Shade

AI-indexed asset manager for creative teams: search footage by face, transcript, scene description, or a full sentence

KINDA · partial replacement
price $35/mo per seatsubscription / year $420estimated build time multi-dayreplaced by 0 people

The search half is real and rebuildable. Extract keyframes with ffmpeg, embed them with CLIP, transcribe the audio with whisper, put the vectors in SQLite, and 'the drone shot over the bridge at golden hour' finds the clip on your own drives. The open-source stack for that is mature and the result is genuinely good. What does not survive the port is what Shade has grown into: cloud streaming so an editor opens full-res without waiting on a download, per-link permissions and guest access, review and approval, and a model pipeline that keeps improving without you retraining anything. Solo, on local storage, the DIY version wins outright. On a team, you are rebuilding a platform and calling it a script.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • cloud streaming of full-res files without downloading them first
  • guest links with per-link permissions and roles
  • built-in review, approval, and commenting
  • face recognition and shot-type tagging that improves without your involvement
  • team sync, so everyone searches the same index
  • the NLE plugins and Slack integration

Why people still pay

They pay because the search only matters if the whole team gets it. A local index that only lives on the editor's machine solves the editor's problem and nobody else's, and the person who most needs to find the clip is usually the one furthest from the storage. Shade sells the index plus the delivery of what the index found, and the second half is the expensive one.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Python, FFmpeg, selected user-owned media folders and compatible downloaded embedding/speech models. Budget disk for previews and measure indexing time on a sample before scanning a whole drive.
  • Implementation components: Python CLI and FastAPI for a localhost media-search interface. SQLite with sqlite-vec for source manifests and model-versioned embeddings; FFmpeg keyframes, local CLIP-compatible embeddings and local speech transcription.
  • Scope boundary: Cloud streaming, face identity recognition and team asset synchronization are outside scope.
01
Python CLI and FastAPI for a localhost media-search interface.
02
SQLite with sqlite-vec for source manifests and model-versioned embeddings; FFmpeg keyframes, local CLIP-compatible embeddings and local speech transcription.
03
Domain model: media paths, source hashes, sampled keyframes, timestamped transcripts, model-versioned vectors and index jobs
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Index selected footage folders by extracting sparse keyframes and transcript segments, then search text or local embeddings with playable source timestamps. Keep an explicit per-file indexing report and removable-drive state. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Cloud streaming, face identity recognition and team asset synchronization are outside scope.

2

Phase 2

Durable model. Model media paths, source hashes, sampled keyframes, timestamped transcripts, model-versioned vectors and index jobs Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Indexes never rewrite source footage; stale vectors are excluded after a file changes and similarity is not an identified person or verified event.

3

Phase 3

Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.

4

Phase 4

Permissions and integration failure. Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.

5

Phase 5

Portable handoff. Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.

6

Phase 6

Acceptance scenarios. Unplug a drive and retain its catalog with unavailable markers; reindex a changed clip without duplicating old segments or returning stale timestamps. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
WORKING SLICE
Index selected footage folders by extracting sparse keyframes and transcript segments, then search text or local embeddings with playable source timestamps. Keep an explicit per-file indexing report and removable-drive state.

Build this scoped Shade-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Python CLI and FastAPI for a localhost media-search interface.
- SQLite with sqlite-vec for source manifests and model-versioned embeddings; FFmpeg keyframes, local CLIP-compatible embeddings and local speech transcription.

Prerequisites and limits
Python, FFmpeg, selected user-owned media folders and compatible downloaded embedding/speech models. Budget disk for previews and measure indexing time on a sample before scanning a whole drive.
Outside this release: Cloud streaming, face identity recognition and team asset synchronization are outside scope.

Data model and correctness
media paths, source hashes, sampled keyframes, timestamped transcripts, model-versioned vectors and index jobs
Invariant: Indexes never rewrite source footage; stale vectors are excluded after a file changes and similarity is not an identified person or verified event.
Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.

Security and privacy
Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs.

