Vibe Editing Kit

Turn your recording into a video you can keep editing

Three skills for the repetitive parts of video editing: choosing takes, building useful visuals, and finding mistakes. You direct the style and approve the result.

Open the visual guide in your browser, or start with the setup guide and first-video walkthrough.

Includes three original visual recipes: Studio, Evidence and Sketchbook. These are instructions and design settings for the agent, not a proprietary plugin or a promise of identical results on every video.

Before you start

• The main walkthrough uses Codex on your Mac + Palmier Pro + optional HyperFrames. Palmier currently requires macOS 26 or later. Windows and older Macs need a different editor route; see alternatives.
• Choose GPT-6 Astra if it is available in your model picker. The skills do not unlock model access. This local editor connection is not the same as attaching a video to a regular ChatGPT web conversation.
• Palmier's editor, external MCP connection and local transcription are free. Your AI agent has its own account limits or costs. Cloud transcription and generated media are optional.
• Begin with one short talking-head recording. Multicam, long documentaries and complex sound design need more setup and review.

The kit does not install software, change account settings, send footage to a transcription service or edit a project just because you opened it. Follow the setup steps, then give the agent your actual editing request.

In this folder

• SETUP.md: installation, connection test and troubleshooting.
• FIRST-VIDEO.md: copyable prompts from raw footage to review.
• STYLE-PRESETS.md: choose a look and see what changes.
• SAVE-YOUR-WORKFLOW.md: retain decisions from an approved edit.
• skills/: the three installable skill folders, including their references and check scripts.
• templates/: a brief, visual plan, feedback sheet and handoff record.
• VALIDATION.md: exact test coverage and limitations.
• SOURCES.md: documentation, provenance and further reading.

Version 1.0 beta. Documentation checked 16 September 2026. Read VALIDATION.md before treating an editor route as tested.

Set up your editing workspace

Follow this once. Your first success is a small editable project that exports correctly, before you hand over a long recording.

1. Choose the supported starting route

This walkthrough is for a Mac running macOS 26 or later, with the local Codex environment and Palmier Pro. Check your macOS version in About This Mac. Palmier's product name includes Pro even though the editor and external MCP access have a free tier. Palmier download and requirements · pricing.

Use your existing OpenAI account in Codex. Choose GPT-6 Astra if offered. Availability and usage limits depend on your account; this kit does not require purchasing the subscription recommended in someone else's tutorial. Use the official app documentation for your current app's installation/sign-in steps.

Windows, older macOS or an existing Premiere/Resolve workflow: read other editor routes. Do not buy an editor just because an MCP repository exists.

2. Make one project folder

Create a folder called My First AI Edit somewhere you can keep it. Open that folder as a local project in Codex. Unzip this kit into it, retaining all subfolders. Put a copy of a short recording in a media folder. Keep your camera originals separately.

Suggested structure after your first edit:

My First AI Edit/
  .agents/skills/          Installed skills
  vibe-editing-kit/        This guide and original kit
  media/                  Durable source copies and assets
  analysis/               Transcripts, cut plan and visual plan
  graphics/               Editable HyperFrames compositions
  exports/                Rough cuts and revised videos
  BRIEF.md
  HANDOFF.md

You do not need to create every folder manually. Paste this into Codex:

Read the Vibe Editing Kit in this project. Create the working folders shown in SETUP.md without replacing existing files. Ask me only for missing information needed to begin. Do not edit my recording yet.

3. Install the three skills

The folders are video-rough-cut, video-animate and video-review. Keep each complete folder, including its references and scripts.

Easiest option, in Codex:

Install the three skill folders from this kit into this project's .agents/skills/ folder. Preserve existing skills; report a name collision instead of replacing one. Verify that all three SKILL.md files and their references are present.

Or run the included installer from a terminal in the kit folder:

python3 scripts/install_skills.py "../"

That previews the destination without copying. If ../ is your intended video project, apply it:

python3 scripts/install_skills.py "../" --apply

Use the actual project path if you unzipped the kit somewhere else. Python 3 is required only for this installer and the optional check scripts. You can also copy the three folders manually in Finder, showing hidden files to reach .agents.

Start a fresh task in the project if the skills do not appear. Depending on the client, select a skill with @, $, or its skill picker. You can always say “Use the video-rough-cut skill installed in this project.” Official skill discovery and invocation.

4. Connect Palmier through MCP

Install and open Palmier from its official site. Create an empty project for your first test. Keep the app open.

