manim-video✓ Pass

SKILL.md Content

---
name: manim-video
description: "Manim CE animations: 3Blue1Brown math/algo videos."
version: 1.0.0
platforms: [linux, macos, windows]
---

# Manim Video Production Pipeline

## When to use

Use when users request: animated explanations, math animations, concept visualizations, algorithm walkthroughs, technical explainers, 3Blue1Brown style videos, or any programmatic animation with geometric/mathematical content. Creates 3Blue1Brown-style explainer videos, algorithm visualizations, equation derivations, architecture diagrams, and data stories using Manim Community Edition.

## Creative Standard

This is educational cinema. Every frame teaches. Every animation reveals structure.

**Before writing a single line of code**, articulate the narrative arc. What misconception does this correct? What is the "aha moment"? What visual story takes the viewer from confusion to understanding? The user's prompt is a starting point — interpret it with pedagogical ambition.

**Geometry before algebra.** Show the shape first, the equation second. Visual memory encodes faster than symbolic memory. When the viewer sees the geometric pattern before the formula, the equation feels earned.

**First-render excellence is non-negotiable.** The output must be visually clear and aesthetically cohesive without revision rounds. If something looks cluttered, poorly timed, or like "AI-generated slides," it is wrong.

**Opacity layering directs attention.** Never show everything at full brightness. Primary elements at 1.0, contextual elements at 0.4, structural elements (axes, grids) at 0.15. The brain processes visual salience in layers.

**Breathing room.** Every animation needs `self.wait()` after it. The viewer needs time to absorb what just appeared. Never rush from one animation to the next. A 2-second pause after a key reveal is never wasted.

**Cohesive visual language.** All scenes share a color palette, consistent typography sizing, matching animation speeds. A technically correct video where every scene uses random different colors is an aesthetic failure.

## Prerequisites

Run `scripts/setup.sh` to verify all dependencies. Requires: Python 3.10+, Manim Community Edition v0.20+ (`pip install manim`), LaTeX (`texlive-full` on Linux, `mactex` on macOS), and ffmpeg. Reference docs tested against Manim CE v0.20.1.

## Modes

| Mode | Input | Output | Reference |
|------|-------|--------|-----------|
| **Concept explainer** | Topic/concept | Animated explanation with geometric intuition | `references/scene-planning.md` |
| **Equation derivation** | Math expressions | Step-by-step animated proof | `references/equations.md` |
| **Algorithm visualization** | Algorithm description | Step-by-step execution with data structures | `references/graphs-and-data.md` |
| **Data story** | Data/metrics | Animated charts, comparisons, counters | `references/graphs-and-data.md` |
| **Architecture diagram** | System description | Components building up with connections | `references/mobjects.md` |
| **Paper explainer** | Research paper | Key findings and methods animated | `references/scene-planning.md` |
| **3D visualization** | 3D concept | Rotating surfaces, parametric curves, spatial geometry | `references/camera-and-3d.md` |

## Stack

Single Python script per project. No browser, no Node.js, no GPU required.

| Layer | Tool | Purpose |
|-------|------|---------|
| Core | Manim Community Edition | Scene rendering, animation engine |
| Math | LaTeX (texlive/MiKTeX) | Equation rendering via `MathTex` |
| Video I/O | ffmpeg | Scene stitching, format conversion, audio muxing |
| TTS | ElevenLabs / Qwen3-TTS (optional) | Narration voiceover |

## Pipeline

```
PLAN --> CODE --> RENDER --> STITCH --> AUDIO (optional) --> REVIEW
```

1. **PLAN** — Write `plan.md` with narrative arc, scene list, visual elements, color palette, voiceover script
2. **CODE** — Write `script.py` with one class per scene, each independently renderable
3. **RENDER** — `manim -ql script.py Scene1 Scene2 ...` for draft, `-qh` for production
4. **STITCH** — ffmpeg concat of scene clips into `final.mp4`
5. **AUDIO** (optional) — Add voiceover and/or background music via ffmpeg. See `references/rendering.md`
6. **REVIEW** — Render preview stills, verify against plan, adjust