Recovery and export
Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Index selected footage folders by extracting sparse keyframes and transcript segments, then search text or local embeddings with playable source timestamps. Keep an explicit per-file indexing report and removable-drive state. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Cloud streaming, face identity recognition and team asset synchronization are outside scope.
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model media paths, source hashes, sampled keyframes, timestamped transcripts, model-versioned vectors and index jobs Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Indexes never rewrite source footage; stale vectors are excluded after a file changes and similarity is not an identified person or verified event.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Save a job manifest with input hash, parameters and state. Write to temporary outputs, then atomically finalize only successful results; resume unfinished jobs without replacing originals.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Bound file sizes and processing time, reject path traversal, and use argument arrays for subprocesses. Treat imported text as data and redact confidential source content from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export sources, manifests and outputs with checksums. Keep failed-job diagnostics and allow retry into a new output path; restore the database and file directory together. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Unplug a drive and retain its catalog with unavailable markers; reindex a changed clip without duplicating old segments or returning stale timestamps. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Unplug a drive and retain its catalog with unavailable markers; reindex a changed clip without duplicating old segments or returning stale timestamps.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [modern-python](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/modern-python/skills/modern-python/SKILL.md) — Set up Python projects with pyproject.toml, dependency management, linting, typing and automated checks. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: media paths, source hashes, sampled keyframes, timestamped transcripts, model-versioned vectors and index jobs
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Indexes never rewrite source footage; stale vectors are excluded after a file changes and similarity is not an identified person or verified event.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Unplug a drive and retain its catalog with unavailable markers; reindex a changed clip without duplicating old segments or returning stale timestamps.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

ResourceSpaceFaces, sentence search and local transcripts in an old-school DAM; installation has not discovered joy.58aug 2026open source↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Shade pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
growth$35/user$29.75/user1 workspace; up to 15 paid seats; 150 guests; 500 GB active storage/seatAnnual equivalent reflects the published 15% discount.
enterprise——Unlimited workspaces and seats; 250 guests; 1 TB active storage/seat; 1 TB bring-your-own S3 storage/seat

free tierno free tier; trial length and numeric trial caps are not publicly disclosed

billingmonthly + annual (15% lower)

hidden costsGrowth is capped at one workspace and 15 paid seats; storage expansion and enterprise bring-your-own-storage workflows require a higher plan or add-on.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Shade

Can you build your own Shade with AI?

Partly. The search half is real and rebuildable. Extract keyframes with ffmpeg, embed them with CLIP, transcribe the audio with whisper, put the vectors in SQLite, and 'the drone shot over the bridge at golden hour' finds the clip on your own drives. The open-source stack for that is mature and the result is genuinely good. What does not survive the port is what Shade has grown into: cloud streaming so an editor opens full-res without waiting on a download, per-link permissions and guest access, review and approval, and a model pipeline that keeps improving without you retraining anything. Solo, on local storage, the DIY version wins outright. On a team, you are rebuilding a platform and calling it a script.

What does the Shade build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Index selected footage folders by extracting sparse keyframes and transcript segments, then search text or local embeddings with playable source timestamps. Keep an explicit per-file indexing report and removable-drive state. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: cloud streaming of full-res files without downloading them first; guest links with per-link permissions and roles; built-in review, approval, and commenting. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Shade prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Shade project take?

The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Shade?

cloud streaming of full-res files without downloading them first; guest links with per-link permissions and roles; built-in review, approval, and commenting; face recognition and shot-type tagging that improves without your involvement; team sync, so everyone searches the same index; the NLE plugins and Slack integration. They pay because the search only matters if the whole team gets it. A local index that only lives on the editor's machine solves the editor's problem and nobody else's, and the person who most needs to find the clip is usually the one furthest from the storage. Shade sells the index plus the delivery of what the index found, and the second half is the expensive one.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Growth plan is $35/mo per seat (monthly per seat), checked 2026-07-30. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Shade?

ResourceSpace: Faces, sentence search and local transcripts in an old-school DAM; installation has not discovered joy. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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