tesseract-video — Claude Code skill: edit footage into a finished cut
An agent skill for editing existing footage locally with Tesseract: cuts, dialogue cleanup, sound mixing and graphics where they help.
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a claude-codeWhat tesseract-video does
Tesseract is the local engine; the agent brings the editorial calls. You end up with a playable video and an editable .tsrct project you can reopen and change.
Start from the media, not the metadata. The skill checks the CLI version once per session, probes the footage, samples frames and listens to the audio. Then it pins down duration, aspect ratio and the moments that must stay. Edits live as native layers inside a single composition, so clips, scenes and overlays share one timeline instead of separate base-video, caption or audio tracks. Waveform views drive music-synced cutting and pause trims; colour work follows a scene-aware pass with checks against the original source.
You need a working Tesseract CLI of a supported version. The skill resolves the executable from the folder holding SKILL.md, not from a guessed home directory. If the host has no way to audition audio, the agent has to admit it cannot fully review the sound. Leave the CLI telemetry setting alone — opting in on someone's behalf is off limits.
What it helps with
- turn raw footage into a finished video in one workflow
- keep dialogue and breathing intact when trimming talking-head takes
- blend dialogue, music and small sound effects into a single pass
- judge where motion graphics beat plain footage
- match colour between shots and keep skin looking natural
Example prompts for the agent
- Cut a 20-second ad from
footage/and build the hook from the opening shots - Trim the interview to the track in
music.mp3, drop dead air, keep the breathing - Open
promo.tsrct, check version compatibility and fix the skin tones
How to install tesseract-video
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/tesseract-video/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/tesseract-video/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/tesseract-video/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/tesseract-video/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install mirage-hq/Tesseract tesseract-video2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/tesseract-video/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/mirage-hq/Tesseract --path skills/tesseract-videoManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/tesseract-video/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about tesseract-video
How do I install tesseract-video in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract --skill tesseract-video -a claude-code. The skill then sits at ~/.claude/skills/tesseract-video/SKILL.md.
What does tesseract-video do?
It lets the agent cut and finish existing footage through a local Tesseract install, covering picture, sound and graphics. Every edit stays in a .tsrct project alongside the rendered video.
Does it work offline?
Editing and rendering run locally via the Tesseract CLI. The agent still needs the host's media tools to inspect frames and hear the tracks.
