{ "name": "Turn one topic into a scene-by-scene faceless video script (JSON)", "nodes": [ { "id": "overview", "name": "Overview", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [ -720, -420 ], "parameters": { "color": 1, "width": 660, "height": 1180, "content": "## Turn one topic into a scene-by-scene faceless video script (JSON)\n\nType a topic, pick a language and how many scenes, and get back a clean JSON script: one `voice_over` line plus one English `image_prompt` per scene. This is the writing half of a faceless-video pipeline \u2014 feed the output straight into a voiceover step and an image step to build the full video.\n\nTwo model options: **Gemini** (has a free tier) or **Claude Haiku** (cheap, paid). A router sends your choice to the right API, and a parser normalises either reply into the same `{ \"scenes\": [...] }` shape, then splits it so every downstream node gets one scene at a time.\n\n### How it works\n\n1. A form takes your topic, language, scene count, and model choice.\n2. A Code node validates the language and sets a per-scene word budget so the finished video stays under 60 seconds (a Shorts limit).\n3. A switch routes to Gemini or Claude, each asked to return strict JSON.\n4. A parser reads either provider's response shape, strips code fences, and validates the scenes array.\n5. Split Out emits one item per scene, ready to pipe into TTS + image generation.\n\n### Setup\n\n- Add your API key as a credential on the model node you use: Gemini via a **Query Auth** credential (`key`), Claude via a **Header Auth** credential (`x-api-key`). No keys are hardcoded.\n- Works on n8n Cloud and self-hosted \u2014 this template is HTTP only, no Execute Command.\n\n### Customization tips\n\nChange `TOTAL_WORDS` in the first Code node to make scripts longer or shorter. Swap in any other chat model by editing one HTTP node and adding its response shape to the parser.\n" }, "typeVersion": 1 }, { "id": "section---input", "name": "Section - input", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [ -40, -180 ], "parameters": { "color": 7, "width": 240, "height": 420, "content": "## 1. Input\nTopic, language, number of scenes, and which model to use." }, "typeVersion": 1 }, { "id": "section---budget", "name": "Section - budget", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [ 200, -180 ], "parameters": { "color": 7, "width": 240, "height": 420, "content": "## 2. Budget\nValidates the language and sets a per-scene word cap for a <60s Short." }, "typeVersion": 1 }, { "id": "section---model", "name": "Section - model", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [ 640, -320 ], "parameters": { "color": 7, "width": 300, "height": 640, "content": "## 3. Write the script\nRouter sends your choice to Gemini (free tier) or Claude Haiku. Both return strict JSON." }, "typeVersion": 1 }, { "id": "section---parse", "name": "Section - parse", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [ 960, -180 ], "parameters": { "color": 7, "width": 460, "height": 420, "content": "## 4. Parse + split\nNormalises either reply into one scenes array, then emits one scene per item." }, "typeVersion": 1 }, { "id": "note---add-api-key", "name": "Note - add api key", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [ 640, 320 ], "parameters": { "color": 3, "width": 300, "height": 140, "content": "## Add your API key\nAttach a credential to the model node you pick. Nothing is hardcoded." }, "typeVersion": 1 }, { "id": "form-trigger", "name": "Video idea form", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.formTrigger", "notes": "Entry point. Topic, language, scene count and model choice flow downstream from here.", "position": [ 0, 0 ], "parameters": { "options": {}, "formTitle": "Topic to faceless video script (JSON)", "formFields": { "values": [ { "fieldType": "text", "fieldLabel": "Topic", "requiredField": true }, { "fieldType": "dropdown", "fieldLabel": "Language", "fieldOptions": { "values": [ { "option": "English (US)" }, { "option": "Vietnamese" }, { "option": "Spanish" }, { "option": "French" }, { "option": "German" }, { "option": "Portuguese (Brazil)" }, { "option": "Indonesian" } ] }, "requiredField": true }, { "fieldType": "dropdown", "fieldLabel": "Number of Scenes", "fieldOptions": { "values": [ { "option": "2" }, { "option": "3" }, { "option": "4" }, { "option": "5" }, { "option": "6" }, { "option": "7" }, { "option": "8" }, { "option": "9" }, { "option": "10" } ] }, "requiredField": true }, { "fieldType": "dropdown", "fieldLabel": "LLM Provider", "fieldOptions": { "values": [ { "option": "Gemini (free)" }, { "option": "Claude (Haiku)" } ] }, "requiredField": true } ] }, "formDescription": "Enter a topic and pick your options. You get back a scene-by-scene script as JSON: one voice_over line and one English image_prompt per scene, sized to fit a video under 60 seconds." }, "typeVersion": 2.2 }, { "id": "prepare", "name": "Set language and word budget", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code", "notes": "Validates the language and computes a per-scene word cap so the finished video stays under 60s. Edit TOTAL_WORDS to change script length.", "position": [ 220, 0 ], "parameters": { "jsCode": "// Validate the language and set a per-scene word budget that keeps the finished\n// video under 60s (so it still counts as a YouTube Short).\n//\n// Only languages that put SPACES between words belong here: a downstream karaoke /\n// caption step splits text on whitespace, so Chinese/Japanese/Thai would break.\nconst LANGUAGES = {\n 'English (US)': 'English',\n 'Vietnamese': 'Vietnamese',\n 'Spanish': 'Spanish',\n 'French': 'French',\n 'German': 'German',\n 'Portuguese (Brazil)': 'Brazilian Portuguese',\n 'Indonesian': 'Indonesian',\n};\n\nconst picked = $json['Language'];\nconst languageName = LANGUAGES[picked];\nif (!languageName) {\n throw new Error(`Unsupported language: \"${picked}\". Add it to the LANGUAGES map in this node.`);\n}\n\n// Word budget = what keeps the script short enough for a <60s Short.\n// A typical TTS voice speaks ~2.32 words/sec including pauses; aim at ~55s => ~128 words\n// for the WHOLE video, split across the scenes as a hard per-scene cap handed to the LLM.\n// Raise TOTAL_WORDS if you don't care about the 60s Shorts limit (~2.32 words = 1 second).\nconst TOTAL_WORDS = 125;\nconst scenes = Number($json['Number of Scenes']) || 5;\nconst wordsPerScene = Math.max(8, Math.floor(TOTAL_WORDS / scenes));\n\nreturn { json: { ...$json, languageName, wordsPerScene } };\n" }, "typeVersion": 2 }, { "id": "router", "name": "Route to the chosen model", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.switch", "notes": "Sends the item to Gemini or Claude based on the LLM Provider field.", "position": [ 460, 0 ], "parameters": { "mode": "rules", "rules": { "values": [ { "outputKey": "Gemini", "conditions": { "conditions": [ { "operator": { "type": "string", "operation": "equals" }, "leftValue": "={{ $json['LLM Provider'] }}", "rightValue": "Gemini (free)" } ] } }, { "outputKey": "Claude", "conditions": { "conditions": [ { "operator": { "type": "string", "operation": "equals" }, "leftValue": "={{ $json['LLM Provider'] }}", "rightValue": "Claude (Haiku)" } ] } } ] }, "options": { "fallbackOutput": "none" } }, "typeVersion": 3.4 }, { "id": "gen-gemini", "name": "Generate script (Gemini, free tier)", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "notes": "Add a Query Auth credential with name 'key' = your Gemini API key. responseMimeType json + thinkingBudget 0 make it return strict JSON fast.", "position": [ 740, -120 ], "parameters": { "url": "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-flash-latest:generateContent", "method": "POST", "options": { "response": { "response": { "responseFormat": "json" } } }, "jsonBody": "={{ JSON.stringify({ contents: [ { parts: [ { text: `You are a short-form video scriptwriter. Write a video script in ${$json.languageName} about the topic: \\\"${$json['Topic']}\\\". Split it into exactly ${$json['Number of Scenes'] || 5} scenes. Each voice_over MUST be at most ${$json.wordsPerScene} words - this is a hard limit, the finished video has to stay under 60 seconds. Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanation, matching this schema: {\\\"scenes\\\": [{\\\"voice_over\\\": \\\"at most ${$json.wordsPerScene} words in ${$json.languageName}\\\", \\\"image_prompt\\\": \\\"describe the illustration in ENGLISH\\\"}]}` } ] } ], generationConfig: { responseMimeType: 'application/json', maxOutputTokens: 4096, thinkingConfig: { thinkingBudget: 0 } } }) }}", "sendBody": true, "contentType": "json", "specifyBody": "json", "authentication": "genericCredentialType", "genericAuthType": "httpQueryAuth" }, "typeVersion": 4.4 }, { "id": "gen-claude", "name": "Generate script (Claude Haiku)", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "notes": "Add a Header Auth credential with name 'x-api-key' = your Anthropic API key. A json_schema output forces valid JSON scenes.", "position": [ 740, 120 ], "parameters": { "url": "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages", "method": "POST", "options": { "response": { "response": { "responseFormat": "json" } } }, "jsonBody": "={{ JSON.stringify({ model: 'claude-haiku-4-5', max_tokens: 4096, system: `You are a short-form video scriptwriter writing in ${$json.languageName}.