Video Studio: this skill lives in engines/content-os (Content OS, inside this repo). Before running anything from it, cd engines/content-os and use that folder's copy (.claude/skills/platform-formats/), which has its scripts and reference files. Every path below is relative to that folder. This copy only lets Claude find the skill from the Video Studio folder.

Formatting for each platform

A draft is finished when Bryan can copy it, paste it, and post it. Any reformatting he has to do is work this skill failed to remove.

Read platforms.md first: his own rules and what has actually worked override every default here. Scope: text. Reel/long-form scripts go through scriptwriter, YouTube descriptions through yt-description, carousel design through carousel-generator, posting through auto-poster.

Defaults

Platform	Length	Shape	Links	Tags	CTA
Instagram reel caption	150-600 chars	Hook (fits before "more", ~125 chars), line break, 2-4 short lines, CTA	"Link in bio" / comment keyword	3-5, below a line break	The backbone/offer.md comment keyword
Instagram carousel	6-10 slides	Slide 1 = hook, one idea per slide, last slide = recap + CTA	—	In caption	Save / share / comment keyword
YouTube Shorts title	under 60 chars	Specific noun, no clickbait the clip doesn't pay off	—	0-2 in title	—
YouTube long-form	title under 60 chars	Description: use yt-description	Expected	Tags field	Subscribe + offer link
YouTube community post	1-4 lines	Hook line, then a poll or image	Optional	—	A question
Facebook	300-900 chars	One-sentence paragraphs	First comment	0-2	Question or none
LinkedIn	900-1,500 chars	One-sentence paragraphs; first ~200 chars show before "see more"	First comment	0-3, at the end	Question or none
X	200-280 per post	Standalone post, or thread where post 1 stands alone	Last post only	0-1	Rare
Newsletter / email	400-900 words	Subject 4-7 words, one idea, subheads every ~150 words	Inline	—	One ask, at the bottom

Everywhere

• One idea per piece. Two ideas = two drafts.
• Cut 20% after the first pass. The cut version is always better.
• No AI formatting tics: no bold-labelled bullet lists in a social post, no headers in a caption, no triads of adjectives, no "In conclusion", no "In today's fast-paced world", no "Let's dive in", no "It's not just X, it's Y".
• Front-load. The value goes at the top.
• No engagement bait he wouldn't say: no fake polls, no invented urgency. The comment keyword from backbone/offer.md is the CTA, not "comment YES".
• Voice: run the anti-patterns in voice-dna.md over every draft.

The draft file

One file per piece, drafts/YYYY-MM-DD/<platform>-<slug>.md, ready to paste:

# IG caption — The 5am truck
Planned: Tuesday, Oct 27 (with the reel "Nobody sees the 5am mornings")

## Caption

Nobody claps at 5am.

The truck's cold. The crew's late. The job still has to look perfect by noon.

That's the part of the business nobody posts.

Comment "SYSTEM" and I'll send you how we fill the calendar without being on the roof all day.

#contractor #roofing #smallbusiness

## Alternate hook
The work nobody films is the work that pays.

## Notes
- 270 characters; the hook lands before "more".
- [NEED: is "SYSTEM" still the current comment keyword? backbone/offer.md is dated Sept.]

---
Source: projects/<id>/transcript/words.json — 03:12, "nobody sees the 5am part"

One idea, different platforms

If it truly must run twice, make it two different pieces: the reel caption carries the one sharp line; the carousel walks the steps; the community post asks the question. If the versions differ only in length, nothing was adapted.

Checks before a draft is done

1. Length inside the range for that platform
2. First line works alone before any cut-off
3. Line breaks in place, no wall of text
4. Links and tags where platforms.md says
5. Voice check against voice-dna.md
6. CTA from backbone/offer.md where a CTA belongs
7. Source line at the bottom
8. Every unverified claim marked [NEED:]

Adapted from the content-manager plugin by Kyle Herbel.