In Codex settings, find MCP servers and add a custom Streamable HTTP server:

Name: palmier-pro
URL: http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

If you use the Codex CLI, the equivalent command is:

codex mcp add palmier-pro --url http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

The CLI is optional for the app settings route. Restart the task/app if tools do not appear. These are the vendor's published connection settings. Palmier MCP instructions · Codex MCP configuration.

MCP exposes supported editor commands and timeline data. That makes a precise cut easier to inspect than a sequence of screen clicks. It does not supply editing taste or make every operation available. Computer use can still handle UI-only gaps.

5. Prove the connection before editing

Paste:

Use Palmier MCP to list projects and open my empty test project. Read its timeline and tell me its name, resolution, frame rate and clip count. Do not change another project.

Success means you receive actual project details. “MCP is configured,” a tool list, or the app opening is not enough.

Then run a small export test:

In this test project, import my short sample, place about five seconds on an empty timeline with its linked audio, and export a review MP4 to a new file. Read back the timeline, wait for the export to finish, and verify dimensions, frame rate, duration and audio presence. Keep the source unchanged. Tell me which checks passed and which still require playback.

Watch it. Check picture, sound and where the clip starts/ends. If this fails, resolve it before a full video. The kit's validation record describes what was tested by the author; your local test verifies your installation.

6. Choose transcription

Start with Palmier's local transcription. It keeps transcription out of a separate paid service and avoids adding an API key during setup. The model still receives the transcript and any frames used for editing, so “local transcription” does not mean the entire agent workflow is offline.

If the local transcript is inaccurate, first correct the language and inspect a short excerpt. Optional alternatives are local Whisper, Groq and ElevenLabs. Cloud transcription sends audio to that service and may incur charges. Choose it deliberately; do not paste keys into the chat or this guide.

Ask for word-level timestamps, but check actual audio around cuts. A word timestamp is an estimate. Repeated takes and long pauses can confuse transcription.

7. Add HyperFrames when you need custom graphics

Native captions and simple editor keyframes do not require HyperFrames. Install it when Animate needs a custom diagram, evidence sequence or designed motion graphic.

Paste:

Set up HyperFrames for local rendering in this project's graphics folder using its official quickstart. Check Node.js, FFmpeg and the renderer browser. Install the core agent skills, record the version, and prove it with a short local sample. Keep paid generation and cloud rendering off unless I request them. Do not change my approved dialogue timeline.

The official starting commands are:

npx hyperframes skills update

Or the interactive skills installer:

npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes

Use one route, not both repeatedly. Node.js 22+ and FFmpeg are listed prerequisites. The first run can download packages or model/browser assets. For installation details use the quickstart and official repository. Local rendering is free; the coding agent and optional hosted services can have costs.

For an existing composition, common commands are npx hyperframes preview, npx hyperframes check and npx hyperframes render --output sample.mp4. Let the installed help/skills resolve version-specific options. Keep the successful version and render command in the project. Do not blindly update a working video mid-edit.

Imported graphics become video clips in Palmier. Keep the HyperFrames composition so internal text and animation can be revised later.

8. Make your first video

Open FIRST-VIDEO.md. Start with a 30 to 90 second recording, not your longest project. The three skills work in order, and you review the spoken cut before spending time on visuals.

If something fails

Keep the first error, app version and project name in your report. Avoid reinstalling everything for one failed operation.

Your first video

Start after the connection/export test in SETUP.md passes. Put a short recording and any relevant B-roll or screenshots in media/. Keep the original recording intact.

Give it an actual brief

Copy templates/BRIEF.md into your project or explain the same choices in chat. Supply the source file, platform/aspect, spoken language, pacing, required ideas, style and audio preference. A rough target duration is useful; it should not erase essential speech.

For example:

This is a talking-head explainer for an Instagram reel. Use the recording in media. Make a 9:16 version at the source frame rate. Keep the explanation and closing invitation, remove failed attempts and unnecessary gaps, and preserve natural speech. No music. Use the Studio visual recipe after I approve the spoken cut.

1. Rough Cut

Use video-rough-cut on the recording in media. Verify the source and the correct editor project. Transcribe it, choose complete takes and assemble the spoken edit. Keep the intended story and meaningful pauses. Check each join and present the rough-cut video, editable timeline, cut plan and any uncertain decisions. Stop before adding graphics.

Watch the rough cut with sound. Listen to word endings and sentence joins. Confirm every point you intended to make survived. Reply with output timestamps and a specific fix:

At 00:12.4, the end of “timeline” is clipped. Restore the word ending from the source. At 00:24, keep the pause before the punchline. Preserve everything else and show me the revised cut.

Once satisfied:

This spoken cut is approved. Preserve its dialogue timing for the visual pass.

