Mirage just released Tesseract, a free video engine that runs on your own computer. Your AI agent drives it directly: cuts, titles, motion graphics, sound. No Premiere, no After Effects, no credits.
That means the AI plan you already pay for (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or ChatGPT) can now do real video editing work. And people pay real money for that work.
This playbook has three parts:
The install (about 15 minutes)
What to charge (real market numbers, plus the packages I would sell)
Your first paying clients (a 7 day plan with copy paste messages)
Let's go.
Part 1: The Install
Before you start, check these 3 things
Your computer. Apple Silicon or Intel Mac, or 64 bit Windows 10 or later. Linux, WSL and cloud setups are not supported.
Your agent. It must run locally with access to your files. That means Claude Code (desktop app or terminal), Codex, Cursor, or the ChatGPT desktop app. A normal browser chat will NOT work, because it can't run the engine on your machine.
Node.js. The installer needs Node.js and npm. If you don't have them, grab the LTS version from nodejs.org first.
Tesseract itself is free and needs no Mirage account. Your only cost is the agent plan you already have.
Route A: The easy way (paste one prompt)
Open a local session in your agent, point it at a folder for your video project, and paste this setup prompt from Mirage:
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.
Your agent reads the official repo, installs everything and tests it. You just approve what it asks.
Route B: The one command way
Open your terminal and run:
npx skills add mirage-hq/TesseractWhen it asks, select both Tesseract skills (Edit Video and Motion Graphics) and pick your agent. Then start a new session and ask your agent to follow the Tesseract runtime installation guide.
Using the ChatGPT desktop app? You can install the official Tesseract plugin by Mirage instead. Plugin or skills, not both. They give the same guidance.
Your first test (do this before you sell anything)
Drop a short clip in your project folder and paste Mirage's starter brief:
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.
Then practice the loop you will use 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 here. This is your product.
If something breaks
Nothing happens in a browser chat. Expected. Switch to a local agent session.
Agent can't find Tesseract after install. Start a fresh session. New skills load when a session starts.
Still stuck. Ask your agent to read the setup guide in the GitHub repo and verify the runtime can preview and render. It will diagnose itself.
Part 2: What to Charge
What the market pays right now
These are public numbers, not guesses:
Upwork video editors typically charge $10 to $60 an hour, with a median around $35. Mid tier editors sit around $40 an hour, senior ones around $100. (Upwork's own cost guide)
Short form edits (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) go for $30 to $60 per video at entry level, $60 to $120 mid tier, and $120 to $300+ for editors doing motion graphics and hook driven structures. (HireMango 2026 pricing guide)
A separate 2026 guide puts TikTok and Reels edits at $50 to $400 per video, with a 1 to 2 day turnaround. (Vidico)
And on Upwork today you can find short form editing jobs posted with $750 fixed budgets.
Rule #1: Never charge by the hour
Your agent does in minutes what takes a human editor hours. Charge by the hour and you punish yourself for being fast. Charge per deliverable. The client is buying a finished video, not your time.
The 4 packages I would sell
1. The Single Edit: $75 to $100 One short form video up to 60 seconds. Captions, music, clean cuts, animated title. Two revision rounds. Delivered in 48 hours. Use this to land your first 3 clients. It's mid tier pricing, so it's credible without being scary.
2. The Hook Pack: $200 One video, four different openings. Mirage literally demos this: one social ad, four versions of the first seconds. The client tests all four and keeps the winner. This is your best upsell. Same footage, four deliverables, and you sell it as "we test which hook works."
3. The Launch Video: $300 to $750 A 30 to 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 it's exactly what Tesseract's Motion Graphics skill is built for. Founders pay for this. It's the easiest one to sell because a launch has a date and a budget.
4. The Monthly Retainer: $900 to $1,500 a month 12 short form videos a month (3 a week), captions and hooks included, one revision round each. This is where it becomes a business. Retainers turn one sale into recurring income.
The terms that protect you
50% upfront on anything over $100. 100% upfront on your very first job with a new client.
Two revision rounds included. Extra rounds are $25 each.
Turnaround: 48 hours. Rush (same day): +50%.
Music: use tracks the client provides or licensed music. Never pull a song off Spotify.
Review every render yourself before sending. The agent drafts, you approve. Your eye is what they are paying for.
Part 3: Your First Paying Clients (7 Day Plan)
Day 1: Build 3 samples
You need proof before anyone pays you. Make 3 short videos in Tesseract:
A talking head clip with captions and a punchy hook (film yourself on your phone)
A product promo (any product on your desk, 15 seconds, animated title)
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.
Day 2: Set up Upwork
Search "short form video editor" and filter by fixed price. You will see jobs like the ones on my slide.
Profile headline: Short form video editor | Reels, TikTok, Shorts | 48h delivery
Put your 3 samples in the portfolio. Applying costs Connects, so only apply to jobs where your samples match what they asked for.
Proposal template (copy, then personalize 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 (your warmest leads)
Look on Instagram for local businesses (restaurants, gyms, salons, real estate agents) that only post static photos, or post videos with no captions. They already know they need video. They just don't have an editor.
DM template:
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.
The free first edit is the whole trick. It removes all the risk for them, and it only costs you a few minutes with your agent.
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.
DM template:
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.
Send the sample clips privately. Never post someone else's content without permission.
Day 5: Founders launching something
Founders post their launches on X, LinkedIn and Product Hunt, often a week or two before launch day. Many launch with a screen recording and nothing else.
DM template:
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.
Day 6 and 7: Follow up and close
Most yeses come on the second message, not the first.
Follow up (48 hours after your first DM):
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?
Always offer two options. People choose between options instead of deciding yes or no.
Your target for week one
Don't aim for ten clients. Aim for one paid job. One paid job means your offer works. After that it's just volume: more DMs, more proposals, more free first edits, and upselling every happy client into the Hook Pack or a retainer.
Quick Recap
Install: paste Mirage's setup prompt into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or ChatGPT desktop. Mac or Windows only.
Price per deliverable: $75 single edit, $200 Hook Pack, $300 to $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.
Your AI plan just became a video studio. Now go sell the videos.
Sources: Mirage Tesseract product pages and GitHub repo (mirage-hq/Tesseract); Upwork video editor cost guide; HireMango TikTok editor pricing 2026; Vidico video editing cost 2026. Prices are market ranges, not guarantees of income.
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