Full AI pipeline to create dark motivational TikTok/Reels videos using REAL video footage. Generates script (Claude), voiceover (ElevenLabs), searches real dark/cinematic video clips from Pexels A

Step 2 - Generate Voiceover (ElevenLabs)
Voice settings for dark motivation style:
  stability: 0.75, similarity_boost: 0.85, style: 0.30, use_speaker_boost: True
  model_id: eleven_multilingual_v2
Top voices:
  Adam   pNInz6obpgDQGcFmaJgB  deep, authoritative
  Antoni ErXwobaYiN019PkySvjV  warm, intense
  Josh   TxGEqnHWrfWFTfGW9XjX  cinematic, dramatic

def generate_voiceover(script, voice_id, api_key, out="voice.mp3"): segs = [] for line in script["lines"]: if line["text"] == "[PAUSE]": segs.append(AudioSegment.silent(duration=line["duration_ms"])) continue r = requests.post( f"https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/text-to-speech/{voice_id}", headers={"xi-api-key": api_key, "Content-Type": "application/json"}, json={"text": line["text"], "model_id": "eleven_multilingual_v2", "voice_settings": {"stability":0.75,"similarity_boost":0.85,"style":0.30,"use_speaker_boost":True}} ) segs.append(AudioSegment.from_mp3(io.BytesIO(r.content))) if line.get("pause_after_ms", 0) > 0: segs.append(AudioSegment.silent(duration=line["pause_after_ms"])) final = sum(segs) final.export(out, format="mp3") return out, len(final)

Step 3 - Fetch Real Video Clips (Pexels API)
Free API key at: https://www.pexels.com/api/
Default queries by theme:

def fetch_video_clips(theme, duration, pexels_key, output_dir="clips", script=None): os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

# Use Claude-generated queries if available, else use theme defaults queries = (script or {}).get("pexels_search_queries") or THEME_QUERIES.get(theme, THEME_QUERIES["dark city rain"]) needed = max(3, duration // 15) collected = []

for query in queries: if len(collected) >= needed: break print(f" Pexels: searching '{query}'") r = requests.get( "https://api.pexels.com/videos/search", headers={"Authorization": pexels_key}, params={"query": query, "per_page": 5, "orientation": "portrait", "size": "medium"} ) for video in r.json().get("videos", []): if len(collected) >= needed: break # Pick best MP4 file >= 720px wide files = sorted(video.get("video_files", []), key=lambda f: f.get("width", 0), reverse=True) url = next((f["link"] for f in files if f.get("width",0)>=720 and "mp4" in f.get("file_type","")), None) if not url: continue path = os.path.join(output_dir, f"clip_{len(collected):02d}.mp4") with open(path, "wb") as f: for chunk in requests.get(url, stream=True, timeout=60).iter_content(8192): f.write(chunk) collected.append({ "path": path, "duration": video.get("duration", 10), "photographer": video.get("user", {}).get("name", "Pexels") }) print(f" Downloaded clip {len(collected)}/{needed}")

if not collected: raise RuntimeError("No clips fetched. Check PEXELS_API_KEY.") return collected

Pexels notes:
Free: 200 req/hour, 20,000/month
orientation=portrait returns vertical-friendly clips
Attribution required in TikTok caption: "Video footage via Pexels"
Best keywords: dark, night, shadow, rain, fog, cinematic, dramatic, silhouette, alone
Step 4 - Compose Video (MoviePy)
Crop all clips to 1080x1920 vertical. Layer dark overlay. Sync text to voice timing.
Font: Download Bebas Neue from fonts.google.com -> save as fonts/BebasNeue-Regular.ttf

def crop_to_vertical(clip, w=1080, h=1920): clip = clip.resize(height=h) if clip.w < w: clip = clip.resize(width=w) return clip.crop(x_center=clip.w/2, width=w).resize((w, h))

def compose_video(clips_info, audio_path, script, out="output.mp4", bg_music_path=None): audio = AudioFileClip(audio_path) total_dur = audio.duration

# Assemble background from Pexels clips pool = clips_info * 4 parts, remaining = [], total_dur for info in pool: if remaining <= 0: break try: c = crop_to_vertical(VideoFileClip(info["path"], audio=False)) dur = min(c.duration - 0.3, remaining) if dur <= 0: continue parts.append(c.subclip(0, dur)) remaining -= dur except: continue if not parts: raise RuntimeError("No clips could be loaded") bg = concatenate_videoclips(parts, method="compose").set_duration(total_dur)

# Dark overlay - essential for mood dark = ColorClip((1080,1920), color=(0,0,0)).set_opacity(0.55).set_duration(total_dur)

# Text synced to script timing texts = [] t = 0.0 for line in script["lines"]: if line["text"] == "[PAUSE]": t += line["duration_ms"] / 1000 continue dur = line["duration_ms"] / 1000 try: clip = TextClip(line["text"], fontsize=78, font="fonts/BebasNeue-Regular.ttf", color="white", stroke_color="black", stroke_width=3, size=(900, None), method="caption") except: clip = TextClip(line["text"], fontsize=78, color="white", stroke_color="black", stroke_width=3, size=(900,None), method="caption") texts.append(clip.set_duration(dur).crossfadein(0.25).crossfadeout(0.25).set_start(t).set_position("center")) t += dur + line.get("pause_after_ms", 0) / 1000

if bg_music_path and os.path.exists(bg_music_path): mus = AudioFileClip(bg_music_path).volumex(0.08).set_duration(total_dur) final_audio = CompositeAudioClip([audio, mus]) else: final_audio = audio

CompositeVideoClip([bg, dark] + texts).set_audio(final_audio).write_videofile( out, fps=30, codec="libx264", audio_codec="aac", bitrate="8000k", threads=4, preset="fast" ) return out

Step 5 - Color Grade (FFmpeg)

Filters: blue tint shadow + darker contrast + vignette edges + film grain
Master Pipeline

def create_motivation_video( topic, tone="dark & stoic", duration=60, visual_theme="dark city rain", voice_id="pNInz6obpgDQGcFmaJgB", output="motivation_video.mp4", bg_music_path=None ): ak = os.getenv("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY") ek = os.getenv("ELEVENLABS_API_KEY") pk = os.getenv("PEXELS_API_KEY")

print("[1/5] Script..."); script = generate_script(topic, tone, duration, ak) print("[2/5] Voice..."); audio, _ = generate_voiceover(script, voice_id, ek) print("[3/5] Pexels..."); clips = fetch_video_clips(visual_theme, duration, pk, script=script) print("[4/5] Compose..."); raw = compose_video(clips, audio, script, "raw.mp4", bg_music_path) print("[5/5] Grade...") subprocess.run([ "ffmpeg","-y","-i",raw,"-vf", "curves=blue='0/0.05 1/1.1',eq=contrast=1.15:brightness=-0.04:saturation=0.60,vignette=PI/4", "-c:v","libx264","-crf","17","-c:a","copy", output ], check=True) print(f"\nDone: {output}") print(f"Tags: {' '.join(script['hashtags'])}") print("Caption: Video footage via Pexels") return output, script

Setup

macOS: brew install ffmpeg

Ubuntu: apt install ffmpeg -y

Font: fonts.google.com/specimen/Bebas+Neue -> fonts/BebasNeue-Regular.ttf

.env

CLI