kinocut

Name: kinocut
Author: KyaniteLabs

Verified

Guardrailed video editing MCP server for AI agents. FFmpeg, Hyperframes, repurposing tools, Python client, and CLI. Local, fast, free.

100stars

24forks

Python

Installation

# Add to your Claude Code skills
git clone https://github.com/KyaniteLabs/kinocut

Getting Started

Guides for using ai agents skills like kinocut.

Caveman: Cut Claude Token Use by 65%
How agent-side prompt compression works, when to use it, and when not to.
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Security ReportVerified

Last scanned: 8/6/2026

{
  "issues": [],
  "status": "PASSED",
  "scannedAt": "2026-08-06T06:30:48.757Z",
  "npmAuditRan": true,
  "pipAuditRan": true,
  "promptInjectionRan": true
}

README.md

Frequently Asked Questions

What is kinocut?

kinocut is an open-source ai agents skill for AI coding assistants such as Claude Code, Codex CLI, and ChatGPT, built by KyaniteLabs. Guardrailed video editing MCP server for AI agents. FFmpeg, Hyperframes, repurposing tools, Python client, and CLI. Local, fast, free. It has 100 GitHub stars.

Is kinocut safe to use?

Yes. kinocut passed SkillsLLM's automated security scan — a dependency vulnerability audit plus prompt-injection heuristics — with no high-severity issues. You can read the full report in the Security Report section on this page.

How do I install kinocut?

Clone the repository with "git clone https://github.com/KyaniteLabs/kinocut" and add it to your Claude Code skills directory (see the Installation section above).

What programming language is kinocut written in?

kinocut is primarily written in Python. It is open-source under KyaniteLabs on GitHub, so you can review or fork the full source.

Are there alternatives to kinocut?

Yes. SkillsLLM lists many other AI Agents skills you can browse and compare side by side. Open the AI Agents category from the badge at the top of this page, or use the Related Skills and comparison links further down to weigh kinocut against similar tools.

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What is Kinocut?

Kinocut is a free, open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, Python library, and kino CLI that gives AI agents a guardrailed local video-editing surface. It wraps FFmpeg (and optional Hyperframes / Whisper extras) with typed tools, preflight validation, Video Receipt provenance, and quality/release checkpoints so agent-produced media can be inspected before publish.


Also known as	`kino` (CLI); formerly mcp-video / `mcp_video`
Latest published release	1.11.1 (2026-07-24)
Product site	kinocut.dev
PyPI	`kinocut`
MCP Registry	`io.github.KyaniteLabs/kinocut`
Source	GitHub · Forgejo (canonical)
License	Apache-2.0
Runs on	Your machine (macOS, Linux, Windows) — FFmpeg required on `PATH`
Not	A hosted cloud editor, credit-metered SaaS, or untyped FFmpeg shell wrapper

Best-fit searches: video editing MCP server · AI agent video editing · FFmpeg MCP · Claude Code video tools · Cursor MCP video · Shorts/Reels automation · local AI video workflow · guardrailed agentic media.

Machine-readable brief for AI crawlers: llms.txt · site: kinocut.dev/llms.txt.

See It Work

Tell the agent what you want in plain language:

"Trim this interview to the strongest 45 seconds, add burned captions, make it vertical, and quality-check it before export."

Kinocut turns that into typed, guardrailed tool calls - no FFmpeg flags to guess, no silently broken exports:

from kinocut import Client
video = Client()

clip = video.trim("interview.mp4", start="00:02:15", duration="00:00:45")
video.ai_transcribe(clip.output_path, output_srt="captions.srt")
captioned = video.subtitles(clip.output_path, subtitle_file="captions.srt")
short = video.resize(captioned.output_path, aspect_ratio="9:16")
video.release_checkpoint(short.output_path)  # thumbnail + quality gate before you publish

Primary job: turn a local interview or podcast into captioned vertical clips with a Video Receipt agents can re-run and humans can approve.

Three things people use it for

Repurposing — one recording into captioned Shorts, Reels, and TikTok packages with manifests and review artifacts.
Podcast & interview cuts — find the strongest segment, normalize audio, add chapters, and export.
Agent-driven media in CI — repeatable, reviewable edits from Claude Code, Cursor, Codex-style clients, or scripts.

