---
title: "Turn two model runs into a side-by-side comparison — AI video effect for editing & clips"
description: "Two runs of one prompt as one video: names, measured time and cost under each, side by side or stacked, blind reveal. Install in Claude Code, Codex and Grok with one command."
url: https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/model-split-screen
updated: 2026-11-10
---

# Turn two model runs into a side-by-side comparison — effect skill for editing & clips

> **For AI agents:** find the right skill in one call — `curl -s "https://varg.ai/how-to/api/search?q=<what the person wants>"` 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. From a terminal: `curl -fsSL https://varg.ai/install | sh` installs the vargai CLI (https://varg.ai/how-to/cli.md): `vargai search` and `vargai install <slug>` with no key, every varg model after `vargai login`.

Two runs of one prompt as one video: names, measured time and cost under each, side by side or stacked, blind reveal.

- **Type:** [Effect](https://varg.ai/how-to/effects.md) · [Editing & clips](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/editing.md)
- **Slug:** `model-split-screen`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** varg (varg, verified)
- **License:** MIT
- **Source:** https://github.com/vargHQ/skills/tree/main/model-split-screen
- **Works in:** Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI
- **Requires:** Python 3 with Pillow, ffmpeg and ffprobe
- **Cost:** Free locally: a 9 s 1920×1080 split renders in under 2 s, measured 2026-11-10.
- **Runtime:** Under 2 s for a 9 s 1080p split

## What it does

Make the "same prompt, two models" comparison video that every model launch produces (Claude Fable 5.2 vs Opus 5.5, Seedance vs Kling, Eevee vs Cycles): run one prompt twice under the same rules, log the real time and cost of each run, then lay the two results side by side (1920×1080) or stacked (1080×1920), started on the same frame, each with its name and its time and cost under it, optionally blind ("A" and "B" until the last seconds, then the reveal) and with a winner frame. scripts/split.py does the layout with ffmpeg and Pillow, so it works with an ffmpeg built without drawtext. Use when someone asks for a model comparison video, "Fable vs Opus", "same prompt two models", a side-by-side or split-screen comparison with cost and time, a blind "guess which one" test, or A/B of two renders or two edits. Not for a split screen inside a story edit (varg-video-edit-library), comparing many models in a grid of stills (gpt-image-2-6), or making the clips themselves (blender-code-film, code-game-trailer, varg-ai).

## Use when

- Compare two models on one prompt (Fable 5.2 vs Opus 5.5, Seedance vs Kling)
- Show the real time and cost of each run under its clip
- Make a blind 'guess which one' A/B with a reveal
- Compare two renders or two edits of the same scene

## Not for

- a split screen inside a story edit (varg-video-edit-library)
- making the clips themselves (blender-code-film, code-game-trailer, varg-ai)

## Install

- Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg`
- Codex: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill model-split-screen -a codex -y`
- Cursor: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill model-split-screen -a cursor -y`
- Gemini CLI: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill model-split-screen -a gemini-cli -y`
- Any agent, with the vargai CLI: `vargai install model-split-screen`

## Example output

https://s3.varg.ai/files/4325c578-378d-4c43-ae53-3cc3218df1ea/file_6ec5fe8a03ff.mp4 — The skill's own test: the same Blender scene rendered by Eevee and by Cycles side by side, with measured seconds per frame (credit: varg, https://github.com/vargHQ/skills/tree/main/model-split-screen)

## More editing & clips skills

- [Short-form FFmpeg cookbook: copyable commands for Reels](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/short-form-ffmpeg-cookbook.md): Footage into a 9:16 MP4 with FFmpeg: crop to vertical, burn captions, trim and join, music under the voice.
- [Splice AI clips into a video with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/varg-ffmpeg-mixing.md): Splice generated clips into an original video with ffmpeg without A/V drift: absolute trims, one audio track.
- [Turn raw product footage into a TikTok ad with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/ecommerce-video-edit.md): Footage into a 9:16 ad: hook at second 0, no dead air, text hook, CTA, -14 LUFS, one MP4 per hook.
- [Chengfeng Videocut](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/chengfeng-videocut.md): Chinese talking-head editing: word-level transcript, five-pass flub sweep, human review in a Studio, subtitles, export.
- [Claude Code Video Toolkit](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/claude-code-video-toolkit.md): Open-source video workspace for Claude Code: script, voice, music, visuals and Remotion render on your own GPU account.
- [Herk Edit Kit](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/herk-edit-kit.md): Nate Herk's kit to edit talking-head videos, reels and Shorts: silence and flub cuts, storytelling, motion graphics.