# Claude Code skill: /cut-silences

When to use it: You record talking head videos and want one command that finds the pauses, shows you the cut list, and exports a tighter version.

Works with: [ffmpeg-skill](https://agentcut.dev/tools/ffmpeg-skill/), [Kinocut (formerly mcp-video)](https://agentcut.dev/tools/kinocut-formerly-mcp-video/), [Auto Cut for Premiere Pro](https://agentcut.dev/tools/auto-cut-premiere-rafcopy/), [SmartCut MCP (CapCut talking-head)](https://agentcut.dev/tools/smartcut-mcp-capcut-talking-head/)

Save as: .claude/skills/cut-silences/SKILL.md

Download: https://agentcut.dev/prompts/md/skill-cut-silences.md

~~~~markdown
---
name: cut-silences
description: Find pauses and dead air in a talking head video with ffmpeg silencedetect, propose a cut list, and export a tightened version. Use when the user asks to cut silences, tighten a take, or make a jump cut edit.
argument-hint: <video file> [min pause in seconds, default 0.6]
---

# Cut silences

Input: $ARGUMENTS

1. Run `ffprobe` on the file and report duration, fps and audio channels.
2. Detect silence on the first audio stream:
   `ffmpeg -hide_banner -i INPUT -map 0:a:0 -af silencedetect=noise=-35dB:d=MIN_PAUSE -f null - 2> work/silence.txt`
   If no audio stream exists, stop and tell the user.
3. Parse `silence_start` and `silence_end` pairs. Keep 0.12 s of padding on each side of every kept segment so words are not clipped.
4. Never cut a pause shorter than MIN_PAUSE. Never leave a kept segment shorter than 0.4 s, merge it with its neighbor instead.
5. Write the plan to `work/cutlist.csv` with columns: keep_start, keep_end, length. Show the user a summary: number of cuts, old duration, new duration, the 3 longest removed pauses with timestamps.
6. Wait for the user to say go.
7. Export with frame accurate cuts (re-encode) to `out/<name>_tight.mp4`, keeping source fps and resolution. Use the select and aselect filters or a concat list, whichever is simpler for the number of segments.
8. ffprobe the result, confirm the new duration matches the plan within 0.2 s, and list 3 cut points worth checking by eye.

Rules: never write into `raw/`. Never overwrite an existing output. If the user is in Premiere, Resolve or CapCut, offer to write the cut list as markers instead of exporting a file.
~~~~

Sources and credit:

* [r/ClaudeCode, Claude Code skill that edits raw video end to end](https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeCode/comments/1t6tdhk/i_built_a_claude_code_skill_that_takes_raw_video/): Pipeline idea: Whisper, silencedetect, Claude builds the cut list
* [Claude Code docs, Extend Claude with skills](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills): SKILL.md format and where skills live

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