walid@portfolio:~/lab/tesseract-client-playbook$
cd../lab
01ideaSep 2026

Sell the edit, check the client

A free local video engine your coding agent drives, a price list and outreach scripts for selling what it makes, and the licence clause that decides which clients you can take

Mirage, the company behind the Captions app, released Tesseract: a local video engine your coding agent drives directly, with cuts, titles, motion graphics and sound, and no Premiere, After Effects or credits. The agent plan you already pay for can now do real editing work, and people pay for that work. This is the full playbook for installing it, pricing the edits and landing the first clients. It also covers the part the playbook leaves out: Tesseract is free, but not for client work once the client’s business passes $1M a year.

VideoAgentsFreelancingPricingLicensingTesseract repo ↗Product page ↗The terms ↗Acceptable use ↗
i
What changed

Until now, an AI agent could write about a video but not make one. Tesseract gives Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or the ChatGPT desktop app a real editing engine on your own machine. The agent works with layers, keyframes, compositions and audio in an editable project, previews the result, takes a note and renders the final file. Rendering happens locally, and there are no credits to buy. The playbook has three parts: the install (about 15 minutes), what to charge, and a seven-day plan for your first paying clients with copy-paste messages.

Checked, not copied

What held up, on 23 September 2026

Checked against Mirage’s repository, installation guide, terms and acceptable-use policy, and against the pricing sources themselves.

ClaimWhat the primary source says
Free, no accountTrue for trying it and for small clients. Mirage calls it a free local engine, and local use needs no Mirage account. For commercial client work, the terms add a revenue threshold (see below).
Where it runsThe README says macOS or Windows only, and rules out Linux, WSL and cloud rendering. The installation guide in the same repo documents a Linux x86_64 build, and that build is published. It is covered in the machine table below.
“64-bit Windows 10 or later”Needs more precision. The installer requires an AMD64 processor, so Windows laptops on ARM chips are excluded even though they run 64-bit Windows.
MaturityThe CLI the skills pin is version 0.2.0. The terms also state that Mirage provides no technical support of any kind. Worth knowing before you promise a client 48-hour turnaround.
The ChatGPT pluginReal. It installs from a direct link on Mirage’s product page. The README says the public plugin listing is still “coming soon”, and a plugin ZIP packaged for OpenAI, Cursor and Claude Code is on the releases page. Install the plugin or the skills, not both.
The Hook Pack demoReal, and larger than described. Mirage’s case study is one Captions ad in four creative variants and three formats: 9:16, 3:4 and 1:1.
PrivacyMirage says the plugin sends no input or output to Mirage. Your agent and model provider are separate third parties with their own terms.
!
The licence clause the playbook never mentions

Tesseract’s terms allow commercial use, with one threshold. Commercial Use “by or on behalf of a Covered Business” needs a separate written agreement with Mirage. A Covered Business is any for-profit, sole proprietorships included, with $1,000,000 or more in annual gross revenue, counted across its whole group. Commercial Use explicitly includes “paid services, and commissioned client work”. The key line is that eligibility is determined “by the businesses undertaking or commissioning the work, not by an individual account or intermediary used to perform it”. So your own business and your client’s both have to be under the line, and a one-person editor working for a $1M+ client is outside the free licence. You have to check eligibility before you start, stay eligible throughout, and confirm it in writing if Mirage asks. Equity investment and loans don’t count as revenue, so a funded startup with no sales is fine. A busy restaurant, a gym chain or a property brokerage can easily be over the line. Ask every client one question before the first edit, and send anyone over the threshold to sales@mirage.app. The output still belongs to you either way.

Before anything else

Check the machine

From Mirage’s installation guide. Your agent must also run locally with access to your files. A browser chat cannot run the engine.

MachineStatus
Apple Silicon MacSupported. Uses the arm64 bundle, including under Rosetta. Releases are signed and notarized by Apple; the first launch may need internet for the notarization check.
Intel MacSupported, with the x86_64 bundle.
Windows 10 or later on Intel or AMDSupported. The bundle is unsigned, so SmartScreen may warn you. Mirage’s own guide says not to bypass it and to follow your organisation’s approval process.
Windows on ARMNot supported. The installer checks for AMD64.
Linux x86_64Unofficial. Needs glibc 2.35 or later and a working Vulkan driver. The bundle has no H.264 encoder, so MP4 export needs your own FFmpeg with libx264.
WSL, cloud rendering, browser chatNot supported.
Part 1

The install, in about 15 minutes

1

Check three things first

The machine, from the table above. The agent, which has to run locally with access to your files: Claude Code as the desktop app or in the terminal, Codex, Cursor, or the ChatGPT desktop app. And Node.js with npm for the one-command installer, the LTS version from nodejs.org. For eligible use, Tesseract itself costs nothing; your only cost is the agent plan you already have.

