new-youtube-video-skill
New YouTube Video Production Skill (Enhanced)
Overview
This skill guides you through creating a new YouTube video from ideation to publish. It:
- Asks comprehensive questions with options to choose from
- Creates the project folder structure in
~/YT/Ideas/ - Uses Playwright MCP to fetch vidIQ keyword data and competitor analysis
- Grabs competitor CTAs, thumbnail screenshots, and content patterns
- Generates research artifacts (title ideas, CTA options, outlines, notes)
- Initializes todo.md for progress tracking
Step 1: Initial Questions (ALWAYS ASK FIRST)
When invoked, use AskUserQuestion to gather information through multiple choice questions:
Question Set 1: Basic Info
Question 1: "What content category is this video?"
Header: "Category"
Options:
- Tech Tutorial / How-to
- AI Tools & Productivity
- Coding / Development
- Finance / Investing
- News / Reaction (Recommended for timely topics)
Question 2: "What's your video length goal?"
Header: "Length"
Options:
- Short (5-8 minutes) - Quick explainer
- Medium (10-15 minutes) - Standard tutorial (Recommended)
- Long (15-25 minutes) - Deep dive
- Very Long (25+ minutes) - Comprehensive guide
Question 3: "What's the primary format?"
Header: "Format"
Options:
- Screen recording + face cam (Recommended for tutorials)
- Mostly face cam with B-roll
- Pure screen recording
- Talking head with graphics
Question 4: "How much research help do you need?"
Header: "Research"
Options:
- Full research (fetch competitors, keywords, CTAs) (Recommended)
- Light research (just keyword validation)
- No research (I have my own data)
- I'll provide competitor URLs to analyze
Question Set 2: Topic Details
After initial questions, ask:
Question 1: "What's the core topic?"
(Free text - user types their topic)
Question 2: "What's your unique angle or hook?"
Header: "Hook Type"
Options:
- Surprising statistic / Little-known fact
- Myth-busting / Contrarian take
- Tutorial / How-to guide
- Comparison / Showdown
- Personal experience / Case study
Question 3: "Who is the target audience?"
Header: "Audience"
Options:
- Beginners (explaining basics)
- Intermediate (practical application)
- Advanced (deep techniques)
- Mixed (layered content)
Question 4: "Do you have any competitor videos to analyze?"
Header: "Competitors"
Options:
- Yes, I'll paste URLs
- No, find top competitors for me (Recommended)
- Skip competitor research
Step 2: Folder Creation
Create the project in ~/YT/Ideas/ (NOT root ~/YT/):
# Replace [VIDEO_TITLE] with sanitized video title (spaces to hyphens, no special chars)
mkdir -p ~/YT/Ideas/[VIDEO_TITLE]/{01_Script,02_Raw_Footage/{Screen_Recordings,Face_Cam},03_Audio/{Original,Processed},04_Assets/{B-Roll,Graphics,Music_SFX,Competitor_Thumbnails},05_Project_Files,06_Exports/{Long_Form,Shorts},07_Thumbnails}
Enhanced folder structure:
~/YT/Ideas/[Video Title]/
├── 01_Script/
│ ├── script.md # Final script (generated later)
│ ├── outline.md # Generated outline with structure
│ ├── research.md # Keyword data, competitor analysis
│ ├── title-ideas.md # 10+ title options with vidIQ scores
│ ├── cta-ideas.md # CTA options from competitors + custom
│ └── notes.md # Freeform notes, ideas, snippets
├── 02_Raw_Footage/
│ ├── Screen_Recordings/
│ └── Face_Cam/
├── 03_Audio/
│ ├── Original/
│ └── Processed/
├── 04_Assets/
│ ├── B-Roll/
│ ├── Graphics/
│ │ └── presentation.html # If presentation skill is used
│ ├── Music_SFX/
│ └── Competitor_Thumbnails/ # Screenshots of competitor thumbnails
├── 05_Project_Files/
├── 06_Exports/
│ ├── Long_Form/
│ └── Shorts/
├── 07_Thumbnails/
└── todo.md # Progress tracker
Step 3: Competitor Research via Playwright MCP
If user selected "Full research" or "Find top competitors", use Playwright MCP:
3a. Search YouTube for Competitors
1. Navigate to YouTube
2. Search for: [topic] + relevant keywords
3. Filter by: View count (high), Upload date (recent - last 6 months)
4. Extract top 5-10 videos with:
- Title
- View count
- Channel name
- Subscriber count
- Upload date
- Thumbnail (screenshot)
- Video URL
3b. Fetch Competitor Details
For each top competitor video:
1. Navigate to video page
2. Click "Show transcript" button
3. Extract:
- Full transcript (for CTA extraction)
- First 60 seconds (hook analysis)
- Last 60 seconds (outro/CTA analysis)
- Description (for keywords, links)
4. Take thumbnail screenshot → save to Competitor_Thumbnails/
3c. Extract CTAs from Transcripts
Parse transcripts to find CTA patterns:
- Subscribe mentions ("subscribe", "hit subscribe", "join the channel")
- Like mentions ("like this video", "thumbs up", "smash that like")
- Comment prompts ("let me know in the comments", "tell me below")
- Link mentions ("link in description", "check out", "use code")
- End screen mentions ("watch this next", "check out this video")
Save examples to cta-ideas.md:
# CTA Ideas for [Video Title]
## Extracted from Competitor Videos
### Subscribe CTAs
- "If you're into [topic], subscribe - I post every [frequency]" - [Channel Name] (1.2M views)
- [More examples...]
### Mid-Video CTAs
- "If this is helping you out, hit that like button" - [Channel Name]
- [More examples...]
### Outro CTAs
- "Watch this video next to learn [topic]" - [Channel Name]
- [More examples...]
## Custom CTAs for This Video
(Claude generates 3-5 custom options based on video topic)
1. Subscribe: "..."
2. Mid-video like: "..."
3. Comment prompt: "..."
4. End screen: "..."
3d. Analyze Competitor Thumbnails
Take screenshots of top performing thumbnails and note patterns:
- Face or no face
- Text overlay (how much, what style)
- Color scheme
- Emotion/expression
- Background type
Save analysis to research.md.
Step 4: vidIQ Keyword Research via Playwright MCP
Use Playwright MCP to fetch keyword data from vidIQ:
1. Navigate to https://vidiq.com
2. Go to Keywords Tool (or Keyword Inspector)
3. Search for: [primary topic keyword]
4. Extract:
- Search volume
- Competition score
- Overall score
- Related keywords (top 10)
- Trend data
5. Search 2-3 alternative keywords
6. Compare scores
Save to research.md:
# Keyword Research for [Video Title]
## Primary Keywords
| Keyword | Volume | Competition | Score | Trend |
|---------|--------|-------------|-------|-------|
| [keyword 1] | 12K | Medium | 67 | ↑ |
| [keyword 2] | 8K | Low | 72 | → |
| [keyword 3] | 5K | High | 45 | ↓ |
## Recommended Primary Keyword
**[Best keyword]** - Score: [X], Volume: [Y]
## Related Keywords to Include
1. [related 1]
2. [related 2]
3. [related 3]
...
## SEO Recommendations
- Use "[primary keyword]" in first 60 characters of title
- Include in first sentence of description
- Add to first 3 tags
Step 5: Generate Title Ideas
Based on keyword research and competitor analysis, generate 10+ title options:
Save to title-ideas.md:
# Title Ideas for [Video Topic]
**Primary Keyword:** [keyword] (Score: X, Volume: Y)
## Curiosity Gap Titles
1. "I [Did Thing] and [Surprising Result]"
2. "Why [Experts] Do [Thing] (And You Should Too)"
3. "The [Adjective] Way to [Achieve Goal] That Nobody Talks About"
## How-To Titles
4. "How to [Achieve Goal] in [Timeframe] (Step-by-Step)"
5. "[Number] Ways to [Solve Problem] Using [Tool]"
6. "The Complete Guide to [Topic] for [Audience]"
## List/Number Titles
7. "[Number] [Topic] Mistakes That Are Costing You [Thing]"
8. "[Number] [Topic] Tips I Wish I Knew Earlier"
## Comparison Titles
9. "[Option A] vs [Option B]: Which is Better for [Use Case]?"