## Project Structure

```
project-name/
  plan.md                # Narrative arc, scene breakdown
  script.py              # All scenes in one file
  concat.txt             # ffmpeg scene list
  final.mp4              # Stitched output
  media/                 # Auto-generated by Manim
    videos/script/480p15/
```

## Creative Direction

### Color Palettes

| Palette | Background | Primary | Secondary | Accent | Use case |
|---------|-----------|---------|-----------|--------|----------|
| **Classic 3B1B** | `#1C1C1C` | `#58C4DD` (BLUE) | `#83C167` (GREEN) | `#FFFF00` (YELLOW) | General math/CS |
| **Warm academic** | `#2D2B55` | `#FF6B6B` | `#FFD93D` | `#6BCB77` | Approachable |
| **Neon tech** | `#0A0A0A` | `#00F5FF` | `#FF00FF` | `#39FF14` | Systems, architecture |
| **Monochrome** | `#1A1A2E` | `#EAEAEA` | `#888888` | `#FFFFFF` | Minimalist |

### Animation Speed

| Context | run_time | self.wait() after |
|---------|----------|-------------------|
| Title/intro appear | 1.5s | 1.0s |
| Key equation reveal | 2.0s | 2.0s |
| Transform/morph | 1.5s | 1.5s |
| Supporting label | 0.8s | 0.5s |
| FadeOut cleanup | 0.5s | 0.3s |
| "Aha moment" reveal | 2.5s | 3.0s |

### Typography Scale

| Role | Font size | Usage |
|------|-----------|-------|
| Title | 48 | Scene titles, opening text |
| Heading | 36 | Section headers within a scene |
| Body | 30 | Explanatory text |
| Label | 24 | Annotations, axis labels |
| Caption | 20 | Subtitles, fine print |

### Fonts

**Use monospace fonts for all text.** Manim's Pango renderer produces broken kerning with proportional fonts at all sizes. See `references/visual-design.md` for full recommendations.

```python
MONO = "Menlo"  # define once at top of file

Text("Fourier Series", font_size=48, font=MONO, weight=BOLD)  # titles
Text("n=1: sin(x)", font_size=20, font=MONO)                  # labels
MathTex(r"\nabla L")                                            # math (uses LaTeX)
```

Minimum `font_size=18` for readability.

### Per-Scene Variation

Never use identical config for all scenes. For each scene:
- **Different dominant color** from the palette
- **Different layout** — don't always center everything
- **Different animation entry** — vary between Write, FadeIn, GrowFromCenter, Create
- **Different visual weight** — some scenes dense, others sparse

## Workflow

### Step 1: Plan (plan.md)

Before any code, write `plan.md`. See `references/scene-planning.md` for the comprehensive template.

### Step 2: Code (script.py)

One class per scene. Every scene is independently renderable.

```python
from manim import *

BG = "#1C1C1C"
PRIMARY = "#58C4DD"
SECONDARY = "#83C167"
ACCENT = "#FFFF00"
MONO = "Menlo"

class Scene1_Introduction(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        self.camera.background_color = BG
        title = Text("Why Does This Work?", font_size=48, color=PRIMARY, weight=BOLD, font=MONO)
        self.add_subcaption("Why does this work?", duration=2)
        self.play(Write(title), run_time=1.5)
        self.wait(1.0)
        self.play(FadeOut(title), run_time=0.5)
```

Key patterns:
- **Subtitles** on every animation: `self.add_subcaption("text", duration=N)` or `subcaption="text"` on `self.play()`
- **Shared color constants** at file top for cross-scene consistency
- **`self.camera.background_color`** set in every scene
- **Clean exits** — FadeOut all mobjects at scene end: `self.play(FadeOut(Group(*self.mobjects)))`

### Step 3: Render

```bash
manim -ql script.py Scene1_Introduction Scene2_CoreConcept  # draft
manim -qh script.py Scene1_Introduction Scene2_CoreConcept  # production
```

### Step 4: Stitch

```bash
cat > concat.txt << 'EOF'
file 'media/videos/script/480p15/Scene1_Introduction.mp4'
file 'media/videos/script/480p15/Scene2_CoreConcept.mp4'
EOF
ffmpeg -y -f concat -safe 0 -i concat.txt -c copy final.mp4
```