2

Route A: paste one prompt

Open a local session in your agent, point it at a folder for the video project, and paste Mirage’s setup prompt. The agent reads the official repository, installs both skills, downloads the pinned CLI, checks its checksum and tests that it runs. You only approve what it asks.

3

Route B: one command

Run the installer in a terminal, select both skills (Edit Video and Motion Graphics), pick your agent, then start a new session and ask it to follow the runtime installation guide.

4

Or the ChatGPT plugin

On the ChatGPT desktop app you can install Mirage’s official plugin from the link on its product page instead. Use the plugin or the skills, not both; they give the same guidance.

5

Make a test video before you sell anything

Drop a short clip in the project folder and paste the starter brief. Then practise the loop you will run with every client: preview, give one note, preview again, render. Ask for a tighter cut, a different title or a quieter music bed. Get comfortable with this loop, because it is what you are selling. Keep the editable .tsrct project file; it is what makes a revision round quick.

Route A

Mirage’s setup prompt

setup-prompt.txt7 lines
Set up Tesseract by Mirage so you can edit videos and create motion
graphics locally. Read https://github.com/mirage-hq/Tesseract and check
that this computer and agent support local execution on macOS or
Windows. If Tesseract is not already installed, install both Tesseract
skills for this agent. Follow their installation guide to set up the
required CLI version, verify its checksum, and confirm it runs. Then
ask me for my footage or the video I want to make.
Route B

The one-command install

install.sh9 lines
# Node.js and npm are needed for this installer only. The Tesseract
# CLI itself does not use Node. "skills" is Vercel's open agent-skills
# CLI, which installs skills for several agents from one command.
npx skills add mirage-hq/Tesseract

# When prompted, select BOTH skills (Edit Video and Motion Graphics),
# then pick your agent. Start a NEW session afterwards, because skills
# load when a session starts, and ask the agent to follow the Tesseract
# runtime installation guide.
The first test

Mirage’s starter brief

first-brief.txt5 lines
Use Tesseract to make a 10 second video from the footage in this
folder. Start with a strong opening, add a short animated title, and
keep the dialogue clear. Show me a preview before the final render.
Keep the Tesseract project editable so we can revise the timing,
graphics, and sound.
Worth keeping

Three more briefs, from Mirage’s README

A product video, an animated diagram and a revision note. Together they cover most of what the packages below need.

briefs.txt8 lines
Use Tesseract to turn these clips into a 30-second product video.
Keep the opening quick, add a clean title, and finish on the logo.

Use Tesseract to animate a diagram of these three steps.
Use our brand colors and keep the text editable.

Make the title arrive earlier and soften the motion.
Render a preview before exporting the finished video.
If something breaks

The usual causes

✗Nothing happens in a browser chat. That’s expected; switch to a local agent session✗The agent can’t find Tesseract after installing. Start a fresh session, because skills load when a session starts✗Still stuck? Ask the agent to read the setup guide in the repository and check that the runtime can preview and render. It will diagnose itself✗“No suitable GPU adapter found” points to a driver, device-access or capability problem. According to Mirage’s guide, it doesn’t prove the driver is missing✗Windows or macOS blocks the first launch. Read the warning; don’t strip quarantine flags or click through a warning for a file you didn’t download from Mirage yourself
Part 2

What the market pays

The HireMango and Vidico figures were checked on the source pages and match. The Upwork figures sit behind a bot check and could not be read, so treat them as unchecked.

