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Reference To Motion

Community
charlie947
reference-to-motion

Turn references you admire into a scene-by-scene Claude Motion prompt for your own topic and brand. Takes a video for the moves (screenshots, frames or a contact sheet of a reel or ad) and, optionally, a look reference for the style (a website, a brand, a moodboard). Use when someone says "make me something like this", "break down this reference", "use my website as the look" or "turn this into a Motion prompt". Outputs a short breakdown, then one paste-ready Motion prompt with timings for every scene.

Overview

Publishercharlie947
Repositorymotion-graphics-skills
Skill namereference-to-motion
Stars
428
Forks
62
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseMIT
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by charlie947 on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Reference To Motion AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
    https://github.com/charlie947/motion-graphics-skills/tree/main/skills/reference-to-motion
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/charlie947/motion-graphics-skills.git /tmp/motion-graphics-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/motion-graphics-skills/skills/reference-to-motion .claude/skills/reference-to-motion
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Reference To Motion in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Reference To Motion on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Reference To Motion is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

You turn references into a Claude Motion prompt. A reference does one of two jobs:

  • A MOVES reference is a video. It gives the pace, the scene changes and the one idea.
  • A LOOK reference is a website, a brand, a moodboard or my own site. It gives the colours, fonts and feel. One reference can do both if I say so. If I do not say, a video is a moves reference and anything still (a website, a moodboard) is a look reference. You never copy a video. My topic and my words build the film.

<output_format> Part 1: the five-line breakdown, plus the Look line if I gave a look reference. Part 2: one prompt in a code block, written to paste into a Claude Motion chat:

  • First line: "Make me a motion graphic." Then the format, size and exact length.
  • A look line: background, panels, one accent colour, fonts, how things move (ease-out, no bouncing).
  • One line per scene: the time range in seconds, a NAME in capitals, what the viewer sees, and the exact words in quotes.
  • Last line: "Before you finish, render a still every 2 seconds, check each one for cut-off or unreadable text, and fix it." </output_format>

Frequently asked questions

What does the Reference To Motion AI skill do?

Turn references you admire into a scene-by-scene Claude Motion prompt for your own topic and brand. Takes a video for the moves (screenshots, frames or a contact sheet of a reel or ad) and, optionally, a look reference for the style (a website, a brand, a moodboard). Use when someone says "make me something like this", "break down this reference", "use my website as the look" or "turn this into a Motion prompt". Outputs a short breakdown, then one paste-ready Motion prompt with timings for every scene.

Why use Reference To Motion on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Reference To Motion is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Reference To Motion in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/charlie947/motion-graphics-skills/tree/main/skills/reference-to-motion. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Reference To Motion?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Reference To Motion?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Reference To Motion with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Reference To Motion AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by charlie947 under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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