BlitzReels Carousels (Instagram)

This skill is a convenience wrapper around blitzreels-carousels with Instagram defaults:

platform: "instagram"
Recommended aspect ratio: 4:5 (feed portrait)
Safe area preset: instagram_4_5

Use it when the user explicitly wants an Instagram feed carousel.

Instagram Platform-Specific Guidelines

Danger Zones (Absolute Pixels)

For 4:5 Portrait (1080x1350):

Bottom: Avoid bottom 420px (username, caption preview, like/comment/share buttons)
Edges: Keep text 80px from all edges (safe margins)

For 1:1 Square (1080x1080):

Bottom: Avoid bottom 380px (captions, profile link)
Edges: 80px margins on all sides

Safe Text Positioning

Normalized Coordinates (0-1 scale):

Top-center safe: position_x: 0.5, position_y: 0.15 (titles, hooks)
Middle-center safe: position_x: 0.5, position_y: 0.45 (body text)
Bottom safe (max): position_x: 0.5, position_y: 0.6 (before caption zone)

Best Practices:

Always center text (position_x: 0.5) — Instagram's feed is symmetrical
Use consistent vertical positioning across all slides (e.g., always position_y: 0.18)
Leave generous bottom margin (users expect captions below image)

Caption & Hashtag Strategy

Captions:

First 125 characters visible without "more" tap
Front-load value: "Swipe to learn..." or "Save this for later..."
Use line breaks for readability (blank lines between sections)
Call-to-action on last line: "📌 Save this post" or "👉 Follow for more"

Hashtags:

Max 10-15 hashtags (30 max, but less is more)
Mix sizes: 3 broad (500K+ posts) + 5 medium (50K-500K) + 2 niche (5K-50K)
Place in first comment OR at end of caption after line breaks
Example: #digitalmarketing #marketingtips #contentcreator #socialmediatips #instagramgrowth

Visual Consistency Patterns

Color Palette:

Cohesive feed aesthetic (e.g., all slides use same color scheme)
Instagram users prefer clean, polished visuals (less chaotic than TikTok)
Popular styles: minimalist white, pastel gradients, bold brand colors

Typography:

Clean sans-serif fonts (Inter, Poppins, Manrope)
64-72px for titles, 48-56px for body
Always enable text stroke for legibility (6px black/white)

Slide Timing:

3-4 seconds per slide (Instagram's default auto-advance)
Keep total carousel under 20 seconds (5 slides max recommended)

Slide Count Sweet Spot:

3-5 slides: Optimal for engagement
10 slides: Max allowed, but engagement drops after slide 5

Quickstart

export BLITZREELS_API_KEY="br_live_xxxxx"

bash scripts/instagram.sh \
  --aspect 4:5 \
  --name "My Instagram Carousel" \
  --images "https://.../1.jpg|https://.../2.jpg"

Full Workflow Example

Goal: Create a 5-slide Instagram feed carousel explaining "How to Start a Podcast."

Step 1: Prepare slide backgrounds

Slide 1: Gradient background (purple → pink) with podcast microphone icon
Slides 2-4: White backgrounds with colored accent bars (consistent branding)
Slide 5: Dark background with CTA

Step 2: Run script

bash scripts/instagram.sh \
  --aspect 4:5 \
  --name "How to Start a Podcast" \
  --slide-duration 3 \
  --images "url1|url2|url3|url4|url5" \
  --titles "How to Start a Podcast\n(5 Simple Steps)|Step 1: Choose Your Niche\nPick a topic you know well|Step 2: Get Equipment\nMic + headphones = $200|Step 3: Record & Edit\nUse Audacity (free)|Step 4: Publish\nAnchor, Spotify, Apple|📌 Save this guide!\nFollow @YourBrand for more"

Step 3: Verify layout

bash scripts/blitzreels.sh GET "/projects/${PROJECT_ID}/context?mode=timeline"

Step 4: Export slideshow

export BLITZREELS_ALLOW_EXPENSIVE=1
bash scripts/blitzreels.sh POST "/projects/${PROJECT_ID}/export" '{"resolution":"1080p","format":"mp4"}'

Step 5: Upload to Instagram

Upload as carousel post (not Reel)
Caption: "Starting a podcast is easier than you think. Swipe to see the 5 steps I used to launch mine →"
Hashtags (first comment): #podcasttips #startapodcast #podcasting #contentcreator #podcaster
Tag location if relevant (boosts reach)
Post at peak times (11 AM - 1 PM, 7-9 PM user's timezone)