Build your own AI video editor
A free guide to editing Reels with Claude Code.
What you are building
A folder on your computer that Claude Code uses as an editing studio. You drop in a rough cut. Claude adds titles, captions and animations in your style, then shows you a storyboard in your browser. You comment, it fixes, you watch a quick low-quality preview, and only then does it render the final video.
You need
- A Claude account with access to Claude Code (the Code tab in the Claude desktop app, or Claude Code in your terminal)
- A Mac or Windows computer with free disk space for video files
- One rough cut: a talking-head video with the mistakes and long pauses already trimmed
- 2 to 5 Reels you like, or your own best ones
- Your brand basics: colors, fonts, logo
You don't need to code, and you don't need Premiere, CapCut or After Effects. Setup takes about an hour. After that, each new video is: drop the file, paste one prompt, review, export.
How each step works. Every step has a prompt to paste into Claude Code. Anything in [brackets] is yours to fill in. Each step also lists what you need to give Claude, so it doesn't have to stop and ask. Claude will ask permission before installing things or changing files. Say yes when the request matches what you asked for.
Before you start: your info sheet
Claude edits well when it knows your details and badly when it guesses. Fill this in once in a note or doc. You'll paste it into Claude in step 3.
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| Name and handle | Studio Name, @yourhandle |
| Brand colors (hex) | Main #ef8142, dark #2d2d2d, light #f0f1ed. Say which one highlights text |
| Fonts | Main font and backup font. Install the font on your computer and keep the file in References |
| Logo | PNG with a transparent background, saved in References |
| Video format | Vertical 9:16, 1080 x 1920, 30 fps, 30 to 60 seconds |
| Where you post | Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts. Each covers a different part of the screen with its buttons, so Claude keeps text clear of them |
| Language | English, and whether you want UK or US spelling |
| Caption style | 1 to 3 words at a time, white, lowercase, bottom third, active word in brand color |
| Animations you like | Punch-in zoom at the start, numbered step cards, screenshots popping in, big keyword words |
| Music and sound | None, or a file you own the license for. Volume under your voice |
| Things to avoid | Emojis, stock footage, text covering your face |
| Ending / call to action | "Comment GUIDE and I'll send it" |
| Reference Reels | A file or link for each, plus one line on what you like in it |
No brand yet? Tell Claude: "I don't have brand colors or fonts. Propose three options based on my reference Reels and let me choose."
Use reference Reels only to study style. Edit only footage you have the right to use.
The six steps
When something goes wrong
| Problem | What to tell Claude |
|---|---|
| An install fails | Paste the error and say: "Fix this, then re-test the tool." |
| Captions are out of sync or misspelled | "Re-transcribe with word-level timestamps. Names to spell correctly: [list]." |
| My font doesn't show | "Use the font file in References. If it still doesn't load, tell me which font was used instead." Install the font on your computer first |
| Claude ignores my style | "Read STYLE-GUIDE.md again and list the rules you applied to this video." Check that CLAUDE.md points to the style guide |
| The export or preview takes too long | "Render only scene [number] as a 10 second low-quality preview so I can check it." |
| Text is hidden behind the app buttons | "Move titles and captions inside the safe zone for [platform] and update STYLE-GUIDE.md." |
| The storyboard looks empty | "Regenerate the storyboard data for [filename] and reopen the storyboard." |
| I don't like the whole look | Add a new reference Reel and say: "Update STYLE-GUIDE.md to move closer to this one. Show me what changed." |
Habits that keep results good and costs low
- Trim the rough cut before you hand it over. Fewer messy parts means fewer scenes to fix.
- Approve on the storyboard, then the preview, before the final render. Every full re-render costs time and tokens.
- Review every scene, then send one batch of feedback instead of ten messages.
- Be specific. "Scene 3 should say 5 steps, not 3" works better than "fix the titles".
- Update the style guide after each video.
- Never overwrite Raw Footage, so you can always start again.
Checklist
- Folders created and opened in Claude Code
- Tools installed and tested
- STYLE-GUIDE.md written and checked with a test clip
- Storyboard built and opening in your browser
- Rough cut dropped in, storyboard generated
- Feedback given, all scenes approved, preview watched, video exported
I packed all this info into a plug-and-play skill. Download it, install it in your Claude Code workspace, and it’ll guide you through the process step by step.
Happy editing! 🧋
Download the skillLet’s build your content system
Trying to grow your personal brand?
If you’re figuring out what to talk about, how to stand out, or how AI can make content easier, we can chat about your business and see what might make sense for you.
Let’s chatGot one specific thing you want help figuring out?
Book a Pick My Brain session and we’ll work through it together — from AI agents and content workflows to automations and social media systems.
Pick My Brain