Hook V2 and Segment Trimming

🎬 Hook V2 & Segment Trimming

Hook V2 and Segment Trimming are two independent features that operate on different parts of the video to maximize viewer retention.

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Final Video Structure

[Hook V2 Intro] → [MAIN CLIP] → done
   ↑                    ↑
   Rapid micro-hooks    This part is affected by Segment Trimming
   (0.5-2s × 3-4)

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Hook V2 (Multi-Hook Intro)

Hook V2 creates a rapid-fire intro at the beginning of the video — 3-4 short clips (0.5-2 seconds each) taken from the most punchy/controversial moments within the clip. Each piece is separated by a white flash or glitch transition.

Goal: Stop the viewer from scrolling within the first 3-5 seconds.

Example Hook V2:
  [Clip 1: "NOBODY DARES" (1s)] → ⚡flash → [Clip 2: "THEY'RE ALL WRONG" (0.8s)] → ⚡flash → [Clip 3: "HERE'S THE TRUTH" (1.2s)] → ⚡flash → [MAIN CLIP]

Usage

# Enable Hook V2 (default 3 micro-hooks)
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2

# Custom: 4 micro-hooks with glitch style
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2 --hook-v2-items 4 --hook-v2-style "glitch_fast"

# Adjust flash transition duration
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2 --white-flash-duration 0.15

Parameters

Argument	Default	Description
--hook-v2	False	Enable Multi-Hook Intro V2
--hook-v2-items	3	Number of micro-hooks (3-4 recommended)
--hook-v2-style	controversial_fast_glitch	Style hint for AI selection
--white-flash-duration	0.12	Flash transition duration (seconds)

How AI Picks Hook Moments

1. Gemini AI analyzes the entire clip transcript
2. Identifies the most controversial, emotional, or attention-grabbing phrases
3. Selects 3-4 micro-segments with exact timestamps
4. If AI fails to return items, the system auto-generates fallback hooks using timing division

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Segment Trimming

Segment Trimming applies only to the main clip (after the hook). AI analyzes the main clip and removes boring sections entirely — they're not sped up, they're cut out, and the good parts are stitched together seamlessly.

Example:
  Main clip: second 30 - 90 (60 seconds total)
  
  AI finds:
    ✅ Second 30-55 : strong content, engaging
    ❌ Second 55-58 : speaker pauses/filler (removed)
    ✅ Second 58-90 : strong punchline

  Result: segment 1 + segment 2 joined directly
  Final duration: 57 seconds (3 seconds of filler removed)

Trimming Modes

Flag	Behavior	Affected Part
(default, no flag)	AI smart-trims boring/filler sections	Main clip only
--silence-trim	AI trims aggressively — pauses >0.5s removed	Main clip only
--no-segment-trim	No trimming, full start-to-end render	Main clip only

Usage

# Default: AI smart-trim
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2

# Aggressive silence removal
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2 --silence-trim

# No trimming (full render)
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2 --no-segment-trim

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Hook V1 vs Hook V2

Feature	Hook V1 (--no-hook to disable)	Hook V2 (--hook-v2 to enable)
Type	Single 3-second glitch teaser	Multiple rapid micro-hooks
Duration	Fixed (configurable via --hook-duration)	Dynamic (AI-selected, 0.5-2s each)
Transition	TV Glitch effect	White flash / RGB glitch
Independence	Disabled by --no-hook	Works independently of --no-hook
AI-Driven	Uses first few seconds of clip	AI picks best moments

Important: --no-hook only disables Hook V1 (the 3-second glitch teaser). Hook V2 works independently even when --no-hook is active.

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Custom Hook Source

You can also use an external video file as a custom hook (Hook V1 only):

# Use a local .mp4 file as the hook
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-source "/path/to/hook.mp4" --hook-source-start 5.0 --hook-duration 4

# Use a Google Drive URL
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-source "DRIVE_URL" --hook-source-start 2.0

Custom hooks automatically skip subtitle rendering to preserve the original visual quality.

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Combination Examples

# Hook V2 + Default segment trimming
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2

# Hook V2 + Aggressive silence trimming + No B-roll
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2 --silence-trim --no-broll

# Hook V2 + Full render (no trimming) + Custom font
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --hook-v2 --no-segment-trim --font-style CINEMATIC

# Segment trimming WITHOUT Hook V2
python main.py --url "VIDEO_URL" --silence-trim

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See Also

• CLI Reference — Full flag details
• Subtitles & Typography — Subtitle settings for hooks