---
title: "Turn a topic into a stickman video — AI video generator workflow for Shorts & Reels"
description: "Viral stickman reels drawn in code: a jointed figure that walks and reacts, rules on screen, a choice ending. Install in Claude Code, Codex and Grok with one command."
url: https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/stickman-video
updated: 2026-11-13
---

# Turn a topic into a stickman video — workflow skill for Shorts & Reels

> **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`.

Viral stickman reels drawn in code: a jointed figure that walks and reacts, rules on screen, a choice ending.

- **Type:** [Workflow](https://varg.ai/how-to/workflows.md) · [Shorts & Reels](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/shorts.md)
- **Slug:** `stickman-video`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** varg (varg, verified)
- **License:** MIT
- **Source:** https://github.com/vargHQ/skills/tree/main/stickman-video
- **Works in:** Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI
- **Requires:** HyperFrames (bunx hyperframes), Node 22 and ffmpeg, Optional: the varg MCP or a VARG_API_KEY for the voice
- **Cost:** 4 credits per 60-word voice — Picture, sound effects, captions and render are free and local.
- **Runtime:** About 17 s to render 24 s of 1080x1920 on an Apple M1 Pro

## What it does

A topic becomes a 20–25 second vertical stickman reel with no video model: a jointed SVG figure (fixed bones, poses as joint angles, two-bone legs with planted feet, breathing, blinks, the head leading and the arms following) acts out one of five viral formats: a second-person survival choice with a DAY counter and rules, a POV story, a fake-friend-vs-real-friend contrast, a deadpan history explainer or a stick fight. Script templates with word counts, procedural sound, word-timed captions from local whisper.cpp and a HyperFrames render. Tested on an original "Day 1: lighthouse rules" reel: the voice cost 4 credits ($0.04) on varg and the render took 17 seconds.

## Use when

- A stickman video, stick figure animation or a faceless stickman channel
- A "Day 1" survival-choice story with rules and a two-choice ending
- A POV stickman story, a fake friend vs real friend reel or a stick fight
- Stick figures that look stiff or only move their head

## Not for

- Photoreal or live-action video
- Generated clips from Google Flow or Veo (use stickman-video-director)
- Copying a named channel’s characters or episodes

## Install

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

**Models used:** [ElevenLabs v3](https://varg.ai/models/eleven_v3) (`eleven_v3`). Model families on varg: [ElevenLabs API](https://varg.ai/elevenlabs-api).

## Example output

https://s3.varg.ai/files/4325c578-378d-4c43-ae53-3cc3218df1ea/file_6f3002ab335b.mp4 — The skill’s tested example: "Day 1: lighthouse rules", 24 s, voice 4 credits, drawn and rendered in code (credit: varg, https://github.com/vargHQ/skills/tree/main/stickman-video)

## More Shorts & Reels skills

- [AI Social Media Content](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/inference-sh-ai-social-media-content.md): Produce reels, shorts, images and thumbnails for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X with one toolkit.
- [Krea Faceless Video](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/krea-faceless-video.md): Make narrated faceless explainers, documentaries and kids' stories as finished multi-scene films on Krea.
- [Short Video Script](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/short-video-script.md): Short-video scripts, titles and cover ideas for Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili and WeChat Channels
- [Video Producer](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/video-producer.md): Topic in, narrated short MP4 out: shot plan, AI stills, per-scene voiceover, Remotion render
- [Stickman Video Director: faceless stickman channels](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/stickman-video-director.md): Turns a topic, article or script into a multi-style animated stickman video (visuals, voiceover, captions, SFX) for faceless YouTube channels.
- [AutoClip](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/autoclip.md): Free MIT desktop app, CLI and MCP: a link or long video in, platform-ready clips with covers and post copy out.