Compose shorts

Make 30–90s vertical shorts with compose_video — terminal tool tips, hybrid B-roll, AI images, and CTA endings.

Short-form explainers (YouTube Shorts, Reels, TikTok) use the same compose_video pipeline as long explainers, with tighter scene counts and optional 9:16 output.

Defaults that work well for shorts: 4–5 scenes, 30–90s total, --no-text (voiceover only), hybrid B-roll or --ai-images-only.

arka compose_video check   # ffmpeg, Pillow, stock keys

See also: Compose video for hybrid mode, custom script APIs, and env vars.

Quick recipe (LLM script)

arka compose_video compose \
  --topic "fzf terminal fuzzy finder for developers" \
  --llm --scenes 4 --duration 60s \
  --no-text \
  -o fzf-short.mp4

Hybrid mode (default) mixes stock video and photo B-roll per scene. Add --ai-images-only when you want Gemini/Pollinations images instead of stock photos (requires GEMINI_API_KEY or POLLINATIONS_API_KEY).

arka compose_video compose \
  --topic "fzf terminal fuzzy finder" \
  --llm --scenes 5 --duration 75s \
  --no-text --ai-images-only \
  -o fzf-short-ai.mp4

Terminal tool short (custom script + CTA)

For repeatable shorts (intro → value → install tip → like/subscribe), use a JSON script instead of --llm. Keep narration punchy; last scene is your CTA.

terminal-short-script.json:

{
  "scenes": [
    {
      "title": "Meet fzf",
      "narration": "fzf is a command-line fuzzy finder that makes searching files, history, and processes blazing fast.",
      "image_query": "terminal fuzzy search developer dark theme",
      "duration": 8
    },
    {
      "title": "Why devs love it",
      "narration": "Pipe any list into fzf, type a few letters, and jump exactly where you need.",
      "image_query": "developer terminal workflow productivity",
      "duration": 10
    },
    {
      "title": "Try it today",
      "narration": "Install with your package manager, bind Ctrl-R for history search, and never hunt through output again.",
      "image_query": "install terminal tool command line",
      "duration": 8
    },
    {
      "title": "Stay tuned",
      "narration": "If this helped, like and subscribe for more terminal tips and dev tools.",
      "image_query": "subscribe like notification",
      "duration": 10
    }
  ]
}

arka compose_video compose \
  --script terminal-short-script.json \
  --no-text \
  -o fzf-short.mp4

Set media_type per scene when you want explicit control (video for motion B-roll, image for diagrams or UI stills). See Compose video.

Vertical 9:16 (Shorts / Reels)

compose_video has no --orientation flag yet. Set env vars for portrait output and vertical stock search:

VIDEO_ORIENTATION=portrait VIDEO_WIDTH=1080 VIDEO_HEIGHT=1920 \
  arka compose_video compose \
  --script terminal-short-script.json \
  --no-text \
  -o fzf-short-vertical.mp4

For full AI video clips (not stock B-roll), use ai_video with VIDEO_ASPECT=9:16:

VIDEO_ASPECT=9:16 arka ai_video "cinematic terminal hacker desk neon" -d 8 -o clip.mp4

Useful flags & env

Flag / env	Shorts use
--scenes 4	Override auto scene count (prefer explicit for <90s)
--duration 60s	Target runtime (30s, 90s, 1m30s)
--no-text	Voiceover only — default in hybrid mode
--ai-images-only	AI-generated scene images
VIDEO_MODE=hybrid	Stock video + photos (default)
VIDEO_SCENE_SEC=5	Default seconds per scene when duration not set per scene
PEXELS_API_KEY / PIXABAY_API_KEY	Stock video for hybrid B-roll

Natural language also routes correctly:

arka "make a 60 second video about fzf with no text, 4 scenes"