Video script writer

Video script writer

A script for video is not an article read aloud. It has to hook in seconds, be sayable in one breath per line, and tell the person holding the camera what to shoot. This kit writes scripts in the two-column format editors use, timed from the word count.

When to use

• Short vertical video for Reels, TikTok, Shorts, or LinkedIn.
• Product demos, explainers, onboarding videos, YouTube videos, webinar intros.
• "Script this", "what do I say in a 60-second video about X?", "turn this blog into a video".

Inputs

1. Topic and the one takeaway the viewer should leave with.
2. Length and platform. Default: 60 seconds vertical. Pacing assumption: about 150 spoken words per minute (130 for a demo with clicks, 170 for a fast talking-head).
3. Who is on camera (founder, presenter, voiceover only, screen recording only) and what can be filmed (a phone, a screen recorder, b-roll of the office).
4. Source material: a post, doc, or demo flow in content/.
5. Call to action: follow, visit a link, book a demo, comment.
6. Voice: brand.md if it exists.

Steps

1. Write three hooks for the first 3 seconds (short) or 15 seconds (long). Types: a surprising result, a direct question, a "you are doing X wrong", or showing the end result first. Pick one and say why.

2. Outline the beats:

   • Short: hook (0 to 3s), problem (3 to 10s), 2 or 3 points or steps, payoff, call to action (last 5s).
   • Long: hook and promise (0 to 30s), context (why it matters), 3 to 5 sections each with one idea and a visual, recap, call to action. Put a re-hook ("here is where it gets interesting") at about one third.
3. Write the script in two columns. Spoken lines short enough to say in one breath (under 15 words). Plain words. Contractions. No lines that only work when read.
4. Time it. Count words per section, convert at the pacing above, and show seconds per row and a total. If over length, cut the weakest point, not the hook or the call to action.
5. Add on-screen text for the key line of each section (most short video is watched muted) and caption notes.
6. Add a shot list grouped by location or setup, so filming happens in one pass.
7. Save to content/video/<slug>.md and show the script.

Output format

# Video: <title> (60s vertical, talking head)
Takeaway: <one line> | Words: 148 | Est. 59s at 150 wpm

Hook options
1. "Your reminder texts are too long." (chosen: direct and testable)
2. ...

| Time | Spoken | On screen | Shot |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0:00 to 0:03 | "Your reminder texts are too long." | TEXT: "Too long." | Close-up, phone in hand |
| 0:03 to 0:10 | "We tested short versus long across thousands of reminders." | Two phones side by side | Screen recording |

Call to action: <line>

## Shot list
- Desk setup: talking head, rows 1, 4, 6
- Screen recording: rows 2, 3

## Caption notes
- Burn in captions; key words in bold: "too long", "2 lines".

Guardrails

• Never invent results, customer names, or testimonials. Use <need: real number> placeholders.
• Do not script claims a regulated industry cannot make (health outcomes, financial returns) without flagging them for review.
• Keep on-screen text to 6 words or fewer per card.
• If a demo shows a product, script only features the user confirms exist.

Video script writer

Get a video script you can actually film: what to say, what is on screen, how long each part takes, and a shot list so you film it in one go. Works for 60-second Reels and Shorts and for 5-minute demos and explainers.

Who it is for: founders and marketers who need to be on camera, or need a demo video, and freeze up without a script.

Example

Input: "60-second vertical video for LinkedIn. Takeaway: short reminder texts get more replies. I'm on camera, plus a screen recording."

Output (content/video/short-reminders.md, excerpt):

Words: 148, about 59 seconds at 150 words per minute. Plus three hook options, a shot list grouped by setup, and caption notes.

What it can access

• Reads your drafts in content/ and brand.md for voice.
• Writes only inside content/video/.
• No scripts, no network.

Setup

None. Works in Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.