Analyze video files by extracting frames at 1-second intervals using ffmpeg, then examining the frames to understand the video content.

Prerequisites

Requires ffmpeg installed on the system. Install if missing:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install -y ffmpeg
# macOS
brew install ffmpeg

Usage

Extract frames from video

scripts/extract_frames.sh  [output_dir] [fps]

Arguments:

• video_path (required): Path to the video file
• output_dir (optional): Directory for extracted frames. Default: creates frames_ in current directory
• fps (optional): Frames per second to extract. Default: 1 (one frame per second)

Example:

scripts/extract_frames.sh /path/to/video.mp4
scripts/extract_frames.sh /path/to/video.mp4 ./my_frames
scripts/extract_frames.sh /path/to/video.mp4 ./my_frames 2  # 2 frames per second

Output:

• Creates numbered frame images: frame_001.jpg, frame_002.jpg, etc.
• Prints video metadata (duration, resolution, frame count)

Workflow

• Run extract_frames.sh on the video file
• Read key frames using the read tool to view images
• For comprehensive analysis, sample frames at regular intervals (e.g., every 5th frame)
• Describe what you see in each frame to build understanding of the video

Tips

• For short videos (<1 min): Review all frames
• For medium videos (1-5 min): Sample every 3-5 frames
• For long videos (>5 min): Sample every 10+ frames, focus on scene changes
• Look for: scene transitions, text/titles, UI elements, actions, characters