How it works
Every effect is a small web page. Claude writes it in HTML, and a no-cost tool called HyperFrames (from HeyGen) turns that page into video frames over your footage. You describe the moment, Claude builds it, you watch the preview and give notes in plain English. Nothing gets rendered until you're happy.
You need two things:
- Claude Code on a paid Claude plan. This is the version of Claude that can work with files on your computer.
- A talking-head clip filmed vertically. A plain background and even light make everything below easier.
Half the effects put things behind you: words, rings, a wall of videos. For that, Claude needs a cut-out of you (a matte), so it can layer graphics between you and the wall. The setup prompt below makes one. The effects that need it are tagged Needs a cut-out.
Set it up once
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Make a folder and drop your clip in it
One folder per video. Put the raw clip in it, plus your logo and any videos you want to show on screen.
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Open Claude Code in that folder and paste this
It installs HyperFrames, cuts the clip, adds captions, makes your cut-out and saves your brand so every effect after this matches.
Set up the projectSet up a HyperFrames project in this folder to edit my talking-head reel (vertical, 1080x1920). Read https://hyperframes.heygen.com/llms.txt first and install whatever HyperFrames needs, including its skills for Claude Code. My raw clip is [file name]. Then: 1. Cut it. Find where I speak from the audio waveform. Start each clip 1 or 2 frames before I start talking, with no dead air. Where I said a line more than once, use the last complete take. 2. Transcribe it and add calm captions, a phrase at a time, about 70% of the way down the frame. 3. Make a cut-out of me (a matte) so graphics can go behind me. Measure where the top of my head is and where my head sits in the frame, and use those numbers for everything you place. 4. Save my brand in CLAUDE.md: colours [your hex codes], fonts [your fonts], logo [file name]. Keep anything important out of the top 170px, the bottom 320px and the right 130px, where Instagram puts its buttons. When it's built, open the preview for me and stop. Don't render until I say "render".
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Add effects one at a time
Pick an effect from the list, swap the bits in [square brackets] for your own, and paste it in. The time is the second in your cut video where you say the line.
The sixteen
In the order they appear in the video.
Kinetic hook
The first word slams in letter by letter and the shot jolts. The second word swings in like a pendulum and settles.
Use it when you open with a punchy one or two word title, or a big claim.
At [time], when I say "[your hook]", add a kinetic title. The first word slams in letter by letter with a scale-up and a blur, and the shot gives a small jolt. The second word swings in like a pendulum and settles. Big lettering but light, not bulky, with wide letter spacing, in my brand colours. About 1.5 seconds, with a punchy sound effect on each hit.
3D logo
A tool's real logo drops in from above, bounces, turns to show it's solid, and catches the light.
Use it when you name a tool, an app or a brand.
At [time], when I say "[tool name]", drop that tool's logo in from above my head as a 3D icon: use the real logo [file name], extruded so it has depth. It bounces as it lands, turns to show its side, and a glint of light runs across it. About 1.5 seconds, with a soft thud on the landing.
Orbit
Three tilted rings circle your head, each carrying something. They pass behind you on the far side and in front of you on the near side.
Use it when you're talking about lots of tools, ideas or options, or "everything I use".
At [time], put three tilted rings around my head in my brand colours, each carrying something: [logos, images or small icons]. The rings pass behind my head on the far side and in front on the near side, using my cut-out. Only switch an object from behind to in front where it's clear of my outline, so nothing pops through my face. Drive every ring from one clock so any frame renders correctly on its own. About 1.5 seconds.
Words behind my head
A slanted panel opens on the wall behind you and the line builds behind your head word by word, each word changing colour where it crosses the panel.
Use it when there's one phrase that matters more than the rest. Use it once per video: the colour-flip looks great here and too busy anywhere else.
At [time], open a slanted panel on the wall behind me and build the phrase "[your phrase]" behind my head, word by word. Time each word to the moment I say it, using the audio waveform. Each word is one colour on the wall and flips to a second brand colour where it crosses the panel (draw the word twice and clip the second copy to the panel). It sits behind me, using my cut-out.
Lights off
A light switch pops up on the wall and flips down. The room flickers to dark, a spotlight clunks on behind you, and the switch flips back up.
Use it when you say "stop doing this", talk about the old way, or want a dramatic pause.
At [time], a wall toggle light switch pops up beside me and flips down. The room flickers to dark, then a spotlight clunks on behind me, and the switch flips back up. Put the darkness and the spotlight under my cut-out so the room goes dark but I don't. Switch click and clunk sound effects. About 1.5 seconds.
Freeze and label
The frame freezes with a flash, becomes a taped polaroid on a board, and a tag with a hand-drawn arrow points at you.
Use it when you introduce yourself or someone else, or want people to look at one detail.
At [time], freeze the frame with a quick white flash. Export that frame as a still and turn it into a taped polaroid on a dark board in my brand colours. A tag saying "[your label]" and a hand-drawn arrow point at me. Camera-shutter sound on the freeze. About 1.8 seconds, then back to the video.
The slot machine
A three-reel slot machine appears above your head. The lever pulls, the reels lock one by one, JACKPOT, coins.
Use it when you talk about luck versus a system, getting results every time, or winning.
At [time], put a three-reel slot machine in the space above my head, at least 20px clear of my hair. The lever pulls, the reels spin and lock one at a time on [three matching icons], JACKPOT lights up and coins spill out. Lever, reel-spin and coin sound effects. Flat brand graphics, not a glossy 3D render. About 1.5 seconds.