SourceWhat it saysChecked
Upwork cost guideVideo editors typically charge $10–60 an hour, median about $35. Mid-tier about $40 an hour, senior about $100.Not checked
HireMango, 2026Short-form edits per video: entry-level $30–60, mid-tier $60–120, and $120–300+ for editors doing motion graphics and hook-driven structures.Yes
Vidico, 2026TikTok and Reels edits cost $50–400 per video with 1–2 day turnaround. The same table puts paid-social ad creative at $250–1,200 and long-form YouTube at $300–1,500.Yes
Vidico hourly bandsEntry $20–45, mid $45–85, senior $85–150+, agency $100–250 an hour.Yes
The Upwork job boardFixed-price short-form jobs have been posted with $750 budgets. Look at the live board before you quote.Not checked
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Rule one: never charge by the hour

The agent does in minutes what takes a human editor hours. Charging by the hour punishes you for being fast. Charge per deliverable instead: the client is buying a finished video, not your time.

Part 2

The four packages

PackageWhat is in itPrice
The Single EditOne short-form video up to 60 seconds with captions, music, clean cuts and an animated title. Two revision rounds, delivered in 48 hours. Use it to land your first three clients: mid-tier pricing is credible without scaring anyone.$75–100
The Hook PackOne video with four different openings. The client tests all four and keeps the winner. It is the best upsell: the same footage becomes four deliverables, sold as “we test which hook works”.$200
The Launch VideoA 30–60 second product or launch video with motion graphics, kinetic type and a logo end card. This is senior-tier work in the market and what the Motion Graphics skill is built for. It is the easiest to sell, because a launch has a date and a budget.$300–750
The Monthly RetainerTwelve short-form videos a month (three a week), captions and hooks included, one revision round each. This is where it becomes a business, because one sale becomes recurring income.$900–1,500 / month
Pricing, checked

The Hook Pack is priced below its own market

At $75–100, the Single Edit sits in the middle of HireMango’s mid-tier band. The Launch Video range falls within Vidico’s ad-creative band and overlaps its brand-video band. The Hook Pack is the odd one out. It is four ad variants of one video, which is paid-social ad creative, and Vidico prices that at $250–1,200. $200 is fine as a door-opener, but it is not where that work settles.

Mirage’s own demo also shows a second paid step. The case study ships the four variants in three formats (9:16 vertical, 3:4 portrait and 1:1 square), because each placement needs its own framing. Resizing the winning hook for every placement is a separate deliverable, and the agent does it in minutes.

Part 2

The terms that protect you

✓50% upfront on anything over $100, and 100% upfront on your first job with a new client✓Two revision rounds included; extra rounds are $25 each✓Turnaround 48 hours; same-day rush is +50%✓Music: use tracks the client provides or licensed music, never a song pulled off Spotify✓Review every render yourself before sending it. The agent drafts and you approve; your judgement is what the client pays for✓Confirm before starting that the client is under the $1M revenue threshold, or already covered by an agreement with Mirage
Mirage’s acceptable-use policy

Clients the playbook targets but the policy rules out

The policy bans these outright. Several are exactly the local businesses and creators the seven-day plan targets.

What the policy barsWhere the playbook runs into it
Output containing alcohol, tobacco, vaping, gambling, firearms, dating services or other regulated goodsA restaurant or bar promo that shows the drinks. A founder launching a dating app.
Output containing profanity, “including by using symbols, emojis and the like”Podcast clips where someone swears, including captions that spell it out with asterisks.
Output that relates, or appears to Mirage to relate, to anyone under 18A gym’s kids’ class, a family at the restaurant, a creator’s children on camera.
Input containing protected health information, unless a HIPAA business associate agreement is signedClinic footage that shows patient details.
Output used to create trademarks or brand marksAnimating a client’s existing logo for an end card is fine. Designing them a new mark with it is not.
Claiming output “was created solely by a human”Telling a client the edit was done entirely by hand.
Suggesting Mirage endorses you or your outputMarketing yourself as a Mirage-certified or official Tesseract editor.
!
Consent from everyone on camera, in writing

The outreach messages below ask permission before any editing, which is right. Mirage’s terms go further. By feeding footage to Tesseract, you state that you have the written consent of every identifiable person in it to use their name, likeness and voice, with a release. The host who says yes in a DM is one person. The guest in the same episode is another. The staff and customers in a restaurant’s clip are more. So get the yes in writing, and ask the client to confirm that everyone on camera agreed, before the footage goes into a project.

Part 3

Your first paying clients, in seven days

1

Day 1: build three samples

You need proof before anyone pays you. Make three short videos in Tesseract: a talking-head clip with captions and a punchy hook (film yourself on your phone), a 15-second product promo with an animated title (any product on your desk), and a Hook Pack (one clip, four openings, side by side). Only use footage you shot yourself, free stock, or footage someone gave you permission to use.

