---
title: "How to add a color reveal with Claude (tested prompt and ffmpeg command)"
description: "The clip opens in black and white, then the color floods in under a second later. Install one skill and ask Claude Code, or run the ffmpeg command we tested yourself."
url: https://www.recharm.com/effects/color-reveal
---

# How to add a color reveal with Claude

The clip opens in black and white, then the color floods in under a second later.

Made by the command on this page, from our own test clip.

## Get this effect

1. ### Switch to Code in your [Claude Desktop App](https://claude.com/download)

2. ### Install the skill (once)

   ```
   Install the Recharm video effects skill: download https://recharm-growth-staging.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/website/downloads/recharm-video-effects.zip and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills
   ```

3. ### Ask for the effect

   ```
   Add a color reveal to input.mp4
   The second the color comes in: 0.8
   Seconds the color takes to reach full strength: 0.25
   ```

## Several videos, several effects, one ask

Put your clips in the folder, mention them with @, and ask for everything at once. Claude runs one tested script after another on each clip, then joins them.

Add a color reveal to **@clip1.mp4**, put a sale badge on **@clip2.mp4**, give **@clip3.mp4** a VHS look, then join all three with crossfades.

## Settings you can change

Ask Claude to change any of these, or edit them at the top of the command.

| Setting | Default | What it does                                                       |
| ------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `AT`    | `0.8`   | The second the color comes in.                                     |
| `FADE`  | `0.25`  | Seconds the color takes to reach full strength. 0 makes it a snap. |

## Without the skill

Don’t want to install the skill? Paste this prompt into Claude Code and Claude writes the command itself.

```
Make input.mp4 open in black and white and bring the color in at 0.8 seconds, reaching full color by 1.05 seconds. Keep the audio. Use ffmpeg and save it as output.mp4.
```

## Run it without Claude

This is the exact command we tested. Save it as `color-reveal.sh` and run:

```
sh color-reveal.sh input.mp4 output.mp4
```

```
#!/bin/sh
# Color reveal: the clip opens in black and white, then the color floods in at 0.8s.
# Usage: sh color-reveal.sh input.mp4 output.mp4
set -e
IN="$1"; OUT="$2"
AT=0.8     # second the color comes in
FADE=0.25  # seconds the color takes to reach full strength

ffmpeg -y -i "$IN" -vf "hue=s='if(lt(t,$AT),0,min(1,(t-$AT)/$FADE))'" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a copy "$OUT"
```

## More hook openers

- [Blur-to-focus reveal **Blur-to-focus reveal**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/blur-to-focus-reveal)
- [Breaking news banner **Breaking news banner**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/breaking-news-banner)
- [Camera shake **Camera shake**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/camera-shake)
- [Countdown intro **Countdown intro**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/countdown-intro)
- [Curtain reveal **Curtain reveal**](https://www.recharm.com/effects/curtain-reveal)

## Find 3x _winning ads_

Recharm cuts your ad footage into tagged, searchable clips: hooks, testimonials, product shots. Find the shots that win, add the effect with Claude, and ship 3x more ad edits.

[Start 14-day free trial](https://www.recharm.com/get-started)