From 23e7d4dcd59abafc4c83c1555292ce07b8be55c7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Vance Ingalls <vance@heygen.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:46:54 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] feat(skill): add data-in-motion guide for video-native data
 visualization

Video infographics are NOT dashboards. This skill teaches:
- One stat per scene, not dashboard grids
- Hero typography (200-300px numbers) as the visual
- Count-up reveals, proportional fills, reduction animations
- Frame as scale (no axes, legends, or gridlines)
- Sequential comparison over simultaneous display
- Time replaces the X-axis, position encodes meaning

Includes GSAP code examples for count-up, proportional fill,
and reduction techniques.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 skills/compose-video/SKILL.md          |   1 +
 skills/compose-video/data-in-motion.md | 103 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 104 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 skills/compose-video/data-in-motion.md

diff --git a/skills/compose-video/SKILL.md b/skills/compose-video/SKILL.md
index 7227394c36..fd4f519e37 100644
--- a/skills/compose-video/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/compose-video/SKILL.md
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ Video must be `muted playsinline`. Audio is always a separate `<audio>` element:
 - From sub-compositions, use `../` to reference root files
 
 For PiP, title cards, and slide show patterns, see [patterns.md](./patterns.md).
+For data, stats, and infographics, see [data-in-motion.md](./data-in-motion.md).
 
 ## Output Checklist
 
diff --git a/skills/compose-video/data-in-motion.md b/skills/compose-video/data-in-motion.md
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+# Data in Motion
+
+How to present data, stats, and infographics in video compositions. This is NOT a web dashboard — video data visualization has different rules because the viewer can't hover, scroll, or study at their own pace.
+
+## Core Principle
+
+**One idea per beat.** The viewer has 2-3 seconds per data point before the next arrives. Every stat gets its own moment, its own scene, its own visual treatment. Never show 6 stats simultaneously.
+
+## Forget Charts
+
+Video infographics don't have axes, legends, gridlines, or chart frames. The moment you draw an axis, you're making a dashboard screenshot, not a video. Instead:
+
+### The Number IS the Visual
+
+Don't put data in a chart. Make the number the hero element — 200-300px, filling 60-80% of the frame. The typography IS the design. A huge "2.5M" on a clean background communicates more in 2 seconds than any bar chart.
+
+### The Frame IS the Scale
+
+Instead of a Y-axis, use the full screen width or height as the reference. "47% market share" = a bar that fills 47% of the full frame width. The viewer sees the proportion instantly because the screen is the container. No axes needed.
+
+### Time Replaces the X-Axis
+
+Instead of a line chart showing months, reveal each month's value sequentially — same position, different size or number. The viewer feels the trend through rhythm. Growing numbers build momentum. Shrinking numbers create tension.
+
+### Position Encodes Meaning
+
+Put higher values physically higher on screen. Put growth on the right, decline on the left. The viewer reads spatial position without any legend.
+
+## Techniques
+
+### Count-Up
+
+The number starts at 0 and counts to its final value. More dramatic than the number appearing instantly.
+
+```js
+// Count from 0 to 2,500,000 over 1.5 seconds
+const counter = { val: 0 };
+tl.to(
+  counter,
+  {
+    val: 2500000,
+    duration: 1.5,
+    ease: "power2.out",
+    snap: { val: 1 },
+    onUpdate: () => {
+      el.textContent = counter.val.toLocaleString();
+    },
+  },
+  0.3,
+);
+```
+
+### Proportional Fill
+
+A bar or shape that fills to represent a value. The unfilled space communicates the remaining amount.
+
+```js
+// 99.9% uptime — bar fills almost the entire frame width
+tl.from("#bar", { width: 0, duration: 1, ease: "power3.out" }, 0.3);
+// The 0.1% gap at the end says more than the number
+```
+
+### Reduction
+
+Start with the full amount and carve away. "Only 3% accepted" — show a full bar that shrinks to a sliver. The loss is more dramatic than showing a small value.
+
+```js
+// Start full, reduce to 3%
+gsap.set("#bar", { width: "100%" });
+tl.to("#bar", { width: "3%", duration: 1.2, ease: "power2.inOut" }, 0.5);
+```
+
+### Accumulation
+
+Show quantity building up — dots appearing rapidly, a counter spinning, a container filling. The process of reaching the number is more engaging than the number itself.
+
+### Sequential Comparison
+
+Don't put two bars side by side. Show the first value, let it register (1-2 seconds), then show the second value in the same position. The viewer compares to their memory, which is more dramatic than simultaneous display.
+
+### Scale Through Metaphor
+
+Abstract numbers gain meaning through physical reference. "150ms latency" means nothing visually. But "faster than a blink" with a quick flash animation — that communicates instantly.
+
+## What NOT To Do
+
+- **No pie charts** — segments are hard to compare and look like PowerPoint. Use a single-value donut ring for one percentage, or sequential hero numbers for multiple values.
+- **No multi-axis charts** — the viewer can't study intersections in a 3-second window.
+- **No dashboards** — multiple charts side by side is a web pattern. One stat per scene.
+- **No gridlines or tick marks** — visual noise that adds nothing in motion.
+- **No legends** — if you need a legend to explain your visualization, the visualization isn't working. Use color + direct labels.
+- **No chart library output** — D3, Chart.js, etc. produce static chart patterns. Build with GSAP + SVG/CSS for video-native animation.
+
+## Structure for Multi-Stat Compositions
+
+When showing multiple data points (e.g., 3 metrics):
+
+1. **Scene per stat** — each metric gets its own 3-5 second scene with a full-frame reveal
+2. **Build rhythm** — first stat enters at the composition's pace, each subsequent stat enters slightly faster (accelerating reveal creates momentum)
+3. **Callback/summary** — after all stats are revealed individually, optionally show them together briefly as a final frame (this is the only time multiple stats share the screen)
+4. **Consistent position** — keep the hero number in the same screen position across scenes so the viewer's eye doesn't hunt
+
+See [house-style.md](./house-style.md) for motion defaults, palette selection, and scene pacing.