10. "I Tried [Thing] for [Time] - Here's What Happened"
## Contrarian Titles
11. "Stop [Common Practice] - Do This Instead"
12. "[Popular Advice] is WRONG (Here's the Truth)"
---
## Top 3 Recommended
### #1: "[Best Title]"
- Uses primary keyword: ✓
- Character count: XX/100
- Curiosity level: High
- CTR prediction: Strong
### #2: "[Second Best]"
...
### #3: "[Third Best]"
...
Step 6: Generate Outline
Based on research, create a video outline:
Save to outline.md:
# Video Outline: [Title]
**Target Length:** [X] minutes
**Format:** [Format from questions]
**Primary Keyword:** [keyword]
---
## HOOK (0:00-0:30) [FACE CAM]
**Goal:** Pattern interrupt, stop the scroll, works as standalone short
**Hook options:**
1. [Surprising stat hook]
2. [Question hook]
3. [Contrarian hook]
**Opening line:** "[Draft opening line]"
---
## INTRO (0:30-1:30) [FACE CAM]
**Goal:** Establish credibility, set expectations, first CTA
- What you'll learn
- Why it matters
- Quick roadmap
- Subscribe CTA: "[CTA from cta-ideas.md]"
---
## MAIN CONTENT
### Point 1: [Topic] (1:30-4:00) [SCREEN RECORDING]
**Short-worthy moment:** [Identify clip-worthy statement]
- Key insight
- Example/demo
- Transition to next point
### Point 2: [Topic] (4:00-7:00) [SCREEN RECORDING]
**Short-worthy moment:** [Identify clip-worthy statement]
- Key insight
- Example/demo
- Transition
### Point 3: [Topic] (7:00-10:00) [SCREEN RECORDING]
**Short-worthy moment:** [Identify clip-worthy statement]
- Key insight
- Example/demo
---
## DEMO/PRACTICAL (10:00-14:00) [SCREEN RECORDING]
- Full walkthrough
- Real-world application
- Pro tips
**Short-worthy moment:** [The reveal / result moment]
---
## CONCLUSION (14:00-15:00) [FACE CAM]
**Goal:** Summarize + provide key takeaway (short-worthy)
- Quick recap (3 bullets)
- Main insight
- Like CTA: "[CTA from cta-ideas.md]"
---
## OUTRO (15:00-15:30) [FACE CAM]
- Comment prompt: "[CTA from cta-ideas.md]"
- Next video suggestion
- End screen setup: "[CTA from cta-ideas.md]"
---
## PRODUCTION NOTES
### B-Roll Needed
- [ ] [B-roll idea 1]
- [ ] [B-roll idea 2]
### Graphics Needed
- [ ] Lower third for intro
- [ ] Stats overlay at [timestamp]
- [ ] Comparison graphic at [timestamp]
### Music/SFX
- [ ] Upbeat intro music
- [ ] Transition sounds
- [ ] Success sound for demo completion
### Presentation Slides (if applicable)
Consider using `/video-presentation` to create slides for:
- [ ] Stats reveal at [timestamp]
- [ ] Comparison at [timestamp]
- [ ] Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 7: Create Enhanced todo.md
Create comprehensive todo.md with all research items:
# [Video Title] - Production Progress
**Created:** [Current Date]
**Location:** ~/YT/Ideas/[Video Title]/
**Current Phase:** Pre-Production
**Last Updated:** [Current Date/Time]
---
## Research Phase
- [x] Video folder created
- [x] Competitor analysis complete ([X] videos analyzed)
- [x] Keyword research complete (Primary: "[keyword]" - Score: [X])
- [x] Title ideas generated ([X] options in title-ideas.md)
- [x] CTA options compiled (cta-ideas.md)
- [x] Outline drafted (outline.md)
- [ ] Final title selected: _______________
- [ ] vidIQ AI review requested
## Script Phase
- [ ] Script draft written (script.md)
- [ ] Hook finalized (test 3 alternatives)
- [ ] Main points complete with transitions
- [ ] CTAs placed naturally (from cta-ideas.md)
- [ ] Short-worthy moments marked (aim for 5+)
- [ ] Recording cues added ([FACE CAM], [SCREEN], [CLICK NEXT])
- [ ] vidIQ AI feedback incorporated
- [ ] Script optimized for reading aloud
## Recording Phase
- [ ] Pre-recording checklist complete
