16 Styles to Turn Ideas into Explainer Animations chengfeng-video-styles

Compare styles using the same idea

An article, narration script or concept can become an explainer animation. chengfeng-video-styles first makes short previews using your content. Compare them, choose a direction, then make a 10-second film.

The creator’s film above uses a paper-craft scene to explain a shift from timeline-based editing to workflows. A row of film tiles rearranges into a ring around a character, while captions follow the explanation. Watch how the rearrangement illustrates the point. This paper-craft treatment came from an extra reference supplied by the creator; it is not one of the 16 built-in styles.

The creator used Claude Opus 5.5 in the original article. The skill supports Claude Code and Codex; the result will depend on the model and the instructions you give it.

This exercise explains why a reminder should show the next action, rather than merely announce that something needs attention. You will compare styles using one visible change, then adapt the method to your own product or idea. The example requests were written for this tutorial. We have not used them to generate a video; installation and behaviour were checked against the README and the skill’s own SKILL.md.

Install and prepare one point to explain

With Node.js 18+ available, run in a terminal:

npx -y github:Agentchengfeng/chengfeng-video-styles install

The installer copies the skill to ~/.claude/skills/chengfeng-video-styles/ and creates a symbolic link for Codex. Start a new Claude Code or Codex session afterwards. To check installation:

npx -y github:Agentchengfeng/chengfeng-video-styles doctor

For the first exercise, supply one point and one conclusion instead of squeezing an entire article into ten seconds. Send the agent:

Use chengfeng-video-styles to animate this idea:
A reminder should show what to do next, not merely say that something needs attention.
Audience: people designing task or calendar products.
First show a notification saying “Something needs attention”.
Then show a “View tasks” button and animate a simulated click that opens one specific task.
Conclusion: A useful reminder makes the next step clear.
Make short style previews first. Wait for my choice before making the full film.

This turns an abstract point into two visible states: receiving an unhelpful notification and seeing a clear next step. For your own product, supply accurate button labels, task content and intended behaviour so the agent does not invent features to complete the scene.

Compare 3-second previews and choose a direction

The skill lists 16 styles, each with an approximately 3-second HTML preview displayed in 样片筛选.html. Style 16, Xiaohei hand-drawn animation, requires the separate chengfeng-videocut-xiaohei skill. When that dependency is absent, this style is skipped and the selection page explains why. Without it or extra references, you will normally see 15 previews.

Look beyond colour. Which treatment makes the difference between an unclear notification and a clear next step easiest to understand? A whiteboard treatment could draw the button progressively; flat motion graphics could show the notification changing into a task card.

If you have a reference video or screenshots you like, send them to the agent too. It will add a preview based on that reference to the same selection page.

If the page does not open automatically, find 样片筛选.html in the task directory. Send the actual number you chose:

I choose [number from the selection page].
Keep this preview's colours, linework and card animation.
Make the “View tasks” button larger so its label is easier to read.
Make the full film in this style, with the change described above.

Complete the film in the chosen style

The default film is a single, looping, 16:9 HTML file lasting 10 seconds. Canvas 2D, SVG, WebGL or three.js draws the scenes in code, without needing to generate images first. The repository supplies style instructions and a selection-page template; the agent still writes the animation code for your content.

For this exercise, show the unclear notification, reveal a specific task, then leave the conclusion on screen. Ask:

Complete the 10-second animation using the selected preview.
Show “Something needs attention”, then a “View tasks” button. Animate a simulated click that opens a specific task.
Make the difference between the states clear. Do not add product features.
End with only “A useful reminder makes the next step clear” for at least 1.5 seconds.
Deliver the playable HTML and tell me where it is saved.

Open the HTML and watch it all the way through. Can you read the button? Are the states distinct? Is the final message unobstructed? The skill requires checking frames from the beginning, middle and end before delivery. Still frames reveal layout problems; playback reveals pacing.

Change one part while keeping the rest

If the notification disappears too quickly, describe the problem and what should stay:

The first notification disappears before I can compare it with the next card.
Hold it longer and shorten the middle transition to keep the film at 10 seconds.
Keep the style, colours, task content and final hold.
Show the revised section first, then deliver the updated HTML.

The skill requires ?t=seconds in the URL to display a still frame at that time, such as ?t=6. Use it to inspect text and layout; it is not an MP4 export command. Random effects should use a fixed seed so the same time always produces the same frame.

Export MP4 and add sound effects and captions

HTML plays in a browser, while publishing to video platforms usually calls for MP4. The creator’s article demonstrates later export, synthesised sound effects and captions. The current repository does not include a ready-made MP4 export script or audio tools. The agent must prepare recording or frame rendering and encoding for the actual project; requirements depend on that implementation.

Continue with:

Export the approved HTML animation to MP4.
Explain the required tools and export method before running them. Keep the HTML source.
Add subtle sound effects when the notification appears and the simulated click happens, plus matching captions.
Use sound effects and captions only, without a voiceover.
Check that sound, captions and actions remain in sync after export.

Listen to the result yourself. If a sound is too loud, give the agent its timestamp, identify the sound and describe the change. The article’s export timings describe one production attempt, not a speed guarantee. The skill itself does not include a voiceover system.

Adapt it to your topic, data or product

Replace the placeholders with your information:

Use chengfeng-video-styles.
Audience: [intended viewers]
One point to explain: [source text, claim or product benefit]
Visible change: [initial state → key action → final state]
Conclusion: [one sentence viewers should remember]
Must remain accurate: [figures, names, button labels and sources]
References: [video or screenshot paths, optional]
Make short previews for comparison, then a 16:9, 10-second HTML animation after my choice.
Other delivery needs: [MP4, captions or sound effects]

For data, provide sources and units. For an operation, describe its before and after states. For a product, choose one user problem and how the product addresses it. If ten seconds is insufficient, cover less in this film so viewers have time to read the captions.

The repository uses Apache-2.0. Keep LICENSE and the NOTICE attribution when redistributing or adapting it. Permission to use reference videos and images must be checked separately; access to the skill does not grant rights to those materials.