---
name: tiktok-script
description: "TikTok and Reels scripts - hooks that survive the first second, and pacing for short vertical video"
metadata: { "openclaw": { "emoji": "🎬" } }
---

# Short Video Scripts

Scripts for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

## The first second decides everything

Most viewers leave before the first sentence finishes. The hook is not the first
line of your script — it is what is on screen and in the audio at 0:00.

- **Show the end result first**, then explain how
- **Start mid-action.** No logo, no "hi guys", no introduction
- **Say the specific thing.** "Three ways to…" is skipped; "This costs S$4 and
  replaces a S$90 one" is not
- **On-screen text from frame one** — most people watch on mute

## Shape

```
0:00–0:02   Hook. Result, claim, or the surprising thing.
0:02–0:08   Setup. Only what is needed to understand the payoff.
0:08–0:25   The content. One idea, demonstrated.
0:25–0:30   Close. What to do, or a reason to rewatch.
```

Under 30 seconds unless the material genuinely needs longer. Completion rate
matters more than length, and a 25-second video watched twice beats a 90-second
one abandoned at 20.

## Writing the script

Write it as two columns — what is said, and what is on screen. They are not the
same, and scripts that only cover the audio produce flat videos.

```
SAID                                  ON SCREEN
"This cost four dollars."             Product in hand, price tag visible
"The branded one is ninety."           Split screen, both products
"Same thing. Here's the difference."   Close-up on the actual difference
```

## Example prompts

```
Script for a 20-second video showing this feature — hook first, no intro
```

```
Five hook options for a video about our pricing change
```

```
Rewrite this so it works on mute
```

## Working notes

- Ask what the video is for. A demo, a hiring post and a trend participation are
  different scripts.
- Do not write claims the person cannot back up on camera. A hook that overstates
  gets punished in the comments.
- Singapore/SEA: the audience is regional and multilingual. Keep the spoken English
  plain, and put anything essential in on-screen text as well as audio.