Claude recreates a video ad as a JavaScript animation
A Hacker News user gave Claude an ad video, audio and FFmpeg access. The agent recreated it as a JavaScript animation in under an hour, except for the logo.
news.ycombinator.com
Original prompt
Shared by the source author. See source notes for context.
Recreate a video to a pure javascript animation. This is the video you need to recreate:
Reach people exploring AI agents
See placements →Evidence at a glance
Sourced account- Source poster / publisher
- nicolasdaniels
- Original account
- Read the source ↗
- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- The author reports that the animation took under an hour and that the only visible difference from the reference was the final logo.
- Human involvement
- The author selected the source media, supplied the prompt and assessed the rendered result. The source media belongs to OpenAI, so reuse requires appropriate permission.
A linked account supports attribution. It does not mean we independently reproduced its result.
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How the agent did it
- The author downloaded the original video and audio from YouTube and gave Claude access to FFmpeg.
- They asked Claude to recreate the video as a high-production-value JavaScript animation and continue working autonomously.
- The author reviewed the result and reported that it matched apart from the ending logo.
A Hacker News user under the handle nicolasdaniels tried giving Claude a finished ChatGPT advertisement and asking for a JavaScript animation that matched its production value. They downloaded the source video and audio from YouTube, gave Claude access to FFmpeg, and left it to work autonomously. The user says the first attempt took less than an hour and that the only visible difference was the logo at the end.
The post includes the actual prompt, which asks Claude to recreate the video in pure JavaScript, use the supplied audio, make the assets and animation, and work autonomously. It is an experiment with a specific reference and a reported visual result, rather than evidence that the process is reliable for arbitrary footage. The author also notes that the original video and audio belong to OpenAI.
The transferable technique is to provide the agent with source media, a rendering tool and a clear visual target, then inspect the exported result frame by frame. Reuse only media you have permission to use; this example’s source material is copyrighted. The prompt excerpt below is verbatim and limited to the first 14 words of the original instruction.
Prompt
Original prompt
Source: Hacker News · nicolasdaniels
Frequently asked questions
What did Claude create?
The author says Claude recreated a ChatGPT advertisement as a JavaScript animation using supplied video and audio.
How long did it take?
The Hacker News post says the run took less than an hour and worked in one go.
Was the recreation identical?
The author says the only visible difference was the final logo; this is one self-reported experiment, not a general benchmark.
More details
About this account
Claude worked autonomously on the video recreation after receiving the source assets, tool access and instruction.
Reviewed the archived direct HN comment and official HN API for author and exact UTC date. Original prompt excerpt: “Recreate a video to a pure javascript animation. This is the video you need to recreate”. The author notes the reference media belongs to OpenAI.
Credit: nicolasdaniels — Hacker News
Source published
Added to Agents In Use
Source checked
Tools and topics
Claude Opus 5.5 · FFmpeg · JavaScript
video recreation · animation · FFmpeg
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.