for cuts & pacing > **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. Stop on a single frame for a beat, to introduce a character, land a joke or add a caption. - **Type:** [Effect](https://varg.ai/how-to/effects.md) · [Cuts & pacing](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/cuts.md) - **Slug:** `freeze-frame` - **Status:** live - **Publisher:** HeyGen (community) - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source:** https://github.com/heygen-com/hyperframes/tree/main/registry/blocks/beat-freeze-cut - **Works in:** Claude Code, Claude.ai, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, Gemini CLI, Any MCP client, varg Studio - **Requires:** ffmpeg, HyperFrames (npx hyperframes), Remotion, CapCut (by hand) - **Cost:** Free — the take renders locally; generated footage, if any, bills by the model ## What it does Built on [Beat Freeze Cut](https://github.com/heygen-com/hyperframes/tree/main/registry/blocks/beat-freeze-cut) by HeyGen (HyperFrames), Apache-2.0. The write-up and recipes below are varg's. Motion halts on one frame (often with a flash, a zoom or a name card), then resumes or cuts away. **When:** Character intros, "record scratch" moments, highlights in sport, the end of a short. **Watch out:** Freezing on a blurred frame; pick a sharp frame with a clear expression. **Timing:** 0.5–2 s hold; often a 2-frame white flash on entry **Also called:** freeze, hold frame, still frame, frame hold ### In FFmpeg Freeze at 2 s for 1 s and resume (tpad clones the last frame; apad keeps audio in sync): ```bash ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -filter_complex \ "[0:v]split[v1][v2];[v1]trim=0:2,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS,tpad=stop_mode=clone:stop_duration=1[f];\ [v2]trim=2,setpts=PTS-STARTPTS[r];[f][r]concat=n=2:v=1:a=0[v];\ [0:a]asplit[a1][a2];[a1]atrim=0:2,asetpts=PTS-STARTPTS,apad=pad_dur=1[fa];\ [a2]atrim=2,asetpts=PTS-STARTPTS[ra];[fa][ra]concat=n=2:v=0:a=1[a]" -map "[v]" -map "[a]" out.mp4 ``` Alternative: `loop=loop=29:size=1:start=60,setpts=N/FRAME_RATE/TB` repeats frame 60. ### In HyperFrames Insert the held frame as an image clip (extract it first with ffmpeg), then resume the video with `data-media-start`: ```html ``` Arbitrary mid-source freezes need that pre-extracted still. ### In Remotion `` (v4.0.476+) or ` f >= 60 && f < 90}>`; videos pause while frozen. ### In CapCut Playhead on the frame → Freeze in the toolbar (desktop, inserts a ~3 s still) or Edit → Freeze (mobile); drag its edges to set the hold. ### Ready-made components - [Beat Freeze Cut](https://skills.varg.ai/component/hf.beat-freeze-cut/) (hyperframes): npx hyperframes add beat-freeze-cut - [Freeze-Frame Dressing](https://skills.varg.ai/component/hf.freeze-frame-dressing/) (hyperframes): npx hyperframes add freeze-frame-dressing ### Where this comes from - [Wikipedia: freeze frame shot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze_frame_shot) - [FFmpeg filters: tpad](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#tpad) - [FFmpeg filters: loop](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#loop) - [Remotion: ](https://www.remotion.dev/docs/freeze) - [Remotion: ](https://www.remotion.dev/docs/sequence) - [CapCut: freeze frame (resource article)](https://www.capcut.com/resource/davinci-resolve-freeze-frame) ## Use when - Character intros, "record scratch" moments, highlights in sport, the end of a short. ## Not for - Freezing on a blurred frame; pick a sharp frame with a clear expression. ## Install - Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg` - Codex: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-video-edit-library -a codex -y` - Cursor: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-video-edit-library -a cursor -y` ## Example output https://s3.varg.ai/how-to/previews/bc8c60f39222/take-freeze-frame.mp4 — freeze between two shots, with the timeline strip of the edit. Footage: Big Buck Bunny (2008), (c) copyright 2008, Blender Foundation | www.bigbuckbunny.org, CC BY 3.0; Charge (2022), Blender Studio | studio.blender.org, CC BY 4.0. (credit: Rendered by varg · Big Buck Bunny (2008) + Charge (2022)) ## More cuts & pacing skills - [SmartCut (capcut-ai-editor)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/capcut-smartcut-mcp.md): 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): 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): 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): Claude Code skill that tightens long recordings with forced-aligned cuts, keeping laughs and comedic pauses. - [Videogrep](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/videogrep.md): Search spoken words across videos and auto-build supercuts of every match. - [PySceneDetect](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/pyscenedetect.md): Find cuts, fades and scene changes in a video, then split it or export scene lists for the edit. ## Run the generation on varg varg is one API key for the models these skills drive — Seedance 2.5, Kling 4, Veo 3.1, Wan 3, Nano Banana 2.1, GPT Image 2.5, ElevenLabs v4 and 200+ more — billed in credits, with a cost estimate before anything runs. - Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg` (skill + hosted MCP) - Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenClaw: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-ai -a -y` - Grok and any agent that reads SKILL.md: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-ai`, or point it at the skill's SKILL.md - Claude.ai, ChatGPT, any MCP client: connect `https://mcp.varg.ai/mcp` - API key: https://varg.ai/dashboard/api · Model specs: https://varg.ai/models/llms.txt