- [ ] Equipment ready (DJI Mic, iPhone, OBS)
- [ ] Screen recording complete
- [ ] Face cam recording complete
- [ ] Footage transferred to 02_Raw_Footage/
## Post-Production Phase
### Stage A: Rough Cut (Descript)
- [ ] Footage imported to Descript
- [ ] Multi-track synced (face cam + screen + audio)
- [ ] Transcript edit complete (ums, tangents removed)
- [ ] Silences shortened (0.3s max)
- [ ] Audio exported for enhancement
### Stage B: Audio Enhancement (Adobe Podcast)
- [ ] Audio uploaded to Adobe Podcast
- [ ] Enhanced audio downloaded
- [ ] Re-imported to Descript
### Stage C: Finishing (DaVinci Resolve)
- [ ] FCPXML exported from Descript
- [ ] Imported to DaVinci Resolve
- [ ] Intro/outro added
- [ ] B-roll added
- [ ] Graphics/lower thirds added
- [ ] Presentation slides integrated (if used)
- [ ] Music & SFX added
- [ ] Color graded
- [ ] Final audio mixed
- [ ] Final review done
## Export & Publish Phase
- [ ] Long-form exported to 06_Exports/Long_Form/
- [ ] Thumbnail created (reference Competitor_Thumbnails/ for inspo)
- [ ] Metadata finalized (title, description, tags)
- [ ] Uploaded to YouTube
- [ ] End screen and cards added
- [ ] Move folder from Ideas/ to In Progress/ → Uploaded/
## Shorts Phase
- [ ] Opus Clip processing complete
- [ ] 3-5 best shorts selected
- [ ] Shorts autoposted (YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X)
- [ ] Remaining shorts scheduled
## Post-Publish (First 48 Hours)
- [ ] Respond to comments (first hour critical!)
- [ ] Pin engaging comment
- [ ] Monitor analytics at 24h
- [ ] Publish remaining shorts (space out)
## Reflection (After 1 Week)
- [ ] Analytics reviewed
- [ ] Reflection completed (see below)
---
## Quick Links
| Resource | Location |
|----------|----------|
| Outline | 01_Script/outline.md |
| Title Ideas | 01_Script/title-ideas.md |
| CTA Ideas | 01_Script/cta-ideas.md |
| Research | 01_Script/research.md |
| Competitor Thumbnails | 04_Assets/Competitor_Thumbnails/ |
---
## Analytics Snapshot (Fill after 1 week)
| Metric | Result | Target | Notes |
|--------|--------|--------|-------|
| Views (48h) | | | |
| CTR | | 4%+ | |
| Avg View Duration | | | |
| Retention | | 50%+ | |
| First 30s Retention | | 70%+ | |
| Best Short | | | |
### What Went Well
-
### What Could Improve
-
### Key Learnings
-
---
## Notes
**Topic:** [Topic from questions]
**Hook:** [Hook type selected]
**Primary Keyword:** [Keyword] (Score: [X])
**Target Length:** [Length from questions]
**Competitor Videos Analyzed:** [Count]
**Shorts Potential:** [Count of clip-worthy moments identified]
Step 8: Summary & Next Steps
After creating everything, provide a summary:
Your video project is set up at: ~/YT/Ideas/[Video Title]/
**Research Complete:**
- Analyzed [X] competitor videos
- Primary keyword: "[keyword]" (vidIQ Score: [X])
- Generated [X] title options
- Compiled CTA examples from top performers
- Created detailed outline
**Files Created:**
- todo.md - Progress tracker
- 01_Script/outline.md - Video structure
- 01_Script/title-ideas.md - [X] title options
- 01_Script/cta-ideas.md - CTA collection
- 01_Script/research.md - Keyword data
- 04_Assets/Competitor_Thumbnails/ - [X] thumbnail screenshots
**Next Steps:**
1. Review title-ideas.md and pick your favorite
2. Review cta-ideas.md and select CTAs for each placement
3. Review outline.md and adjust structure if needed
4. When ready, say "help me write the script" and I'll create script.md
**Quick vidIQ AI Review:**
Before writing the full script, consider pasting your outline + chosen title to vidIQ AI for feedback.