Three of me
Two copies of you slide out to the left and right, a step behind, tagged 1, 2 and 3.
Use it when you're doing every job yourself, or "I used to need three people for this".
At [time], two copies of me slide out to the left and right, a step behind me, each one playing slightly behind the real me (a short delay on each copy). Use my cut-out for all three. Tag them 1, 2 and 3 in my brand colours. A whoosh as they slide out. About 1.5 seconds.
Breaking the frame
A picture frame lands around you, the world outside it goes dark, and the glass bursts as you break out of it.
Use it when you talk about standing out, breaking out, or thinking outside the box.
At [time], a picture frame lands around my torso. Everything outside the frame goes dark, with a dark floor in front of me below the frame. Then the glass bursts where I break out of it. Never scale me, crop my head or zoom me separately: the frame moves, I don't. Glass-breaking sound. About 1.5 seconds.
Proof
A phone flies in beside your head playing one of your real videos, and a PROOF stamp slams onto it.
Use it when you show results, say "here's one I made", or need people to believe you.
At [time], a phone flies in beside my head playing [video file] on its screen. Then a PROOF stamp in my brand colours slams onto it at an angle. Whoosh on the fly-in, a heavy stamp sound on the slam. About 1.5 seconds.
My whole grid
A wall of your videos flips in behind you, tile by tile from your head outwards, all of them playing. A shine sweeps across.
Use it when you mention "all my videos", your portfolio, or how much you've made.
At [time], a wall of my videos flips in behind me, tile by tile, starting from my head and spreading outwards. Use the videos in [folder name]. Every tile is playing, not a still image. A light shine sweeps across the wall once it's full. It sits behind me, using my cut-out. About 1.5 seconds.
The timeline disappears
An editing timeline builds over your chest, a logo pops on, and the whole panel turns to dust from left to right.
Use it when you say "no editing", "no software", or talk about a manual job going away.
At [time], an editing-software timeline builds over my chest: tracks, clips and a playhead. The [tool name] logo pops on top of it, then the whole panel disintegrates into dust from left to right. A soft dust sound as it goes. About 2 seconds.
Smash it
Cracks spread across the screen, then the room behind you shatters into falling shards. You stay standing.
Use it when you say "smash", "break", or talk about tearing up the old way or busting a myth.
At [time], cracks spider out across the screen on the word "[word]", then the room behind me shatters into falling shards and I stay standing in front of a dark background. First make a room-only plate (fill in the space where I'm standing, using my cut-out) so the shards don't carry pieces of me. Glass-shatter sound. About 1.5 seconds.
Knock it over
Your words stand on a shelf as domino tiles, and a ball rolls in and knocks them over in a chain.
Use it when one thing leads to another: a chain reaction, compounding, a knock-on effect.
At [time], the words "[your phrase]" stand on a shelf as domino tiles, one word per tile. A ball rolls in and knocks them over in a chain. Flat brand graphics, not glossy 3D. A wooden clack for each tile. About 1.5 seconds.
The before and after
The shot becomes a card tagged BEFORE, then flips over in 3D to the finished version tagged AFTER.
Use it when you show a transformation: raw versus finished, then versus now.
At [time], shrink the shot into a card tagged BEFORE, then flip it over in 3D to the finished look: my brand-coloured set behind me, an AFTER tag and a small "[your label]" chip. Change the set behind me, never the colour of my footage. A whoosh on the flip. About 2.3 seconds.
The carousel
Ten of your videos ride a ring around your chest, all playing, passing behind you and then in front, with carousel dots underneath.
Use it when you talk about a carousel, a series, or want to show lots of examples at once.
At [time], ten of my videos from [folder name] ride a ring around my chest. They stay upright and facing the camera (no turning), all playing, with Instagram-style carousel dots underneath. They pass behind me on the far side and in front of me on the near side, using my cut-out. Make the ring wider than the frame so the swap from behind to in front happens off-screen, not through my arms. Drive the ring from one clock. About 1.5 seconds.
Also in the video
Two pieces hold a list video together. They're not on the list, but you'll want them.
This is a numbered list video. Add a rail of numbers 01 to [N] down the left edge in my brand colours, with the current number lit up, and show the name of each item bottom-left as its caption while I'm on it. Use the segment times from my cut.
At [time], when I say "comment [KEYWORD]", show an Instagram-style comment card typing "[KEYWORD]" and posting it. A paper plane flies up and a DM notification lands from [your name]: "[the message]". About 3 to 4 seconds, with a soft typing sound and a notification ping.
What made it look right
These came out of my notes on the first versions. Give them to Claude up front and you skip a round of fixes.
- One effect at a time. One per line, or one every 2 to 4 seconds. Never two big ones overlapping.
- Don't cover your face for long. People are watching you, not the graphics.
- Leave your footage alone. No filters or colour grades on you. When the room goes dark, the darkness goes under your cut-out.
- Sound under every effect, but quiet. My first pass was too loud. Half the volume Claude first picked was right.
- Big words, light letters. Display text looked bulky until it went about 15% smaller with wider spacing.
- Flat graphics in your brand colours beat glossy 3D renders every time.
- Never crop your head or zoom you on your own. Move the graphics, not you.
Before you open the preview for me, run the HyperFrames check, take a snapshot at the middle of every effect and look at each one yourself. Fix anything that covers my face, crosses my outline in the wrong place, or sits in Instagram's button areas. Then show me.
Then watch the preview and give notes like you would to an editor: "the words are too big", "the sound on the stamp is too loud", "hold the freeze a bit longer". When it's right, say "render".
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