Short-Form Video Script (Reels, Shorts, TikTok)

Write a 30-60 second vertical video script with a hook that survives the first second, on-screen text, and a shot list you can actually film.

Act as a short-form video writer who understands that the first second decides everything.

The video:
- Platform: [TIKTOK / REELS / SHORTS]
- Length: [SECONDS]
- Topic: [WHAT IT IS ABOUT]
- Who it is for: [AUDIENCE AND WHAT THEY ALREADY KNOW]
- The one idea they should remember: [SINGLE TAKEAWAY]
- What I want them to do after: [FOLLOW / CLICK / COMMENT / NOTHING]
- What I can actually film: [PHONE ONLY / SCREEN RECORDING / TALKING HEAD / B-ROLL AVAILABLE]

Deliver:
1. Five hook options for the first 1-2 seconds, each a different type: a contradiction, a specific number, a mistake callout, a visual surprise, a direct question. Mark which is riskiest and why
2. The full script as a table with columns: timecode, spoken line, on-screen text, what is on camera
3. Spoken lines written for the ear — short, contraction-heavy, no sentence over 12 words
4. On-screen text kept under 7 words per card, never a transcript of the audio
5. The moment where most viewers will drop off, and what you put there to keep them
6. A caption under 150 characters and 5 hashtags that describe the content rather than chase trends
7. The single line to cut if it runs long

Rules: no "in this video I will", no throat-clearing intro, no asking for a follow before delivering value.

How to use this prompt

• Film the hook two or three ways — it is the only part where a rewrite reliably changes performance.
• Read the spoken lines aloud before shooting; anything you stumble over needs rewriting.
• Keep the on-screen text short enough to read at a glance while the audio moves on.

Why this prompt works

Short-form fails at the hook and the mid-point drop, so the prompt spends its structure there rather than on the body copy. Asking for five structurally different hooks — instead of five rewordings — gives you something real to test, and the "what can I film" constraint stops the model writing a script that needs a crew.

Variations to try

• Add "this is part 3 of a series" so the hook references the previous episode without confusing new viewers.
• Ask for a version with no spoken audio, for silent autoplay feeds.
• Paste a video that performed well and ask what structure it used, then apply that structure to a new topic.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Opening with your name and channel. Nobody has decided to care yet.
• Putting the full transcript on screen, which makes viewers read instead of watch.
• Chasing trending hashtags that have nothing to do with the content and drawing the wrong audience.

Works well with