research/projects/salon-social-media-system/video/salon-reel-video-pipeline.md

Salon Reel Video Pipeline Skill

When to use this skill: You are producing short vertical Reels (9:16) for Phoenix Salon & Spa social media. The goal is fast, high-quality clips that educate, engage, and drive bookings. Typical length: 15-30 seconds.

Core Principles (from OpenMontage patterns):

• Break every video into clear stages with quality gates.
• Prefer real client footage + tasteful enhancements over heavy AI generation.
• Human approval is required before final render and before posting.
• Use HyperFrames for polished subtitles/overlays when possible; fall back to FFmpeg for speed.

Pipeline Stages

1. Intake & Planning

   • Understand the goal of the Reel (educational tip, service highlight, promotion, behind-the-scenes).
   • Identify key moments in raw footage or script.
   • Decide on music mood, text overlays, and CTA.

2. Clipping & Trimming

   • Extract the strongest 8-25 second segment(s).
   • Use FFmpeg for fast, precise cuts:

     ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:00:05 -t 15 -c copy clip.mp4
     

   • Keep multiple options if unsure.

3. Transcription & Subtitling

   • Transcribe spoken content.
   • Create big, readable, timed subtitles (karaoke or highlight style preferred for Reels).
   • Use HyperFrames when high visual polish is needed.
   • Burn subtitles with FFmpeg when speed matters:

     ffmpeg -i clip.mp4 -vf "subtitles=subs.srt:force_style='Fontsize=24,PrimaryColour=&H00FFFFFF'" -c:a copy output.mp4
     

4. Visual Enhancement & Branding

   • Add Phoenix Salon logo (lower third or corner).
   • Color grade lightly for warm, relaxing spa feel.
   • Add subtle transitions and motion graphics via HyperFrames if time allows.
   • Ensure vertical 1080x1920 output.

5. Audio Polish

   • Normalize audio levels.
   • Add royalty-free background music that matches the mood (calm for education, upbeat for promotions).
   • Duck music under voice.

6. Quality Gate (Self-Review)

   • Watch the full clip.
   • Check: readability of text, brand consistency, pacing, audio clarity, no spelling errors.
   • Flag anything that feels off-brand or low quality.

7. Human Approval Gate

   • Present the rendered Reel + description of changes to the human.
   • Only proceed to export/finalize after explicit approval.

Output Requirements

• Final file must be vertical (1080x1920), under 30 seconds, H.264, good compression for social.
• Include caption text ready for Postiz.
• Log what worked well for future learning.

Tools to Use

• Terminal skill for FFmpeg commands
• HyperFrames skill for advanced composition and subtitles
• Browser or file tools for assets (logo, music)

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-editing (keep it natural and authentic for a salon).
• Tiny unreadable text on mobile.
• Forgetting the CTA at the end.
• Posting without human review on brand-sensitive content.