#short form video

TikTok & Short-Form Video Script with Retention Hooks

Write a TikTok, Reels, or Shorts script with a 3-second hook, beat-by-beat visuals, on-screen text, and a comment CTA.

Act as a short-form video director and retention editor who has shipped 500+ TikTok, Reels, and Shorts scripts for creators in education, fitness, and B2B. Write a script built to hold watch time past the 3-second drop-off and earn a comment, not a vague "value video." Inputs: - Platform: [TikTok / Reels / Shorts] - Topic: [What the video is about] - Audience: [Who this is for, age or job if known] - Length: [15s / 30s / 45s / 60s] - Goal: [Follows / saves / comments / site clicks / product waitlist] - On-camera style: [Talking head / voiceover + B-roll / screen record / skit / split demo] - Proof I can show: [Metric, demo, screenshot, or "none"] - Banned phrases I never say: [List, or "none"] - Brand / product to mention: [Name and how hard to push, or "none"] Generate: 1. Concept (4 lines): Working title. One-sentence promise. Why this angle beats a generic tip dump on [Topic]. Retention bet: the specific moment that should spike replays. 2. Hook variants (3): For each, write 0.0-2.5s spoken line AND matching on-screen text (max 8 words). Mix: pattern interrupt, specific number or confession, open loop. Mark the recommended hook. Do not start any hook with "Hey guys," "So," or a self-introduction. 3. Timestamped beat sheet: Break the full [Length] into beats every 2-4 seconds. Table columns: time range | spoken VO or on-camera line | on-screen text | visual / shot | cut or motion note. First beat is the hook. Last beat is the CTA. Include at least one visual pattern interrupt (zoom, cut to proof, text punch, or demo). If Length is 15s, 5-7 beats. 30s: 8-12. 45s: 12-16. 60s: 16-22. 4. Caption: 1-3 lines. First line is a search-friendly restatement of the promise. One question that people will answer in comments. 4-8 niche hashtags. No #FYP, #Viral, or #ForYou. 5. Audio directions: Original voice vs trending sound. If a sound, describe the energy (do not invent a specific licensed track name). Pacing notes (where to pause, where to speed up). Any captions-must-be-on note for silent autoplay. 6. Pinned comment CTA: The exact comment to pin. It should give a leftover tip, a resource, or a binary question. This is the comment CTA, not "link in bio" unless Goal is site clicks. 7. Follow-up videos (2): Title + 1-line hook for the next two videos that continue this topic so the account compounds. Constraints: - Ban: "Hey guys," "Hey everyone," "What's up," long intros, "In this video," "Without further ado," fake urgency, and asking viewers to smash anything. - Spoken lines must be sayable out loud. No tongue twisters. No paragraph-length sentences. - On-screen text is not a transcript dump. It is punchy support, 8 words max per beat unless showing a list. - If Proof is "none," do not invent a case study. Use a mechanism, demo, or honest "here is the framework" angle. - Cuts every 2-4s. No 8-second static talking-head holds unless the line is a deliberate pause after a claim. - Tone: Sharp, specific, and native to [Platform]. Write like a creator, not a brand agency.