What is a Claude Skill?
A Claude Skill is a folder of instructions and reference material that teaches Claude Code how to do a specific job well. When you ask for something the skill covers, Claude Code loads it automatically and follows it. There are no commands to memorize. The Pictory Text-to-Video skill teaches Claude Code to be a video producer. It knows the Pictory API inside out: every request field, which fonts and colors work well together, how to pace narration so scenes don’t run long, how to lay out text and shapes like a designer, and how to submit and track a render job.What you can create
Once the skill is installed, you can say things like:- “Create a 60-second explainer about our new expense-tracking feature, professional tone, for YouTube.”
- “Make a vertical Instagram teaser for our coffee brand: warm, cozy, upbeat music.”
- “Turn this script into a tutorial video with step-by-step diagrams.” (paste your script)
- “A 30-second product launch teaser for a smart lamp. Futuristic look, use AI-generated visuals.”
What happens behind the scenes
1
You describe the video
Topic, or a full script if you have one. The skill asks about anything important
that’s missing: video format, voice-over, music, whether AI-generated visuals are
okay. Say “you decide” and it picks sensible defaults.
2
Claude writes and designs
It writes narration paced for a natural voice-over, picks a color palette and fonts
that match the mood, designs each scene’s layout, and chooses stock footage (or
generates AI visuals if you opted in).
3
Pictory renders
The skill submits the video to the Pictory API with your API key and checks progress
every 30 seconds, keeping you posted.
4
You get the video
A direct MP4 link, a shareable player link, and, if saved as a project, an
editable copy in your Pictory workspace at app.pictory.ai. Want changes? Just say
what to change and it re-renders.
What you need
Install & Configure
Get the skill running in about five minutes
Create Videos
Example prompts, tips, and troubleshooting
