A beginner's walkthrough

Edit your videos with Claude Code

No editing software and no coding. You film yourself, drop the clips in a folder and tell Claude what you want in plain English. It picks your best takes, cuts the pauses, adds captions, graphics, music and sound effects, and checks every cut. Here is the order I'd do it in, with the exact words to type.

Setup: about 30 minutes, onceEach video: you film and give notes, Claude edits

See what it makes. A reel we made this way: instagram.com/reel/DepkGGHDXS8 ↗

What you need

Part 1 · once

Set up

  1. Open Claude Code

    Install the Claude desktop app, sign in and open the Code tab. When it asks which folder to work in, pick (or make) one folder for all your videos.

  2. Install the editing skill

    A skill is a set of instructions Claude follows. This one turns raw clips into a finished video. Paste:

    Install this skill for me: https://github.com/tenfoldmarc/video-edit-skill. Check it for anything unsafe before you install it.

  3. Run the first-time setup

    Type the command below. It asks your name, your Instagram handle and your favourite look, then checks your computer.

    /video-edit

    If it says something is missing, let Claude install it:

    Install whatever is missing for me. If you need my password, tell me where to type it.

    TipType your password only into the window that asks for it, never into the chat. The first run downloads about 2 GB, so stay on Wi-Fi.

  4. Optional: add music

    Connect Epidemic Sound in Claude's connectors. Claude can then find a track, cut it to the exact length of your video and add sound effects.

    Find a calm instrumental track with no vocals to sit under my voice. Tell me which track it is before you download anything.

Part 2 · every video

Make a video

  1. Write a simple script

    Mark [SHOW: …] where you want an article or screenshot on screen and [CHECK: …] next to any fact. Write two or three different opening lines (hooks) to try.

    Here's my script. Read it so you understand it. Don't do anything else yet, just say ready.

  2. Film it

    Film vertically, keep the camera still and use a mic. Read straight through. If you trip on a line, pause and say it again until it lands: Claude keeps the last clean take. Read your alternative hooks at the end.

    Tip4K gives sharper close-ups when Claude zooms in on your face.

  3. Bring the clips in

    Copy the clips into your videos folder, or drag the file straight into the chat.

  4. Ask for a contact sheet first

    A contact sheet lists every line, the take Claude picked and a preview of the look. Check it before anything gets built.

    /video-edit Edit [drag your clip here] using my script. Make two versions: version 1 opens with the script's first line, version 2 with my alternative hook. One-word captions. Show me a contact sheet of every line, the take you picked and the look before you build anything.

  5. Pick your style, colour and sound

    Describe it in your own words and ask to see options before anything is applied.

    My style is minimal and clean: black, white and red only, one font family, thin grid lines behind me.

    Before you colour-correct, show me six colour looks on real frames from my footage, side by side, so I can pick one.

    Sound design: soft whooshes and light clicks when things appear, a calm music bed under my voice, nothing synthy.

  6. Let it build

    Claude cuts, adds the graphics, renders the video and checks every cut frame by frame. A short reel takes a few minutes. A 5-minute video took us about 15 minutes per version. Check in any time:

    How's it going?

Part 3 · every round

Get better every time

  1. Watch on your phone and give notes

    Claude sends a small phone copy. Watch it where people will see it, and give notes with timestamps. Each round of notes is one re-render.

    At 0:48 the cut jumps. Punch in on the second shot.

    The captions are too small, and the music is too loud under my voice.

    Darker and moodier colour, please. It looks blown out.

  2. Teach it your taste

    This is the part that pays off. Claude writes your notes down as rules and follows them next time, so every video starts closer to what you want.

    Save these notes as rules in my own style file, and read that file before every edit.

  3. Get your files

    You get a full-quality file for posting and a smaller phone copy for checking.

    Where are the final files? Give me the full-quality version and a phone copy.

Tips that saved us time

If something looks off, say this

Setup says something is missing
"Install it for me." (On Windows, close and reopen Claude afterwards.)
Skin looks green or orange
"Fix the white balance and skin tones."
Too bright or washed out
"Show me darker colour looks before you change anything."
A cut feels jumpy
"Punch in on one of the two shots."
Music fights your voice
"Turn the music down under my voice."
It's been a while
"How's it going?" Long videos take 15 minutes or more to render.