2. Animate

Use video-animate with the Studio recipe. Read the approved cut and plan visuals against its current timing. Use my real screenshots and B-roll where they explain the point. Add readable captions and purposeful motion. Keep demonstrations and my face clear. Preserve the approved dialogue and audio. Retain the editable graphics source, render the visual edit and inspect the export.

Replace Studio with Evidence or Sketchbook. Add a concrete style correction if needed:

Keep the same pacing, but make the captions smaller and leave the first explanation clean. Show the actual screenshot at 00:18 instead of another text card.

For a brand-new look, approve a short sample first. For a trusted saved style, authorize the whole visual pass in one request.

3. Review

Use video-review on the latest export. Check it against the brief, the cut plan and visual plan. Inspect speech boundaries, sync, captions, visual timing and the actual export settings. Fix verified defects, preserve approved sections and re-check the revised file. Give me the issue list and tell me exactly which checks still need my playback.

You should receive a new export, editable project and review report, not just “looks good.” Watch the entire final video with sound before approving it.

Keep the next edit simpler

After approval, follow SAVE-YOUR-WORKFLOW.md. Save the decisions you liked and the corrections that mattered. The next video should start with those choices already available.

What a useful handoff looks like

exports/video-v03.mp4
editable project or a self-contained package
analysis/cut-plan.json
analysis/visual-plan.md
analysis/review.md
graphics/ with source compositions and assets
HANDOFF.md with current version and unresolved checks

A rendered MP4 alone is not an editable project. Keep the source media with your project and test a portable copy if you plan to move it to another computer.

Pick a visual style

These three original recipes give the agent a consistent starting point. Each includes colours, typography, caption placement, motion timing and rules for when to leave the footage alone. They are not pre-rendered assets or exact reproductions of another creator's paid presets.

Say: “Use Animate with the Evidence recipe. Use my screenshots as the proof.”

The machine-readable files live inside skills/video-animate/assets/styles/. The instructions explaining how to apply them are in the style reference. Preview the three directions in styles-preview.html.

Change the typeface, colours, motion strength or caption placement by asking for that specific change. Keep a successful treatment and reuse it; there is no need to invent a new visual system for every video.

The sample values assume a 1080-pixel reference canvas. The agent must scale and check them for your output, footage and viewing platform. No preset can guarantee that a moving hand, face or important interface stays clear without inspecting the actual video.

Static illustrations of the design directions. These are not rendered video samples. Use your own footage and evidence in the edit. Preview typography uses your system font; the recipes request Instrument Sans when available.

Save the edit you approved

Use this after the video has passed review and you approve its sound and picture:

Turn this approved workflow into a reusable editing skill for me. Include my corrections, pacing preferences and verification steps. Separate general rules from choices specific to this video. Capture the actual caption settings, visual treatments, motion timing and audio choices that worked. Keep the source-to-output mapping, exact timecodes and media paths in this video's handoff. Do not replace the three kit skills; create a separate personal-style skill in this project and show me what you saved.

The result should explain decisions, not simply say “make it premium.” Useful examples:

• Hold screen recordings while the action is happening; avoid covering controls with decorative graphics.
• Use short caption phrases, stable horizontal alignment and a contrast backing when footage demands it.
• Keep the natural pause before a punchline.
• Use a sound for a meaningful reveal; leave ordinary captions silent.

Keep one-off decisions such as “show this screenshot at 00:18” in the project rather than applying them to every future video.

For the next recording:

Use my saved style with the three editing skills. Verify the new source and timeline first. Reuse the approved visual and pacing choices, but plan the cuts and beats from this recording.

Saving preferences does not remove the need for review. Watch the full final timeline with sound and check word endings, sync, captions, visual timing and audio levels.

Already using another editor?

The editorial skills are portable instructions. Editor control is a separate dependency, and a connector listing is not evidence that it works with your installed version.

DaVinci Resolve

Resolve has Free and Studio editions. Blackmagic documents external scripting under Studio. Community bridges may have edition/version-specific workarounds. Do not downgrade a working installation or project library to follow a tutorial.

If you already use Studio, evaluate the community Resolve MCP against its current installation instructions and your platform. It is third-party software. Confirm the project identity, read a timeline, create a small test edit and verify its export before using real work. Prefer a local scripting connection over exposing it on your network.

Kit status: direct Resolve editing is not validated for this package. An earlier local Free 21.1 test initialized the MCP server but could not connect to the scripting API. This is not evidence about every Resolve version or computer.

Official background: Resolve Studio.

Premiere Pro

Premiere requires its own subscription. Community MCP integrations use different scripting/extension bridges. Installing a server is not the same as activating a working panel inside Premiere.

