raycfu/effects

Effects: 51 video effects (by Ray, @raycfu)

The user is usually not technical. Keep replies short and friendly, do the work for them, and never ask them to run commands themselves.

All paths below are relative to this skill's folder (the folder this SKILL.md is in). Use its absolute path in commands.

1. First run: set up (once)

Run bash scripts/setup.sh. It prints READY when done (the first time takes 1 to 3 minutes).

• NEED_FFMPEG: install it for them. On a Mac: brew install ffmpeg (if brew is missing, tell them to install Homebrew from brew.sh first). On Windows: winget install ffmpeg.
• NEED_PYTHON: install Python 3.12 (Mac: brew install [email protected], Windows: winget install Python.Python.3.12), then run setup again.
• On Windows, the Python is at .venv\Scripts\python.exe instead of .venv/bin/python.
• Windows without bash: run py -3.12 -m venv .venv, then .venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements.txt. Optional cleaner cutout: download https://github.com/PeterL1n/RobustVideoMatting/releases/download/v1.0.0/rvm_mobilenetv3_fp32.onnx into models/.
• NEED_PYTHON_312: their default Python could not install the packages. Install Python 3.12 as above and run setup again.
• Harmless log lines from TensorFlow Lite, MediaPipe or OpenCV (INFO:, WARNING:, W0000, [ WARN) are normal. Only Done: or saved means success.

2. Get the video and the effect

• Video: the user drags the file into the chat, or gives a path. A vertical phone video works best.
• Effect: from /effects <name>, or from what they describe. Match their words to the table below. Unsure? Show them the list.
• Their name and handle: effects that show a profile (glass-widgets, comment-box, pastel-word, profile-wall, headline-wall and others) default to Ray / @raycfu. Ask the user for theirs once and pass name and handle on every effect.

3. Find the timing

• If they say "on the word X" or "when I say ...", run .venv/bin/python scripts/words.py <video> and use those times.
• If they give no timing, apply the effect for the whole clip, or ask which part (one short question).
• Short windows look best: 1.5 to 4 seconds per effect.

4. Draft, check, render

1. Write the plan next to their video as <video-name>_effects.json:

   {"effects": [
     {"fx": "orbit", "start": 3.2, "end": 6.0},
     {"fx": "backdrop-word", "start": 14.0, "end": 16.3, "text": "CLAUDE"}
   ]}
   

2. Check frames first (fast): .venv/bin/python scripts/fx.py --plan <plan.json> <video> <folder>/check.png --still 4.5,15.2, using the middle of each effect. Look at the PNGs yourself. Fix the text, timing or options if something looks off (covers the face, cut off by the edge, unreadable).
3. Render: .venv/bin/python scripts/fx.py --plan <plan.json> <video> <video-name>_effects.mp4. The output keeps their original audio. It renders at 1080p by default; add --width 2160 for 4K (slower).
4. Tell them where the file is. Remind them in one line to watch it before posting: it drafts, they approve.

A single effect needs no plan: .venv/bin/python scripts/fx.py orbit <video> <out.mp4> --start 3 --end 6 --text "..." --opt key=value.

