hyperframes

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from when this skill was listed. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
name: hyperframes
description: Create video compositions, animations, title cards, overlays, captions, voiceovers, audio-reactive visuals, and scene transitions in HyperFrames HTML. Use when asked to build any HTML-based video content, add captions or subtitles synced to audio, generate text-to-speech narration, create audio-reactive animation (beat sync, glow, pulse driven by music), add animated text highlighting (marker sweeps, hand-drawn circles, burst lines, scribble, sketchout), or add transitions between scenes (crossfades, wipes, reveals, shader transitions). Covers composition authoring, timing, media, and the full video production workflow. For CLI commands (init, lint, preview, render, transcribe, tts) see the hyperframes-cli skill.
---

# HyperFrames

HTML is the source of truth for video. A composition is an HTML file with `data-*` attributes for timing, a GSAP timeline for animation, and CSS for appearance. The framework handles clip visibility, media playback, and timeline sync.

## Approach

Before writing HTML, think at a high level:

1. **What** — what should the viewer experience? Identify the narrative arc, key moments, and emotional beats.
2. **Structure** — how many compositions, which are sub-compositions vs inline, what tracks carry what (video, audio, overlays, captions).
3. **Timing** — which clips drive the duration, where do transitions land, what's the pacing.
4. **Layout** — build the end-state first. See "Layout Before Animation" below.
5. **Animate** — then add motion using the rules below.

For small edits (fix a color, adjust timing, add one element), skip straight to the rules.

### Visual Identity Gate

<HARD-GATE>
Before writing ANY composition HTML, you MUST have a visual identity defined. Do NOT write compositions with default or generic colors.

Check in this order:

1. **DESIGN.md exists in the project?** → Read it. Use its exact colors, fonts, motion rules, and "What NOT to Do" constraints.
2. **visual-style.md exists?** → Read it. Apply its `style_prompt_full` and structured fields. (Note: `visual-style.md` is a project-specific file. `visual-styles.md` is the style library with 8 named presets — different files.)
3. **User named a style** (e.g., "Swiss Pulse", "dark and techy", "luxury brand")? → Read [visual-styles.md](./visual-styles.md) for the 8 named presets. Generate a minimal DESIGN.md with: `## Style Prompt` (one paragraph), `## Colors` (3-5 hex values with roles), `## Typography` (1-2 font families), `## What NOT to Do` (3-5 anti-patterns).
4. **None of the above?** → Ask 3 questions before writing any HTML:
   - What's the mood? (explosive / cinematic / fluid / technical / chaotic / warm)
   - Light or dark canvas?
   - Any specific brand colors, fonts, or visual references?
     Then generate a minimal DESIGN.md from the answers.

Every composition must trace its palette and typography back to a DESIGN.md, visual-style.md, or explicit user direction. If you're reaching for `#333`, `#3b82f6`, or `Roboto` — you skipped this step.
</HARD-GATE>

For motion defaults, sizing, entrance patterns, and easing — follow [house-style.md](./house-style.md). The house style handles HOW things move. The DESIGN.md handles WHAT things look like.

## Layout Before Animation

Position every element where it should be at its **most visible moment** — the frame where it's fully entered, correctly placed, and not yet exiting. Write this as static HTML+CSS first. No GSAP yet.

**Why this matters:** If you position elements at their animated start state (offscreen, scaled to 0, opacity 0) and tween them to where you think they should land, you're guessing the final layout. Overlaps are invisible until the video renders. By building the end state first, you can see and fix layout problems before adding any motion.

### The process

1. **Identify the hero frame** for each scene — the moment when the most elements are simultaneously visible. This is the layout you build.
2. **Write static CSS** f