editing-decision-engine

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Plan short-form post-edit decisions from A-roll, B-roll, scripts, and reference videos. Use this when the goal is not generic video analysis or rendering, but deciding how to cut a social video beat by beat, including where to stay on face, where to insert proof B-roll, how to use reference patterns, and how to package an actionable edit plan for a human editor or downstream timeline tooling.

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Sourcepostplusai/postplus-skills
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NPX Install

npx skill4agent add postplusai/postplus-skills editing-decision-engine

Tags

Translated version includes tags in frontmatter
video-editingedit-planningshort-form-videopost-productionediting-workflow

SKILL.md Content

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Editing Decision Engine

Follow shared release-shell rules in:
  • postplus-shared
    release-shell rules
Use this skill when the user wants a strong short-form edit plan, not just a script rewrite or a generic video breakdown.
This skill is for post-edit decision making across:
  • A-roll performance
  • B-roll proof footage
  • script meaning
  • beat timing
  • reference-video editing patterns
  • final edit packaging
Do not treat this as a video renderer.
First-version goal:
  • output a high-quality edit decision package
  • not fully automate the final NLE timeline

Use For

  • planning how to cut a talking-head short
  • deciding where B-roll should appear
  • mapping script beats to visual proof
  • deciding when to stay on A-roll vs cut away
  • translating a reference video into reusable edit patterns
  • packaging a cut plan for Premiere, Final Cut, CapCut, or a human editor

Trigger Signals

Use this skill when the user asks for things like:
  • 这条怎么剪
  • 根据 A-roll 和 B-roll 设计剪法
  • 参考某条视频的剪辑逻辑
  • 按脚本和素材做 post-edit plan
  • 逐句决定哪里贴屏幕、哪里留脸
  • 给我一个时间轴级别的剪辑方案
Do not use this skill when the user only needs:
  • raw video analysis without edit decisions
  • frame extraction without timeline reasoning
  • render generation from image and audio
Route those to:
  • a dedicated visual analysis workflow
  • skills/40-creative/frame-extraction
  • skills/40-creative/video-batch-runner

Core Principle

Do not describe footage only by what appears on screen.
For edit planning, the important question is:
  • what does this shot prove
  • what beat does it support
  • how much attention should it take
  • whether it should lead, support, bridge, or punctuate
The same B-roll clip can be:
  • primary proof
  • support proof
  • transition cover
  • pace reset
  • visual filler
depending on the spoken beat around it.

Read These References

  • workflow and decision rules: 
    references/workflow.md
  • core objects and output shapes: 
    references/schemas.md

Required Inputs

The skill works best when at least these exist:
  • script text or spoken transcript
  • local A-roll file or a reliable description of the A-roll performance
  • local B-roll files or a usable B-roll shot inventory
  • intended output length or target platform
Optional but high-value inputs:
  • one or more reference videos
  • subtitle draft or transcript with timestamps
  • previous edit notes
  • campaign or persona context
If assets are missing, do not pretend the plan is precise.
Instead:
  1. state which decisions are grounded
  2. state which decisions are provisional
  3. produce the strongest plan possible from available evidence

Workflow

1. Lock the edit thesis

Before building a timeline, identify:
  • what the video is trying to prove
  • whether it is tutorial-led, viewpoint-led, comparison-led, or proof-led
  • what visual contrast drives the piece
Examples:
  • old fragmented workflow vs in-context workflow
  • tool overload vs cleaner setup
  • annoying to start vs easy to start

2. Break the spoken content into beats

Do not plan edits sentence by sentence only.
Break into edit beats based on:
  • meaning shift
  • emotional shift
  • proof need
  • pace change
Each beat should capture:
  • the spoken line or paraphrase
  • timing if known
  • beat role
  • proof requirement
  • visual demand

3. Understand assets semantically

For A-roll:
  • delivery energy
  • pauses
  • emphasis words
  • facial or body moments worth preserving
For B-roll:
  • what it literally shows
  • what it proves
  • where it is strongest
  • how long it can stay on screen before feeling repetitive
For references:
  • what structural pattern is reusable
  • what is surface style only

4. Decide the cut logic

For each beat, decide:
  • stay on A-roll or cut away
  • which B-roll asset to use
  • whether the B-roll is primary or supporting proof
  • overlay length
  • subtitle density
  • whether to use punch-in, hold, montage, J-cut, or L-cut

5. Package the output

Default output should include:
  • edit thesis
  • beat map
  • B-roll assignment table
  • time-ordered edit decisions
  • risks and missing assets

Release-Shell Execution Contract

  • keep edit theses, beat maps, asset notes, and intermediate decision packages under 
    <work-folder>/.postplus/editing-decision-engine/
  • keep only final user-facing edit plans outside 
    .postplus/
  • start with a bounded first pass on one sequence or one short video before broader edit planning
  • if required inputs such as transcript, A-roll context, or B-roll inventory are missing, stop immediately instead of switching to ad hoc shell glue

First-Version Boundary

Keep the first version pragmatic.
Prefer:
  • markdown edit plans
  • JSON beat maps
  • B-roll proof tables
  • simple timeline-ready CSV if useful
Do not require in v1:
  • direct XML generation for NLEs
  • automatic cut rendering
  • perfect shot detection
  • automatic motion-design systems

Output Standard

A strong result from this skill should let a human editor start cutting immediately.
Minimum bar:
  • they can tell what the first 3 seconds should do
  • they know where the proof moments land
  • they know which B-roll is essential vs optional
  • they know where the edit should breathe instead of over-cutting
If the output cannot guide a real editor, it is not specific enough.