ReelMimic: How to Set It Up on Windows and Mac

By Shah Rukh, software developer · October 2, 2026 · 7 min read

ReelMimic is an open-source program that studies a reference video and then makes a new 2D animated video in a similar style. It runs on your own computer and uses your Claude Code or Codex account to do the work. This guide covers what you need, the install steps for Windows and Mac, your first video, and the copyright precautions to take before you start.

Read this first. ReelMimic is not free to run in practice: it needs a logged-in Claude Code or Codex CLI account, and every job counts toward that account’s usage. It also imitates the style of someone else’s video. The project says it never reuses the footage, characters, logos or assets, but it also says “make sure you have the rights”. A similar style can still cause copyright or platform problems, so read the precautions below.

What ReelMimic is

You give ReelMimic a reference video and a short description of what you want. According to the README, it first measures the reference: shot count, shot lengths, BPM (the tempo of the music), transitions, colours, framing and camera moves. Then it shows you a plan with a storyboard, characters, assets and a few style frames. You can chat with it to change the plan before you approve it.

After approval, the work is split across several AI agents (separate AI workers). The project says up to 6 work on one video, and each finished shot is checked by a different agent than the one that made it.

ReelMimic is an independent project. It is not made or endorsed by Anthropic, OpenAI or any video platform.

What you need

• Node.js 22.18 or newer and Python 3.10 or newer.
• FFmpeg (a free video tool) and Google Chrome, which the program uses in the background to draw frames.
• Git, to download the project.
• Claude Code or Codex CLI, installed and logged in. At least one is required. The repository does not list prices. Check the cost of your own plan, because long jobs with several agents use a lot of it. If you hit a limit, the project says the job pauses and can continue later.
• A reasonably strong computer. The project does not publish minimum hardware. A comment in its code says the default of 6 agents was measured on a machine with 12 CPU cores and 32 GB of memory.
• Optional API keys for extra voices, stock images and sound effects. None are required.

The README says the project is “tested mostly on Windows”. macOS and Linux “should work” but have had less testing.

Precautions before you install

1. Use reference videos you own or have permission to use. The safest reference is your own earlier video or a screen recording of your own work. The app also accepts a video link, and the code downloads it with a tool called yt-dlp. A code comment says the user is responsible for having the right to use the material. Downloading from YouTube, Instagram or TikTok can break those platforms’ terms, so we do not recommend that route.
2. Style is not a free pass. General ideas such as fast cuts or a watercolour look are usually not protected by copyright. Characters, logos, music, scripts and very distinctive scenes are. If your brief asks for something close to one creator’s recognisable work, you can still get a copyright claim, a takedown or a complaint. Laws differ by country, and this is not legal advice.
3. Bring your own music and lyrics. The project says lyrics only come from text you provide and it will not download commercial songs. Do not upload a song you have no licence for.
4. Check the asset log. The project says anything it finds online is logged with source, author and licence, and unclear licences are flagged. Read that list before you publish.
5. The agents can run commands on your computer. The server starts Claude Code with file edits accepted automatically and command-line access allowed. For Codex the default sandbox setting is danger-full-access. Run it on a machine without confidential files, and keep backups.
6. Your material goes to an AI provider. Frames from the reference, your brief and your uploads are processed through your Claude Code or Codex account.
7. Read the install script first. install.sh and install.bat are short. They install Python packages with pip, run npm install, build the web page and run a check.
8. Follow platform rules for AI content. Some platforms ask you to label AI-made videos. Check the rules where you post.

How to install ReelMimic on Windows

1. Install Node.js, Python, FFmpeg, Chrome and Git. When you install Python, tick “Add to PATH”, as the installer script advises.
2. Open a terminal and download the project:

   git clone https://github.com/edenfunf/reelmimic.git

3. Open the reelmimic folder and double-click install.bat. It installs the Python packages, builds the web app and runs an environment check that lists anything missing.
4. Install and log in to at least one AI tool. For Claude Code:

   npm i -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
   claude

   Or for Codex:

   npm i -g @openai/codex
   codex login

5. Double-click start.bat. Your browser opens http://localhost:4318.

How to install ReelMimic on Mac

The commands differ from Windows because you run shell scripts instead of double-clicking. Remember that the project says macOS has had less testing.

1. Install Node.js, Python, FFmpeg, Chrome and Git. The project does not say how to install them on a Mac.
2. Open Terminal and run:

   git clone https://github.com/edenfunf/reelmimic.git && cd reelmimic
   ./install.sh

3. Install and log in to Claude Code or Codex with the same npm i -g commands shown in the Windows section.
4. Start the app:

   ./start.sh

5. Open http://localhost:4318 if the browser does not open by itself.

On both systems you can repeat the environment check at any time:

cd app
npm run doctor

How to make your first video

1. On the home page, add a reference video file you have the right to use, type what you want to make, and pick Claude Code or Codex.
2. Wait for the breakdown and the plan. Ask for changes in the chat on the right. You can attach screenshots.
3. If the plan asks for something, such as lyrics, add it or skip it. Then press Approve and start.
4. Open the Production line tab to see each character and each part of the video, with review screenshots.
5. When it finishes, scrub to any second that looks wrong, type a note, and send all your notes at once.

Your projects are saved in the projects folder inside the repository. Uploaded files are limited to 2 GB each in the server code.

Useful settings

Settings and API keys go in a file called secrets.json inside a .reelmimic folder in your home folder. It sits outside the project folder, so it is not uploaded if you share the code. Copy the format from secrets.example.json. Every key is optional. The file is plain text, so do not share it. Our CSV to JSON converter page explains the JSON format if it is new to you.

The server listens only on your own computer (address 127.0.0.1), so other devices on your network cannot open it. There is no login page, so keep it that way.

New styles are single Markdown files with no code, described in docs/EXTENDING.md. You can preview Markdown with our Markdown to HTML tool.

Updating and uninstalling

The project does not document an update or uninstall process. Nothing is installed as a system service, so check the README on GitHub for current advice.

Common problems

For anything else, run npm run doctor and include its output when you report the problem on GitHub.

This guide is based on the project’s repository as it was on October 2, 2026. The project changes often, so if a step looks different, follow the README on GitHub. ToolsCloset is not connected to the project, to Anthropic or to OpenAI.

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