---
title: "Plan a film from references by Refs — launch videos tutorial and best practices for AI video"
description: "Your brief plus 1–5 measured reference films become a beat sheet, shot list, storyboard and build prompt. Install in Claude Code, Codex and Grok with one command."
url: https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/refs-plan-video
updated: 2026-11-01
---

# Plan a film from references by Refs — guide skill for launch videos

> **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`.

Your brief plus 1–5 measured reference films become a beat sheet, shot list, storyboard and build prompt.

- **Type:** [Guide](https://varg.ai/how-to/guides.md) · [Launch videos](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/launch.md)
- **Slug:** `refs-plan-video`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** Refs (vendor)
- **License:** Refs: proprietary hosted service (free search, Pro for the rest)
- **Source:** https://refs.video/connect
- **Works in:** Claude.ai, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Any MCP client
- **Requires:** Refs MCP signed in with Pro (plan_video 10 credits; storyboard 0), A builder for the result: HyperFrames, Remotion, the Refs starter kit or varg
- **Cost:** search_videos is free with no key or account (about 30 searches an hour without one). Everything else needs Refs Pro, $16 a month or $120 a year, with 3,000 credits a month: get_blueprint 5, get_frames 5, get_formula 5, plan_video 10, check_render 2, the rest 0. Library ($6 a month) opens every film on the site. varg credits are only spent on what you generate on varg.

## What it does

Two Refs MCP tools that sit between the references and the build. plan_video (10 credits) takes what you want to make and 1–5 references (REF ids, refs.video links, YouTube or X links, a shared collection's films, or a brand's own films) and writes a beat sheet, a shot list on the references' measured timing and a build prompt; several references are mixed around one spine, and a Brandprint brand kit keeps it in your house style. storyboard (0 credits) works before anything is built: 1–4 directions with style frames and numbered panels (timing, camera, voiceover, transitions), checked and laid out as a Claude Design canvas, so you pick one direction and only then spend on shots. Typical loop in Claude Code: "Make my launch film like REF-0005" → get_blueprint → plan_video → write the scenes → render. Make the shots, voice and music on varg; render in HyperFrames, Remotion or Refs' starter kit.

## Use when

- "Make my launch film like this one" with a link or a REF id
- Mix the hook of one film with the pacing of another around your product
- Show 2–4 storyboard directions before spending on generation
- Plan in your brand's house style (with a Brandprint kit)

## Not for

- Rendering the video: plan_video writes the plan and the prompt; build it in code or with a video model
- Copying a film's footage, logo or script: Refs' recipes transfer structure, not content

## Install

- Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http refs https://refs.video/mcp`
- Claude.ai: `Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector → https://refs.video/mcp`
- Codex: `codex mcp add refs --url https://refs.video/mcp`
- Any MCP client: `https://refs.video/mcp`
- Any agent, with the vargai CLI: `vargai install refs-plan-video`

## Example output

https://s3.varg.ai/files/4325c578-378d-4c43-ae53-3cc3218df1ea/file_1380d87c3934.mp4 — 6 s cut from Refs' film: in Claude Code, "Make my launch film like REF-0005" calls get_blueprint, then plan_video, writes the scenes and renders. (credit: Refs, the Refs film (refs.video/film.mp4), https://refs.video)

## More launch videos skills

- [Orbit Card](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/hyperframes-orbit-card.md): A single feature card orbits a dot sphere on a Blender-made camera move: a 10-second product beat.
- [Higgsfield Academy (Higgsfield Open-Source Promo)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/higgsfield-open-higgsfield-academy.md): Higgsfield's 64 s promo for Higgsfield Academy, made almost entirely with Seedance 2.0.
- [Seed Audio 1.0 Launch (Higgsfield Open-Source Video)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/higgsfield-open-seed-audio-launch.md): Higgsfield's 106 s launch video for Seed Audio 1.0 (voice cloning, cinematic sound): bold motion design, comedic tone.
- [HeyGen's Real Launch Videos as HyperFrames Source](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/heygen-hyperframes-launch-videos-source.md): 20 HeyGen product launch videos as editable HyperFrames HTML compositions, each with its storyboard, assets and render command.
- [Check a render against its reference by Refs](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/refs-check-render.md): Score your render against the reference film: cut timing, brightness, motion, loudness, format, frame-exact fixes.
- [Launch video formulas by Refs](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/refs-formulas.md): 28 video formats distilled from 132 measured films: the shape in timed beats, the constants, a template prompt.