Two projects worth inspecting are hetpatel-11/Adobe_Premiere_Pro_MCP and nepfaff/premiere-pro-mcp. Choose one compatible implementation rather than installing both blindly. Review its requirements, extension signing/developer-mode implications and source before installation.

Kit status: direct Premiere editing is not validated for this package. The earlier local connector installation returned a bridge-unavailable result. The guide does not claim a working Premiere path from that installation alone.

Transfer a rough cut instead

Palmier supports editor interchange exports, but those can lose finishing features. Transfer a small rough-cut sample first, reopen it and compare timing, audio, framing and missing effects. Do detailed finishing in the destination editor if the transfer passes.

Keep the original project and a reference MP4. Rendered graphics preserve their appearance but need their original composition source for internal edits. See Palmier export limitations.

Without a working MCP connector

An agent can help with plans, transcripts, subtitle files, graphics and supported interchange while you operate the editor. Computer use may handle some UI actions. Describe that as a different workflow with its own test, not as the direct MCP route already working.

What has been tested

Version 1.0 beta. Checked 16 September 2026. The kit is a working set of instructions and helpers, with a tested Palmier connection. It has not yet passed a complete first-time-user trial on another computer.

Fresh tests for this kit

The technical export was generated test footage with a tone. It proves the import/edit/export plumbing, not natural speech editing or artistic quality. Private speech was used only for the transcription test and is not included in the download.

Scope of the three skills

The skills are agent instructions with supporting references and check scripts. The helper tests do not prove that every model will select the right takes or follow every instruction. A full raw-footage-to-finished-video trial using these exact three packaged skills is still pending.

• Rough Cut: helper validation and editor assembly tested. Autonomous take selection, narrative completeness and natural joins need a real-video trial and playback.
• Animate: native animated title tested. The three visual recipes are design instructions; the style previews are static illustrations. They are not finished motion templates. No new end-to-end HyperFrames insert was rendered for this release.
• Review: metadata, frame count, full decoding and optional audio measurement tested. These do not certify intelligibility, lip sync, caption correctness or taste.

Other environments

HyperFrames' local environment check found Node, FFmpeg, Chrome and Whisper on the author's machine. The installed CLI was 0.8.35 and reported a newer version. This package does not depend on that local installation or silently update it. Follow the current official quickstart and verify a sample on your machine.

Resolve and Premiere are documented alternatives, not tested setup routes for this package. Windows and older macOS are also outside the tested Palmier route.

Before approving your first video

1. Run the guide's small connection/export test on your own machine.
2. Try one short recording using Rough Cut, Animate and Review in order.
3. Watch the entire final file with sound. Check the intended story, word endings, sync, captions, visual timing and audio levels.
4. Reopen the editable project and confirm its source media and graphics are available.

Treat an export as ready for playback review until those checks are complete. No speed, savings or one-prompt quality claim is attached to this kit.

Sources and provenance

Documentation checked 16 September 2026. Product requirements, available models and commands can change. The setup guide links to the primary instructions so you can verify your version.

Tools and installation

• Palmier and pricing: platform requirements and the distinction between the free editor/external MCP path and paid services.
• Palmier agent and MCP: local HTTP endpoint, external-agent connection and editor tools.
• Palmier text and captions and export: native text workflow and interchange limitations.
• Palmier's public skills: additional vendor-maintained workflow references. They are not bundled here.
• Official app documentation, skills and MCP: agent setup, local skill discovery and MCP configuration.
• HyperFrames quickstart, CLI and repository: agent skills, local rendering and prerequisites. Follow installed help when flags differ.
• Whisper, Groq speech to text and ElevenLabs speech to text: optional transcription routes. Cloud services were not used in this kit's fresh tests.
• FFmpeg filters and FFprobe: technical inspection and audio measurements.

Alternative editors

• DaVinci Resolve Studio and community Resolve MCP.
• Adobe Premiere Pro MCP and another community Premiere bridge.

These are research references, not endorsements or a claim that every connector was tested. See validation.

How this kit was developed

The workflow draws on the author's own editing notes, source-to-timeline checks, exported projects and corrections, alongside supplied learning notes attributed to Brian, Nate and Jason Cooperson. Those creator demonstrations informed the staged workflow and reusable-style idea; their speed, autonomy and quality claims are not test results for this kit.

The three skills, templates, style recipes and helper scripts were written for this resource. No paid creator skill pack, private tutorial transcript, proprietary editing preset, private footage or API credential is included. The three styles are original starting directions, not reproductions of the creators' packs.

The fresh test results are recorded separately in VALIDATION.md. Use that record to distinguish observed behaviour from a proposed workflow.