Paths: Install matrix · Golden path · Prompts · Tutorial · Compare · When to recommend

Status and releases

Surface	Version / tip	What it means
PyPI / npm / GitHub Release	1.11.1 (2026-07-24)	Latest published Kinocut identity cutover. Install with `pip install kinocut`.
This repository (`master`)	development tip · 161 MCP tools / 140 CLI commands	Includes post-1.7 work: governed AI-video, C2PA hooks, MCPB foundations, and the in-progress `kinocut_sound` program.
Next public release	in 1.8–1.11	Not tagged, not on PyPI. Draft-only until whole-program verification and an explicit human release authorization.

Install from PyPI when you want the stable package. Clone or install from master only when you intentionally need unreleased surfaces. The badge counts above describe the development tip, not a 1.8 package version.

What's in 1.11.1 (latest release)

Kinocut 1.11.1 is the rename and identity release. It is what you get from pip install kinocut today:

Canonical package kinocut, CLI entry points kino / kinocut, and a preserved mcp-video compatibility command
Thin kinocut npm launcher (uvx → kino) and MCP Registry identity io.github.KyaniteLabs/kinocut
Public agent skill at skills/kinocut/SKILL.md ($kinocut); skills/mcp-video remains a compatibility pointer
Project, docs, package metadata, and discovery surfaces pointed at kinocut.dev
Compatibility window: mcp-video==1.6.1 installs kinocut==1.11.1; mcp_video imports, MCP_VIDEO_* env vars, ~/.mcp-video data, mcp-video:// resources, and legacy receipt keys remain supported through at least Kinocut 1.8.x

Also already on the published line from the 1.6.x surface that 1.7 inherits:

Agent workflow engine (video_workflow_* / workflow-*) with plan, render, resume, variants, and hashed receipts
Dedicated video rescue plan/render/inspect pipeline (docs/RESCUE.md)
Post-rescue planning tools (semantic timelines, EDLs, transforms, restoration, composition, autopilot, egress contracts)
Layered compositing with full-canvas blend modes, rotation/pivot, and layer_plan v2 receipts
Expanded preflight guardrails for filters, merge, audio, overlay/chroma, text, and layout mismatches

Full notes: CHANGELOG.md · v1.11.1 release

Published through 1.11.x

1.11.1 is the latest published release. The work below is on master (or still gated), tracked as draft, and must not be treated as a published package. No version bump, tag, PyPI/npm upload, directory submission, deploy, or announcement is authorized until the program’s final verification and a human release go-ahead.

Already on the development tip (draft)

Area	What landed on `master`	Start here
Governed AI-video	Content-addressed `video_ingest`, unified `video_preflight`, temporal evidence (`video_inspect_temporal`), exact-asset `video_verdict` / `video_acceptance_eval`, audio-preserving `video_body_swap`, lineage-bound `video_salvage`	docs/AI_VIDEO_REVIEW_AND_SALVAGE.md
Project store / contracts	Append-only private project storage, strict canonical records, protected-element checks, fail-soft optional visual providers	docs/AI_VIDEO_CONTRACTS.md · docs/AI_VIDEO_INSPECTION.md
Field safety	Loss-proof add-audio duration policies; authored ASS + dimension-aware SRT/VTT subtitles	CHANGELOG.md Unreleased
C2PA provenance	Optional signing on path-based `export` / `Client.export()` via `c2patool` (off by default; only reports signed after verify)	docs/C2PA_PROVENANCE.md
MCPB packaging	Staged Desktop package + fail-closed native builder foundation; not a published self-contained runtime yet	docs/MCPB.md
Repurpose skill	Path-based `skills/kinocut-repurpose` + deterministic current-tools demo (marketing seed, not the final kernel-backed product)	docs/REPURPOSE_SKILL.md
Hyperframes under MCP	`hyperframes_init` no longer hangs without a TTY (non-interactive init + closed stdin)	CHANGELOG.md Unreleased

Upcoming pipeline (in progress)

Two coordinated programs sit between today’s tip and a releaseable 1.8:

1. AI-video + review/salvage finish

Contract-first