### Step 5: Review

```bash
manim -ql --format=png -s script.py Scene2_CoreConcept  # preview still
```

## Critical Implementation Notes

### Raw Strings for LaTeX
```python
# WRONG: MathTex("\frac{1}{2}")
# RIGHT:
MathTex(r"\frac{1}{2}")
```

### buff >= 0.5 for Edge Text
```python
label.to_edge(DOWN, buff=0.5)  # never < 0.5
```

### FadeOut Before Replacing Text
```python
self.play(ReplacementTransform(note1, note2))  # not Write(note2) on top
```

### Never Animate Non-Added Mobjects
```python
self.play(Create(circle))  # must add first
self.play(circle.animate.set_color(RED))  # then animate
```

## Performance Targets

| Quality | Resolution | FPS | Speed |
|---------|-----------|-----|-------|
| `-ql` (draft) | 854x480 | 15 | 5-15s/scene |
| `-qm` (medium) | 1280x720 | 30 | 15-60s/scene |
| `-qh` (production) | 1920x1080 | 60 | 30-120s/scene |

Always iterate at `-ql`. Only render `-qh` for final output.

## References

| File | Contents |
|------|----------|
| `references/animations.md` | Core animations, rate functions, composition, `.animate` syntax, timing patterns |
| `references/mobjects.md` | Text, shapes, VGroup/Group, positioning, styling, custom mobjects |
| `references/visual-design.md` | 12 design principles, opacity layering, layout templates, color palettes |
| `references/equations.md` | LaTeX in Manim, TransformMatchingTex, derivation patterns |
| `references/graphs-and-data.md` | Axes, plotting, BarChart, animated data, algorithm visualization |
| `references/camera-and-3d.md` | MovingCameraScene, ThreeDScene, 3D surfaces, camera control |
| `references/scene-planning.md` | Narrative arcs, layout templates, scene transitions, planning template |
| `references/rendering.md` | CLI reference, quality presets, ffmpeg, voiceover workflow, GIF export |
| `references/troubleshooting.md` | LaTeX errors, animation errors, common mistakes, debugging |
| `references/animation-design-thinking.md` | When to animate vs show static, decomposition, pacing, narration sync |
| `references/updaters-and-trackers.md` | ValueTracker, add_updater, always_redraw, time-based updaters, patterns |
| `references/paper-explainer.md` | Turning research papers into animations — workflow, templates, domain patterns |
| `references/decorations.md` | SurroundingRectangle, Brace, arrows, DashedLine, Angle, annotation lifecycle |
| `references/production-quality.md` | Pre-code, pre-render, post-render checklists, spatial layout, color, tempo |

---

## Creative Divergence (use only when user requests experimental/creative/unique output)

If the user asks for creative, experimental, or unconventional explanatory approaches, select a strategy and reason through it BEFORE designing the animation.

- **SCAMPER** — when the user wants a fresh take on a standard explanation
- **Assumption Reversal** — when the user wants to challenge how something is typically taught

### SCAMPER Transformation
Take a standard mathematical/technical visualization and transform it:
- **Substitute**: replace the standard visual metaphor (number line → winding path, matrix → city grid)
- **Combine**: merge two explanation approaches (algebraic + geometric simultaneously)
- **Reverse**: derive backward — start from the result and deconstruct to axioms
- **Modify**: exaggerate a parameter to show why it matters (10x the learning rate, 1000x the sample size)
- **Eliminate**: remove all notation — explain purely through animation and spatial relationships

### Assumption Reversal
1. List what's "standard" about how this topic is visualized (left-to-right, 2D, discrete steps, formal notation)
2. Pick the most fundamental assumption
3. Reverse it (right-to-left derivation, 3D embedding of a 2D concept, continuous morphing instead of steps, zero notation)
4. Explore what the reversal reveals that the standard approach hides

License

Declared license: MIT

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 NousResearch

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

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SOFTWARE.

View the license in the source repository — the version published there is authoritative.