Social media video scripts

The first two seconds are the script

On Reels, TikTok and Shorts, the viewer decides whether to keep watching almost instantly. A video that opens with 'Hi everyone, today I want to talk about' loses most of its audience before the subject is named. The rest of the script can be excellent and still never be seen.

We write the hook first and spend the most time on it. It states the payoff, raises a specific question, or shows the result before explaining it. Each script usually gets two alternative openings, so you can film both in the same take and let the numbers decide which one to keep.

The opening frame matters as much as the opening line. Many people scroll with the sound off, so the first on-screen text has to carry the hook alone, and the shot notes say what should be visible at that moment.

Written for the person holding the phone

A script that only works with a studio and a presenter gets abandoned in week two. We write for what you actually have: usually one person, a phone and a lunch break. Shot notes describe angles and props in plain words, and every script fits a single location unless you tell us otherwise.

Scripts are grouped into filming batches by setting and outfit. Eight videos shot in one morning is realistic; eight videos needing eight setups is not. The batching is often the difference between an account that posts steadily and one that stops after a month.

• Hook, body and close marked on every script
• Spoken lines and on-screen text side by side
• Run time read aloud and noted, not estimated
• What to show on screen for each line
• The caption and the first comment written to match