Would you like me to:
1. Start writing the full script based on the outline?
2. Adjust the outline first?
3. Show you the competitor analysis details?
4. Create a presentation using /video-presentation?
Moving Between Stages
When project progresses:
| User Says | Action |
|---|---|
| "Move to In Progress" | mv ~/YT/Ideas/[name] ~/YT/In\ Progress/[name] + update todo.md |
| "I'm recording" | Update todo.md, show recording checklist |
| "I finished [task]" | Update todo.md, show next steps |
| "Video is published" | mv ~/YT/In\ Progress/[name] ~/YT/Uploaded/[name] + update todo.md |
Integration with Other Skills
After Script is Written
Suggest: "Would you like me to create a presentation using /video-presentation?"
For Finance Content
If category is Finance/Investing, suggest: "For finance topics, consider using /finance-commentary for fact-checking against official sources."
For Quick Shorts
Suggest: "Want to create a quick Shorts presentation on this topic? Use /shorts-presentation."
Error Handling
If Playwright MCP Fails
Fallback to manual workflow: "I couldn't automatically fetch the data. Here's what to do manually:
- Go to https://vidiq.com → Keywords Tool
- Search for: [keywords]
- Paste back the scores
For competitor research:
- Search YouTube for: [topic]
- Note the top 5 videos with high views
- Share the URLs and I'll help analyze"
If vidIQ Requires Login
"vidIQ requires login. Please:
- Log in to vidIQ in your browser
- Tell me when ready
- I'll retry fetching the data"
Example Complete Interaction
User: "/new-youtube-video"
Claude: [Uses AskUserQuestion with first question set] "Let's create your new video project! First, a few questions..."
User: [Selects options through multi-choice]
- Category: Tech Tutorial
- Length: Medium (10-15 min)
- Format: Screen recording + face cam
- Research: Full research
Claude: [Asks for topic] "What's the core topic for this video?"
User: "How to use Claude Code for automation"
Claude: [Uses Playwright MCP to:
- Search YouTube for competitors
- Fetch vidIQ keyword data
- Take thumbnail screenshots
- Extract CTAs from transcripts]
"I've completed the research and set up your project!
Project: ~/YT/Ideas/Claude-Code-Automation/
Research Highlights:
- Primary keyword: "Claude Code tutorial" (Score: 67, Volume: 12K)
- Analyzed 5 competitor videos (total 2.1M views)
- Best performing competitor: [Title] by [Channel] (450K views)
- Extracted 12 CTA examples from top performers
Files Created: [Lists all files]
Top 3 Recommended Titles:
- "Claude Code Changed How I Code - Here's Why" (curiosity)
- "Automate ANYTHING with Claude Code (Full Tutorial)" (how-to)
- "I Tried Claude Code for 30 Days - Honest Review" (personal)
Ready to write the script, or want to review the research first?"