Choose the right workflow
Match the direct or structured workflow to what your edit actually needs.
You do not need every agent in every program.
| Need | Recommended workflow |
|---|---|
| A quick edit from a clear request | author_agent.edit("...") |
| Careful source selection and narrative control | source.work → planner.compile → author |
| Explore editorial directions without changing files or the timeline | planner.ask |
| Semantically choose and render multiple trims, frames, or other derivatives | source.work |
| Transcript-aware selection, planning, or direct editing | grant tools=[transcribe] to the specialist that needs it |
| Grounding on-screen actions, zoom targets, or pacing from footage | grant tools=[detect_events] to Source Work, Planner Compile, or author |
| Cutting or pacing to the music | grant tools=[detect_beats] to Source Work |
| Put text/graphics behind a subject or build another matte-based composite | grant tools=[masking] to the agent that precomputes or places it |
| Add editorial sound effects | ask timeline.sound_agent directly; SFX is intrinsic to that specialist |
| Explicit mechanical transcodes, trims, or extracted audio | source.work (render + brief) → planner.compile → author |
| Titles, captions, graphics, or sound as distinct creative passes | author → one or more refine agents |
| A quality gate with automatic repair | validate → pass report to an edit agent → validate again |
| Create voiceover or image-to-video footage deterministically | scrambo.tools.genAI → Planner Compile/author |
| Ask a specialist to decide which generated assets are needed | generate specialist → Planner Compile → author |
Use the short direct-author path when a single prompt expresses the edit well. Use the structured source/planner path when source choices, transcript evidence, section timing, or narrative order deserve their own reviewable handoffs.