Cleopatra's Modern Life skill
Skill walks through a whole short-video path, "an ancient hero in the modern world": gags, prompts, clip checks and beat editing.
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- Last commit
Minimal access
Why this level
- The demo music is under copyright and generation needs third-party paid services.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add skills/cleopatra-s-modern-lifeDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewMinimal accessThe tool runs nothing and makes no network calls.
- The demo music is under copyright and generation needs third-party paid services.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The repository holds the full open production process of the series "Cleopatra's Modern Life": on an escalator in a pyramid, on a jet ski on the Nile, with a drone over the Sphinx. Inside are step-by-step docs, eight prompts actually used, scripts for clip checks, song analysis and automatic beat-based cutting in 4:3 and 9:16, and a `SKILL.md` for Claude Code. After installation you can simply say, for example, "make a modern-life episode about a Viking chief", and the agent leads through the steps: reference breakdown, gags, a character portrait, shots and prompts with three camera angles per clip, generation in Jimeng Seedance, clip review and music-timed editing. The authors' main lesson: skip the first frame and describe everything in text from one character reference.
Who it is for. Short-video creators and social media makers building series about historical heroes in the modern world who want a repeatable process.
Good fit when
- You need an idea for a new series: an ancient character plus a modern object and a familiar way of using it.
- Three camera angles per clip are prepared with a fixed prompt template.
- Generated clips are checked for angles, length and garbled on-screen text.
- The edit follows the song rhythm: tempo, drum entry and climax are detected.
Not a fit when
- You need generation with no paid Jimeng subscription, since the process is built on Seedance 2.5.
- The music must come from the repository, which has no song and needs your own audio file.
- The series is built on a real living person, while the process is about fictional and historical heroes.
Example request
Make a modern-life episode about a Viking chief: come up with gags, make a portrait and prepare prompts with three camera angles per clip.Limitations
The process needs ChatGPT for the character portrait, a Jimeng membership with Seedance 2.5 and an audio file of a song that the repository does not include. The scripts need Python 3.9 or newer, `ffmpeg` and `pip install numpy pillow`, while JianYing for color grading is optional. The documentation is in Chinese with a short English part. The music in the demo clip belongs to the artist and is used for demonstration only, so you must secure rights to it yourself. The result depends on the generative model.
How to disable. Delete the `~/.claude/skills/cleopatra-modern-life` folder. Episodes and clips you made sit in your working folder, so delete them separately.
FAQ
Which scripts are included?
`setup_check.py` checks the environment, `make_prompts.py` turns `episode.json` into prompts, `review_clips.py` reviews clips, `analyze_music.py` measures the song and `beat_edit.py` cuts to rhythm in 4:3 and 9:16.
Why not upload a first frame?
In the authors' experience a frame makes the picture too clean and locks the camera. Give one hero reference and describe picture, camera and texture in words.
Is a subscription needed?
Generation needs Jimeng access with Seedance 2.5, and the portrait is made in ChatGPT. The repository and scripts are free.
Is music included?
No. The authors left out the demo song and included only the clip-sound version in `assets/demo.mp4`. Bring your own audio.
Can I make another hero?
Yes, the Cleopatra example sits in `examples/cleopatra/` and the skill is meant for other themes, for example a Viking.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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