Real AI agent use cases, with sources and setup prompts

Have an LLM write HTML/CSS graphics and burn them into video without a browser

Geneva is a Rust take on the ffmpeg CLI with a native HTML/CSS compositor. Prompt your agent for an intro or animation (the author finds Opus 5.5 good at this), let it write the HTML/CSS and render it onto video in one pass, faster than browser-based tools.

$4 in / $20 out per 1M tokens30 minutesIntermediateSource linked

Source

fbnt on Hacker News · 2026-10-14 · Project link

Written in our own words. Credit to the original author. Link checked 2026-10-16.

What they did

Geneva is a Rust take on the ffmpeg CLI with a native HTML/CSS compositor. Prompt your agent for an intro or animation (the author finds Opus 5.5 good at this), let it write the HTML/CSS and render it onto video in one pass, faster than browser-based tools.

Result (as claimed)

Live at genevarender.com; 6 points on Show HN.

Tools they used

Claude Opus 5.5FFmpeg

Cost: Claude Opus 5.5: from $4 in / $20 out per 1M tokens.

Set it up

  1. Collect your inputs

    List what goes in (raw footage, script, topic list or audio) and the exact output you want, for example 5 vertical clips under 45 seconds. Put inputs in one folder.

  2. Set up the tools

    Open Claude Opus 5.5, FFmpeg. Connect accounts only where needed and note any per-minute or per-credit limits on the free plan before you start.

  3. Run one piece end to end

    Make a single output first. Check pacing, captions, voice and framing by watching it on a phone.

  4. Turn it into a repeatable recipe

    Save the prompts and settings that worked as a template so the next run takes minutes, then batch.

  5. Review before you post

    Watch every output before publishing. Check rights for music, likeness and footage, and label AI content where the platform requires it.

Copy the full setup prompt

Paste into your agent and it will walk you through the setup, asking before anything that sends, posts or spends.

You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Claude Code.

Goal: Have an LLM write HTML/CSS graphics and burn them into video without a browser
What the original author did: Geneva is a Rust take on the ffmpeg CLI with a native HTML/CSS compositor. Prompt your agent for an intro or animation (the author finds Opus 5.5 good at this), let it write the HTML/CSS and render it onto video in one pass, faster than browser-based tools.
Reported result (as claimed by the author): Live at genevarender.com; 6 points on Show HN.
Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50086224
Tools they used: Claude Opus 5.5, FFmpeg
Category: Creators & video

Please:
1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like).
2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure.
3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data.
4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.

The Daily 5

Get five new use cases tomorrow morning

Free. Real sources. Unsubscribe any time.

Related use cases