2

Day 2: set up Upwork

Search “short form video editor” and filter by fixed price. Use the headline below and put your three samples in the portfolio. Applying costs Connects, so only apply to jobs where your samples match what they asked for. Upwork’s terms make the platform the only way to pay a client you met there for 24 months, unless a conversion fee is paid. Don’t move an Upwork client onto your own invoice.

3

Day 3: local businesses, your warmest leads

Look on Instagram for restaurants, gyms, salons and property agents that only post static photos, or post videos without captions. They already know they need video; they just don’t have an editor. The free first edit is the whole trick. It removes the risk for them and costs you a few minutes with the agent.

4

Day 4: podcasters and creators

Find podcasters and YouTubers with good content but no clips on Reels or Shorts. Clips are the growth engine they are missing. Send any sample clips privately. Never post someone else’s content without permission, and check the consent and profanity rules above before you cut.

5

Day 5: founders launching something

Founders announce launches on X, LinkedIn and Product Hunt, often a week or two before launch day. Many launch with a screen recording and nothing else.

6

Days 6 and 7: follow up and close

Most yeses come on the second message, not the first. Follow up once, 48 hours after the first message. When someone likes the free edit, always offer two options: people choose between options rather than deciding yes or no.

7

The target for week one

Don’t aim for ten clients. Aim for one paid job, because one paid job proves the offer works. After that it is volume: more messages, more proposals, more free first edits, and moving every happy client up to the Hook Pack or a retainer.

Day 2

The Upwork headline and proposal

upwork.txt16 lines
PROFILE HEADLINE
Short form video editor | Reels, TikTok, Shorts | 48h delivery

PROPOSAL (copy, then personalise line 1)
Hi [name], I watched the reference videos in your post. The [specific
thing: fast captions / hook in the first second / zoom cuts] is exactly
my style.

Here are 3 short form edits I made this week: [links]

For this job I would deliver [X] videos with captions, music and a
strong opening, 48h turnaround, two revision rounds included. I can also
send 4 alternate openings for your first video at no extra cost so you
can test which hook works best.

Want me to start with one video so you can judge the quality first?
Day 3

Local businesses

dm-local-business.txt6 lines
Hey [name], love what you're doing with [business]. I noticed your
videos don't have captions yet, and most people watch Reels on mute.

I edit short form videos for local businesses. If you send me one clip
you already filmed, I'll edit it and send it back this week so you can
see the difference. If you like it, it's $75 per video after that.
Day 4

Podcasters and creators

When they say yes, confirm that the guest agreed too. See the consent note above.

dm-podcaster.txt6 lines
Hey [name], your episode with [guest] had a moment at [timestamp] that
would crush as a Reel. I edit short form clips for podcasts.

Want me to cut 3 clips from your latest episode? If they're not good,
you owe me nothing. If they are, I can do clips from every episode for
a monthly price.
Day 5

Founders

dm-founder.txt6 lines
Hey [name], congrats on the upcoming launch of [product]. I make launch
videos for founders: 30 to 60 seconds, motion graphics, kinetic type,
logo end card.

If you send me a screen recording of the product, I'll show you a first
version within 48 hours. Launch videos start at $300.
Days 6 and 7

The follow-up, and the close

follow-up-and-close.txt10 lines
FOLLOW UP (48 hours after the first message)
Hey [name], just floating this back up. Happy to do that free first
edit this week if you want to see it. No pressure either way.

WHEN SOMEONE LIKES THEIR FREE EDIT
Glad you like it. To keep going I have two options:
• $75 per video, pay as you go
• 12 videos a month for $900 (3 a week, captions and hooks included)

Most people start with 4 videos to test it. Want me to send the invoice?
Recap

The whole playbook on one card

✓Install: paste Mirage’s setup prompt into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or the ChatGPT desktop app. Mac or Windows on Intel or AMD✓Price per deliverable: $75 single edit, $200 Hook Pack, $300–750 launch video, $900+ monthly retainer✓Get clients: Upwork proposals, free first edits for local businesses, clips for podcasters, launch videos for founders. Follow up once✓Check the client: under $1M revenue, written consent from everyone on camera, and nothing on the acceptable-use list✓Prices are market ranges, not a promise of income
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