`, messages: [ { role: 'user', content: `Write a short video script in ${$json.languageName} about the topic: \\\"${$json['Topic']}\\\". Split it into exactly ${$json['Number of Scenes'] || 5} scenes. Each voice_over MUST be at most ${$json.wordsPerScene} words - this is a hard limit, the finished video has to stay under 60 seconds. Each scene also needs an image_prompt describing the illustration in ENGLISH for an AI image generator.` } ], output_config: { format: { type: 'json_schema', schema: { type: 'object', properties: { scenes: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'object', properties: { voice_over: { type: 'string' }, image_prompt: { type: 'string' } }, required: ['voice_over','image_prompt'], additionalProperties: false } } }, required: ['scenes'], additionalProperties: false } } } }) }}", "sendBody": true, "contentType": "json", "sendHeaders": true, "specifyBody": "json", "authentication": "genericCredentialType", "genericAuthType": "httpHeaderAuth", "headerParameters": { "parameters": [ { "name": "anthropic-version", "value": "2023-06-01" } ] } }, "typeVersion": 4.4 }, { "id": "parse", "name": "Parse the script JSON", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code", "notes": "Reads either provider's response shape, strips ``` fences, and validates a non-empty scenes array before continuing.", "position": [ 1020, 0 ], "parameters": { "jsCode": "const raw = $input.first().json;\nlet content;\nif (raw.candidates) { // Gemini\n content = raw.candidates[0] && raw.candidates[0].content && raw.candidates[0].content.parts && raw.candidates[0].content.parts[0] && raw.candidates[0].content.parts[0].text;\n} else if (Array.isArray(raw.content)) { // Claude\n const textBlock = raw.content.find((b) => b.type === 'text');\n content = textBlock && textBlock.text;\n} else if (raw.choices) { // OpenAI-style, if you swap the model\n content = raw.choices[0] && raw.choices[0].message && raw.choices[0].message.content;\n}\nif (!content) {\n throw new Error('The LLM returned no content. Check that the API key on the model node is valid and still has quota.');\n}\ncontent = content.trim();\nif (content.startsWith('```')) {\n content = content.replace(/^```[a-zA-Z]*\\n/, '').replace(/```$/, '').trim();\n}\nlet parsed;\ntry {\n parsed = JSON.parse(content);\n} catch (e) {\n throw new Error('Could not parse the LLM reply as JSON: ' + e.message + ' -- raw: ' + content.slice(0, 300));\n}\nconst scenes = parsed.scenes || parsed.Scenes || [];\nif (!Array.isArray(scenes) || scenes.length === 0) {\n throw new Error('The LLM reply contained no valid scenes array. Check the prompt and the raw model output.');\n}\nreturn [{ json: { scenes } }];\n", "language": "javaScript" }, "typeVersion": 2 }, { "id": "split", "name": "Split into individual scenes", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.splitOut", "notes": "Emits one item per scene: { voice_over, image_prompt }. Pipe into a TTS step and an image step to build the full video.", "position": [ 1240, 0 ], "parameters": { "include": "noOtherFields", "options": {}, "fieldToSplitOut": "scenes" }, "typeVersion": 1 } ], "settings": { "executionOrder": "v1" }, "connections": { "Video idea form": { "main": [ [ { "node": "Set language and word budget", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] }, "Parse the script JSON": { "main": [ [ { "node": "Split into individual scenes", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] }, "Route to the chosen model": { "main": [ [ { "node": "Generate script (Gemini, free tier)", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ], [ { "node": "Generate script (Claude Haiku)", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] }, "Set language and word budget": { "main": [ [ { "node": "Route to the chosen model", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] }, "Generate script (Claude Haiku)": { "main": [ [ { "node": "Parse the script JSON", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] }, "Generate script (Gemini, free tier)": { "main": [ [ { "node": "Parse the script JSON", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] } } }