script-timer-mcp

Know exactly how long your script runs — before you hit record.

script-timer-mcp is a Model Context Protocol server for short-form video scripts. It times scripts the way they'll actually be spoken (skipping B-roll notes, adding pauses, handling numbers and URLs), tells you what to cut to hit 15/30/60/90 seconds, scores your hook, checks pacing, trims fillers, and exports teleprompter text, a timed beat sheet for the edit, and draft SRT captions.

Pure TypeScript, no dependencies beyond the MCP SDK, no API keys, no network.

You:    Will this script fit in 30 seconds? [pastes script]
Claude: It runs 0:38 at 170 wpm — cut ~23 words. The Body is 62% of the runtime;
        your hook and CTA are fine. Quick wins: "basically" ×2, "in order to" → "to".
        Longest sentence is 26 words (9.1s) — split it.
        Hook score 4/10: it opens with "Hey guys, welcome back" — lead with the
        "$40,000 camera" line instead.

Tools

Every tool takes text (paste the script) or path (a .txt / .md file).

Related MCP server: genpark-video-silence-jumpcut-cadence-analyzer-skill

How scripts are read

Write scripts the way you already do. The parser separates what's spoken from what isn't:

# Hook
I spent $40,000 on cameras and the cheapest one won.

## Body
[B-ROLL: three cameras on a desk]
Here's why. [pause]
SFX: whoosh
VO: The sensor matters less than the light.

CTA: Comment "LIGHT" and I'll send you my setup.

Timing adjusts for how long things take to say: 2026 ≈ 2 words, $10K ≈ 3, 3.5x ≈ 3, example.com ≈ "example dot com", API ≈ 2. Chinese/Japanese/Korean text is timed per character. Emojis are ignored.

Paces

Everyone talks at a different speed. Record one take, then run estimate_duration with actual_seconds to get your WPM and pass wpm from then on.

Requirements

• Node.js 20+. That's it.

Install

Claude Desktop

Settings → Developer → Edit Config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "script-timer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "github:anshumanofficial2002-cpu/script-timer-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add script-timer -- npx -y github:anshumanofficial2002-cpu/script-timer-mcp

Cursor / Windsurf / VS Code / other clients

{
  "script-timer": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "github:anshumanofficial2002-cpu/script-timer-mcp"]
  }
}

From source

git clone https://github.com/anshumanofficial2002-cpu/script-timer-mcp.git
cd script-timer-mcp && npm install && npm run build
# point your client at: node /absolute/path/to/script-timer-mcp/dist/index.js

Example prompts

• "How long is this script at a normal reel pace?" (paste it)

• "I recorded ~/Scripts/ep14.md and the take was 47 seconds. What's my WPM?"

• "Fit launch.md to 30 seconds, but don't touch the Hook or CTA."

• "Score these 5 hooks and tell me which to open with."

• "Remove the fillers from my script but keep 'literally', it's how I talk."

• "Make teleprompter text with timestamps, 5 words per line, all caps, save it to ~/Desktop/prompter.txt."

• "Give me a beat sheet CSV so my editor knows where the B-roll goes."

• "Make a draft SRT from this script so I can lay out captions before the voiceover."

• "Compare v1, v2 and v3 of this script for a 15-second ad."

Tool reference

Shared params: text or path; pace (energetic) or wpm (60–320).

Fillers removed by trim_fillers: basically, literally, honestly, kind of, sort of, you know, I mean, so yeah, pretty much, needless to say, at the end of the day, to be honest, for what it's worth, and ", like,". With aggressive: also actually, really, very, just, totally, simply, definitely, certainly, quite, obviously, absolutely, truly.

Wordy phrases tightened: in order to → to · due to the fact that → because · at this point in time → now · in the event that → if · is/are able to → can · each and every → every · first and foremost → first · whether or not → whether · the majority of → most · a large number of → many · in the near future → soon · and filler openers like "it's worth noting that", "the thing is", "what I want to say is".

Honest limits

• Durations are estimates from word counts. Real delivery varies with pauses, emphasis and editing — calibrate with actual_seconds for best results.

• The hook score and filler lists are heuristics to point you at likely problems, not a judgement of the idea. English patterns only; timing works for any language.

• Readability (Flesch) is only computed for English.

• .docx / .pdf / Pages files aren't read — paste the text or export .txt / .md.

Safety

• Files are only written when you pass output_path; existing files are never replaced without overwrite: true.

• No network access, no telemetry.

Development

npm install
npm run build
npm test          # parser/analysis unit tests + end-to-end tests over stdio
npm run inspect   # MCP Inspector

dist/ is committed so npx github:… works without a build; CI verifies it matches src/.

Related servers

• video-probe-mcp — inspect and conform video for each platform

• caption-forge-mcp — SRT/VTT/ASS conversion, timing, linting and reel-style captions

• loudness-check-mcp — LUFS, true peak, normalization, silence and clipping

• frame-grab-mcp — frames, contact sheets, scene cuts and thumbnails your AI can see

• script-timer-mcp — time, trim and format scripts for short-form video

License

MIT © 2026 Anshuman