The 51 effects

#	fx name	What it does	Options (all optional)
1	noise	Reels pile up behind your head, one every quarter second	images (folder of screenshots or clips), size
2	lineup	Numbered tiles fan out in an arc above your head	text (tile names joined with |)
3	locked-on	Corner brackets snap onto your face, the camera follows you	zoom (default 1.35), text (tag)
4	orbit	Your reels circle your head: in front at the bottom, behind at the top	images, count, speed, size
5	lean-in	A fast punch-in on one word	zoom (default 1.45, max 2), speed
6	backdrop-word	A giant word drops in behind you	text, color (hex), font (bold or serif)
7	spotlight	Kills the lights, keeps you lit	text (glowing word behind you), color, push
8	the-bill	Prints your instructions like a receipt into the wall above your head	text (lines joined with |)
9	moody	A moody colour grade	grade (moody, bw, warm, cool, pop)
10	swipe	A before and after slider sweeps across you	grade (the "after" look)
11	todo	A checklist card beside your head ticks off as you talk	text (items with |), ticks (video seconds with |), title
12	comment-box	An Instagram comment bar types a word and posts it	text (default EFFECTS)
13	tap	A Follow button pops up and flips to Following	at (video second of the flip), x, y (0 to 1), color
14	pause-point	Freezes the frame and points at you with a hand-drawn arrow	text (label), color, label_x
15	uninstall	A glitchy uninstall bar breaks the frame apart	text
16	reel-frame	Your video shrinks into an Instagram reel card	text (handle)
17	shortcut-rain	Keyboard keys rain down behind you	text (keys with |), count
18	reject-stamp	A big red stamp slams onto the screen	text, color, angle, y
19	countdown-flip	A 3, 2, 1 flip clock above your head	from
20	rabbit-hole	The frame tunnels into itself, spinning	ratio, speed, spin
21	cover-star	You become a magazine cover, title behind your head	text (title), lines (with |), issue, color
22	scribble	Marker doodles draw themselves around you	text (label), color
23	glass-widgets	Frosted glass widgets and mini artifacts float around your head, plus an Edited by Claude pill	text (big number), name, handle, look (simple for the 3-widget version)
24	red-collage	Black and white you, a giant red word behind, three lines slam in	text (red word), lines (with |), tag
25	split-headline	A headline card slides down and pushes you to the bottom half	text (lines with |), hl (highlighted word), pill
26	pastel-word	Lavender room, giant word behind you, a profile card gets followed	text, name, handle
27	check-pills	Grid-paper room, reel boards behind you, a cursor clicks blue pills	text (pills with |), images
28	timeline	A dark red film grade with an editing timeline, a REC timecode and a glowing playhead	text (title), sub, tc
29	headline-box	A punch-in with a two-line headline, the second line in a white box	text (lines with |), zoom
30	profile-wall	Your reels grid fills the wall behind you while a counter ticks up	images, count, label
31	tier-list	A tier list drops in and Claude flies into S tier	title, item, others
32	broll-split	B-roll on top with a price-tag sticker, you below	images, text (tag)
33	phone-fan	Your reels fan out like a hand of phones under a headline	images, text (lines with |)
34	dot-reveal	Your shot builds out of glowing dots, then snaps to the full picture	color, cell
35	headline-wall	Your own headlines pile up behind your head, then a total pops in front	text (headline::meta|...), total, label
36	checklist	A Claude task list under your chin: each step spins, then ticks green	text (step::meta|...), title
37	liquid-glass-graph	A liquid glass card under your chin: a green graph climbs while the number counts up	text (label), from, to (e.g. 197K, 59%), color
38	carousel-spin	Your reels spin around you in a 3D carousel, then slow to a stop	images, count, size, turns
39	match-cut	News pages cut on one word, locked in a red box behind your head	text (the word, default Claude), color
40	apple-toggles	An iPhone settings card under your chin flips its switches on, one line at a time	text (rows with |), ticks (seconds with |), color
41	led-sign	The lights drop and a glowing LED sign types itself out behind you	text (lines with |), color, push
42	slow-push	A slow cinematic push-in to your face while the room melts out of focus	zoom (default 1.6), blur
43	over-the-shoulder-zoom	The camera pushes into one top corner and a see-through liquid glass graph pops beside your head (line climbs, number counts up), pulls back, then the other corner with a second, related bar graph. Your head stays in front	text (two labels with |), to (two numbers with |, e.g. 197K|672K), zoom (default 2.0)
44	messages	iMessage notifications pop in one after another, creamy glass with a soft glow, stacking up above the bottom of the frame	text (messages with |), title (default Messages), y
45	place-in-grid	You shrink into the centre tile of your 3x3 profile grid on frosted glass, then 8 reels pop in around you, one per frame, with Instagram view counts on every tile	images (folder of your reels or covers), views (9 counts with |, the 9th is yours)
46	tape-label	A level strip of yellow tape with your line lands on your chest, kept off your face	text
47	select-resize	A blue selection box with handles grabs your number above your head and a cursor drags it bigger	text (default 2X)
48	wave-trim	A dark panel above your head shows your voice; the red dotted silence on both ends collapses until only your words are left	none
49	huge-strike	One huge serif word wipes in behind your head, then a red line crosses it out	text, at (seconds into the effect when the strike lands, default 0.6)
50	crayon-write	A red crayon writes your word behind your head, then underlines it and flies off	text
51	fan-build	Your reel covers deal into a fan behind your head, one card at a time	images (folder of your covers), count (default 13)

Named looks (same effect, a fancier look; they don't add to the count):

• glitter-spotlight = spotlight with look=sparkle: the room goes dark, golden rays burst from behind your head, a big gold word with a shine sweep, twinkling sparkles and a glow around you. text (the word), color, push.
• cover-star with look=editorial: a soft warm film look, a classic serif masthead behind your head, an issue line and elegant cover lines. text (masthead), issue, lines (3 lines with \|), right (lines with \|), color, accent, lines_y, right_y.
• liquid-glass-graph with look=bento: the climbing graph moves to a smoked glass screen behind your head, with glass bento tiles in front of you (a donut, a KPI, bars). text, from, to, donut (29%::label), kpi (672K::label), bars (197\|140\|124::label).
• apple-toggles now sits above you, tucked behind your head, with a gentle zoom (pos=below for the old under-the-chin card; overlap, zoom).

Aliases work too: bill, to-do, follow, stamp, countdown, cover, rain, pause.

Rules

• Never cover the face. Everything either goes behind the person or avoids the face by itself; if a check frame still shows text over the face, move it (x, y) or shorten the text.
• Effects run in the order listed. Put camera effects (locked-on, lean-in, spotlight) first when they overlap others.
• Zoom never goes past 2x, so the video stays sharp.
• This skill adds visuals only. Sound effects and captions are up to the user (CapCut works well).
• These are starter versions. Be honest about that if the user compares them to a reel they saw.

Extra options (Ray's edition)

These were added on top of the starter effects to fix what looked off on real footage. Pass them like any other option ("key": "value" in a plan, or --opt key=value).

Effect	Option	What it does
any card/orbit effect	play=1	Plays each video in the images folder inside its card instead of a still
liquid-glass-graph	pos=behind	Puts the graph on a dark glass screen behind your head instead of over your chest
liquid-glass-graph	smoke=0.5..0.85	Dark smoked glass instead of see-through liquid glass (no smeared copy of your body)
liquid-glass-graph, over-the-shoulder-zoom	to=$32,000	Currency prefixes and thousands separators count up correctly
checklist	smoke, scale=0.86, bottom=0.95, guard=0	Dark readable card, smaller, sitting low so it never touches your face
checklist	span=2.9	Seconds over which the ticks land, so the last tick hits your gesture
spotlight	flicker=0, lift=0.8	Turn off the neon flicker-on, or lower the word so your head covers part of it
cover-star	mast_y=0.15	Fixed masthead height (pair with a tighter crop so your head overlaps it)
comment-box	lock=1, avatar_color=#FDB827	Pin the comment sheet in place, set the avatar color (letter comes from handle)

Hands in front of a card: render the effect, then run .venv/bin/python scripts/hands_front.py <original> <with_effect> <out>.

Cutout quality: if models/rvm_mobilenetv3_fp32.onnx exists, every effect uses Robust Video Matting for the person cutout (cleaner hair, no flicker). Set FX_MATTE=mp to use the original MediaPipe segmenter.