The Problem

Claude Opus is brilliant but expensive. Claude Sonnet is fast and cheap but sometimes needs a second opinion on strategic decisions. What if Sonnet could ask Opus for advice — but only when it actually needs it?

The Advisor Pattern

We built an open-source implementation where Sonnet (the executor) has a tool called ask_advisor. During task execution, Sonnet autonomously decides when to consult Opus (the advisor) — and has a budget of N calls to use wisely.

from advisor import AdvisorClient

client = AdvisorClient()
result = client.run(
    "Design a 3-shot video storyboard for a product ad",
    executor="claude-sonnet-4-6",
    advisor="claude-opus-4-6",
    max_advisor_calls=3,
)
print(result.text)  # Opus-informed output at Sonnet prices

How It Works

The pattern uses standard Claude API custom tools — no special features needed:

Define an ask_advisor tool with question + context schema
Sonnet receives the task and decides if it needs advice
When Sonnet calls ask_advisor, we intercept and call Opus
Opus's response is fed back as a tool_result
Sonnet incorporates the advice and continues execution

Real-World Example: Video Production

We integrated this into our AI Video Studio skill. When you ask it to create a video storyboard:

python3 studio.py storyboard \
  --idea "Product ad for a flatbed semi-trailer" \
  --shots 3 --duration 5 --lang zh

Sonnet asks Opus: "What creative direction for a heavy machinery ad?"

Opus advises: "Use contrast — industrial power against epic landscape. Low angle for dominance, aerial for scale. The product should look like it belongs in the scene, not placed."

Sonnet then generates a production-ready JSON storyboard with detailed Seedance prompts, Chinese captions, and narration text — all informed by Opus's creative direction.

Cost Comparison

Approach	Cost (typical task)	Quality
Everything on Opus	$$$	Excellent
Everything on Sonnet	$	Good
Advisor Pattern	$$ (80% cheaper than Opus-only)	Excellent on decisions, Good on execution

When Sonnet Consults Opus

The beauty is that Sonnet decides autonomously:

Creative direction → asks advisor
Trade-off decisions → asks advisor
Quality review → asks advisor
Routine execution → proceeds alone

Get Started

pip install anthropic
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

# Standalone
git clone https://github.com/iPythoning/claude-advisor-pattern
python advisor.py "Your complex task here" --max-calls 3

# With AI Video Studio
git clone https://github.com/iPythoning/ai-video-studio
python studio.py storyboard --idea "Your video concept" --shots 3

Repos:

claude-advisor-pattern — Standalone library
ai-video-studio — Full video production pipeline with advisor integration

Built with Claude API · OpenClaw