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batch processing

How to Use FFmpeg with Open Job Description for Video Workflows

OpenJD describes the batch job; FFmpeg processes the media. Learn how to parameterize an encode, avoid temporary-output pitfalls, validate locally, and build a dependent render-then-encode workflow.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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Use Open Job Description (OpenJD) to describe the batch job, and FFmpeg to process the media. An OpenJD template can define input and output parameters, then run FFmpeg as an executable action; it does not encode video itself or install FFmpeg. This guide shows a parameterized encode, local validation, and a render-then-encode workflow.

OpenJD and FFmpeg have different jobs

OpenJD is a portable description for batch jobs. FFmpeg is the command-line media tool that a job can invoke to read, select, process, and write media. The template connects them by specifying parameters, steps, and executable actions. OpenJD’s project describes its goal as defining batch jobs portable between scheduling-system deployments: OpenJD specifications. FFmpeg’s command-line manual covers its inputs, outputs, streams, and conversion behavior: FFmpeg documentation.

That division matters in practice: the job description can pass an input path to FFmpeg, but the machine or worker running the step still needs FFmpeg available in its execution environment. A scheduler’s installed software, filesystem, and artifact handling are runtime concerns, not guarantees supplied by the template.

Build a parameterized one-step encode

Start with one input and one output. The following abbreviated YAML illustrates the connection between OpenJD parameters and an FFmpeg action; it is a shape example, not a complete template guaranteed to validate in every implementation. Use the complete schema and required fields for the OpenJD implementation you target.

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specificationVersion: 'jobtemplate-2023-09'
name: FFmpeg Encode
parameterDefinitions:
  - name: InputFile
    type: PATH
    objectType: FILE
    dataFlow: IN
  - name: OutputDir
    type: PATH
    objectType: DIRECTORY
    dataFlow: OUT
steps:
  - name: Encode
    script:
      actions:
        onRun:
          command: ffmpeg
          args: ["-i", "{{Param.InputFile}}", "{{Param.OutputDir}}/output.mp4"]

The AWS walkthrough provides a fuller template pattern, including an image-sequence input, an output-directory parameter, and an FFmpeg action: AWS: Introducing Open Job Description for media workflows. Its example uses a 24 fps sequence and H.264, pixel-format, color-metadata, and MP4 fast-start options. Those are choices in that example, not universal encoding recommendations; match the command to the source, delivery requirements, and playback targets.

Make the output location durable

Pass an output directory parameter and write to a location that survives the job’s execution environment. In the AWS CLI context described in the walkthrough, the generated script runs in temporary space that is cleaned up afterward. A relative output such as ./output.mp4 can therefore be written into that temporary directory and removed during cleanup. Choose and pass the destination explicitly, and confirm that the worker can write there and that the resulting file is collected or persisted by your deployment.

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Preserve FFmpeg argument order

FFmpeg options generally apply to the next input or output file named, so keep a tested command’s ordering when transferring it into the template. FFmpeg can select streams automatically based on the output format, while -map lets you choose streams explicitly. For files with multiple audio tracks, subtitles, or unusual stream layouts, inspect the input and make stream selection intentional rather than assuming the automatic choice is the one you need. See the FFmpeg command-line documentation for option and stream behavior.

Validate, inspect, and run locally

The OpenJD CLI documentation describes commands for checking a template, summarizing its parameters and steps, and running selected work locally. Command availability and behavior should be checked against the CLI release you install. The commands below reflect the documented interface; they have not been executed as part of this guide.

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  1. Check the template: run openjd check path/to/template.yaml to validate the template.
  2. Inspect the job shape: run openjd summary path/to/template.yaml to review parameters, steps, and tasks before execution.
  3. Run the encode step: use openjd run path/to/template.yaml with the CLI’s job-parameter options to supply the input and output paths, and select the step or task you intend to test.
  4. Include dependencies when needed: when testing a downstream step that depends on earlier work, use the CLI’s dependency option so the required steps are included. Consult the installed release’s help and OpenJD CLI documentation for the exact parameter syntax supported by that release.

Before running, check that the parameter values resolve to paths available to the local process and that ffmpeg is on its executable search path. A successful template check does not establish that FFmpeg is installed, that an input exists, or that the target scheduler has the same filesystem layout.

Extend the job to render frames, then encode them

For a graphics workflow, make rendering and encoding separate steps and express their dependency. The official OpenJD Blender/FFmpeg sample defines a RenderScene step and a dependent CreateVideoFromRender step that invokes FFmpeg on the generated frame sequence: OpenJD Blender–FFmpeg sample.

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What the dependency gives you

  • The render step produces the frames; the video step consumes them. The dependency makes the intended order explicit.
  • The FFmpeg step can be adjusted independently for output format, stream selection, and other encoding requirements.
  • You can inspect or run the downstream step locally with its dependencies included, as supported by the OpenJD CLI release in use.

The sample’s requirements comment says it was tested with Blender 4.0.2 and FFmpeg 6.1.1. Those are sample-specific tested versions, not a promise of current compatibility. Check the software versions and paths available in your own scheduler environment. OpenJD describes the job; actual storage handoff and installed executables depend on the deployment.

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Common workflow failures and fixes

  • The output disappears after a local run: a relative path may resolve inside temporary script space. Pass a durable output directory and confirm how your CLI or scheduler preserves artifacts.
  • The action cannot find FFmpeg: install or provision FFmpeg in the environment that runs the step, and verify the executable path there. A template does not install the program.
  • The template validates but the encode fails: validation checks the job description, not whether media paths exist or FFmpeg can decode and encode them. Test the exact FFmpeg command against the actual input and output location.
  • The wrong audio, subtitle, or video stream appears: automatic selection may not match the intended track. Inspect the source and use explicit -map options where needed.
  • The video step starts without usable frames: check the render step’s output path and the dependent step’s input pattern, along with the scheduler’s mechanism for making rendered artifacts available to the next step.

Or let it run in the cloud

If the finished video is meant to play continuously on a YouTube channel, StreamNeo is a separate option from an OpenJD render-and-encode pipeline: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so no computer or home connection has to stay on. It streams to YouTube only; it does not broadcast a live camera feed.

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