How I Edit YouTube Videos With Claude Opus 5.5 (9 Tips + Free Prompt)

I edited this video using Claude Opus 5.5, and I think it came out really well.

Three years ago I used to pay $250 for a one-minute animation made in Adobe After Effects. Now Claude can do it on a $20 a month plan.

Here are the nine ways I edit my videos with Claude, followed by the full prompt you can copy.

What you need

• A paid Claude plan with Claude Code. If you haven’t set it up yet, start with how to install Claude Code on Windows.
• The HyperFrames skill from HeyGen, a video editor and motion graphics skill. Its prompting guide has the install instructions, and you can ask Claude to install it for you.
• Your recordings: a talking-head video and a screen recording.

1. Record your talking head and screen separately

I make talking-head tutorial videos. I record the talking-head video and the screen recording separately, so I end up with two files. Then I open a Claude Code session and attach both files to the chat.

2. Use Opus 5.5 on max effort, but only when it counts

I use Opus 5.5 on max effort when I want the best motion graphics. It’s good for complex topics, where a simple animation can clearly show what I’m explaining.

It uses a lot of tokens, so I don’t use it for everything. For faster changes or simple text overlays, I use Claude Sonnet.

3. Tell it to add motion graphics, but not all the time

This is the main instruction. I ask Claude to use the HyperFrames skill to add motion graphics to the talking-head video, and I’m specific about where:

• Add motion graphics now and then, not all the time. Pick the scenes where a graphic will help the viewer understand the point.
• Where the screen recording already shows the point, let it run.
• Each graphic explains one spoken idea, usually as a simple diagram: before and after, A to B, one to many, a flow map or a checklist.
• Every element lands on the word it illustrates.
• Show what an incredible motion designer you are, but remember simplicity beats complexity.

Why not graphics everywhere? Because Claude will try to add graphics to every single second, and that uses a ton of tokens. Asking it to pick the best scenes saves tokens and gives a better video. Sometimes I go further and say: only add one minute of motion graphics to the whole ten-minute video. It seems to work.

4. Give it reference images or videos

I make presentations in Canva and screen-record them, then ask Claude to create graphics in a similar style. You can also give it videos or animations you like. There are websites that collect good motion graphics along with the prompts used to make them, such as skillry.dev, so you can copy a style you like.

5. Let it run end to end

I change the permission mode to bypass permissions and tell Claude to run end to end without check-in questions, render included: “Don’t stop until the final MP4 is delivered.” That way I can let it run overnight while I sleep, without it constantly stopping.

A word of warning: you probably shouldn’t do this to start with. There could be mistakes, and you could waste a lot of tokens. I’ve done it a few times now, so I’m fairly confident the video will come out half decent. And if there are mistakes, I just ask Claude to correct them.

6. Always say the output size

I always tell Claude the format: 16:9 widescreen for long-form YouTube, 1920x1080, or whatever size you need.

I forgot once, and it rendered a ten-minute video as a vertical video when I wanted widescreen for YouTube. That was pretty annoying.

7. Tell it not to change your voice or your look

I mention this just in case it starts to get fancy.

8. Add sound effects to all motion

I tell Claude to add sound effects to all motion in the video. It normally does a good job: whooshes, and typewriter sounds when someone’s typing. It can also add background music, which is a nice touch.

9. Cut bad takes, pauses and “ums”

I tell it to cut out bad takes, duplicate takes, blank spaces, pauses, and “ums” and “ahs”. Jump cuts are fine. My last take is usually the best one, so it removes the earlier versions.

Claude normally does a good job of this, and I’ve actually changed the way I record to make it easier. When I make a mistake, I pause for five seconds, gather my thoughts and redo the take. Claude knows a long pause means “cut what came before”.

The free prompt (copy and paste)

Attach your two video files, then paste this in:

I've attached two video files: my talking head recording and my screen recording, filmed separately. Edit them into one finished long-form YouTube video.

TOOLS
- Use the HyperFrames video editor and motion graphic design skill: https://hyperframes.heygen.com/guides/prompting (install with: npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes).

MOTION GRAPHICS
- Add motion graphics now and then, not all the time. Pick the scenes where a graphic will help the viewer understand the point best.
- Where the screen recording already shows the point, let it run with no graphic.
- Each graphic explains one spoken idea, usually as a simple diagram: before/after, A to B, one to many, a flow map, or a checklist.
- Every element lands on the word it illustrates.
- Show what an incredible motion designer you are, but remember simplicity beats complexity.
- Style reference: match the look of the attached reference video/images (my Canva presentation). [Optional: add links to animations you like, e.g. from https://skillry.dev/ai-videos/opus-5-5]

EDITING
- Cut out bad takes, duplicate takes, blank spaces, long pauses, and "ums" and "ahs". Jump cuts are fine.
- When I repeat a line, my last take is usually the best one, so keep it and remove the earlier versions. A pause of about 5 seconds means I made a mistake and redid the take.

SOUND
- Add sound effects to all motion in the video (whooshes, dings, typewriter sounds where they fit).
- Add subtle background music that never drowns out my voice.

DO NOT CHANGE
- Don't change my voice or my look in any way.

OUTPUT
- 16:9 widescreen for long-form YouTube, 1920x1080. Not vertical.
- Export as a final MP4.

RUN MODE
- Run it end to end without check-in questions, render included. Don't stop until the final MP4 is delivered.

FAQ

Can Claude really edit a YouTube video?

Yes. With the HyperFrames skill, Claude Code can cut your takes, add motion graphics and sound effects, and render a finished MP4. This whole video was edited that way.

Which Claude model should I use for video editing?

I use Opus 5.5 on max effort for the best motion graphics on complex topics. It uses a lot of tokens, so for quicker changes and simple text overlays I use Claude Sonnet.

How do I stop Claude using too many tokens?

Don’t ask for motion graphics everywhere. Tell it to pick only the scenes where a graphic helps, or set a limit, such as one minute of graphics in a ten-minute video.

Will it change how I look or sound?

Not if you tell it not to. I always include that instruction, just in case.

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More of my AI guides and video workflows are inside my Build With Seb community. If this helped, subscribe on YouTube.