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Short video scripts: how to plan a 6 to 25 second clip
How to script short videos for Reels, Shorts and TikTok: a hook, a payoff, and a shot plan for 6, 12, 15 and 25 second clips, with examples.
· 4 min read
A short video script has three parts: a hook in the first second or two, one idea developed in the middle, and a payoff at the end. The shorter the clip, the fewer ideas it can hold. A 6 second video is one sentence. A 25 second video is still only one idea, with room for a reason and an example.
Plan the words and the shots together, and write for a viewer who has the sound off.
Why script something so short
Because there is no room for a slow start. In a long video, a weak opening costs you a few seconds. In a short one, it costs you the viewer. A script forces you to decide what the one point is before you film or generate anything.
The structure
1. Hook (the first one to two seconds). Give a reason to keep watching.
- A result: "This loaf took eleven tries."
- A question: "Why do your posts get no replies?"
- A contradiction: "Stop posting every day."
- Something happening on screen that begs an explanation.
2. Middle. One idea, shown as well as said. Each sentence should match a change of shot.
3. Payoff. The answer, the reveal or the next step. End on it. Do not trail off into "so yeah".
What fits in each length
| Length | Shots | Words | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 seconds | 2 | One sentence | A single striking fact, a product moment, a reveal |
| 12 seconds | 3 | Two sentences | A problem and its fix |
| 15 seconds | 4 | Three sentences | A tip with a reason |
| 25 seconds | 6 | Four or five sentences | A short story, or three quick steps |
A comfortable speaking pace is roughly two to three words a second. If your script does not fit, cut words. Do not speed up.
Worked examples
6 seconds: a bakery
- Shot 1: hands scoring a loaf.
- Shot 2: the loaf out of the oven, cut open.
- Voice-over: "Eleven tries to get this crust. Worth it."
12 seconds: a consultant
- Shot 1: a cluttered calendar.
- Shot 2: one meeting being deleted.
- Shot 3: a clear afternoon.
- Voice-over: "Your team is not too busy. It has too many meetings. Cancel one this week and see who notices."
15 seconds: a tip
- Shot 1: a phone showing a post with no replies.
- Shot 2: typing a first line.
- Shot 3: the post with comments.
- Shot 4: a person smiling at the screen.
- Voice-over: "No replies on your posts? Look at your first line. If it could open anyone's post, rewrite it. Start with the one detail only you know."
Design for sound off
Many people watch with the sound off, especially at work or in public. Your video has to make sense in silence.
- Captions: the spoken words on screen, a few at a time, as they are said.
- Callouts: a few key words over each shot: the hook, a number, where to go.
- Keep text away from faces and away from the edges, where app buttons cover it.
- Large, high-contrast type. If you have to squint on a phone, it is too small.
Shape and format
- Vertical for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook and Threads.
- Square often works better in LinkedIn and X feeds.
- Put the subject in the middle of the frame. Different apps crop differently.
Common mistakes
- A logo or intro first. Nobody waits. Start on the hook.
- Two ideas. Pick one. Make the other a second video.
- Reading a paragraph aloud. Write for the ear: short sentences, plain words.
- No ending. The last shot should feel like an answer.
- Text nobody can read in the time it is on screen.
From a post to a video
You probably already have the script. A good social post has a hook and a payoff; a video is the same thing with pictures.
- Take a post that did well.
- Reduce it to its one point.
- Write the hook, then the payoff, then the middle.
- Give each sentence a shot.
Having the video made for you
Filming is not always practical. In FinalPost AI, Create a video makes a short clip from a post's own words.
It is planned before it is made. FinalPost AI reads the post, works out what it is telling its reader, writes a script for the length you chose, and plans the shots: a hook first and a payoff last. The lengths match the table above: 6, 12, 15 or 25 seconds.
You choose voice-over with music, or music only. Captions and callouts are on unless you switch them off, and a callout is kept off a face. The script is shown under the clip, so you can play it with the sound on and check it before you approve. If it is not right, make another.
Videos made by AI are labelled as AI-made on TikTok and YouTube, as those networks ask. An agent never makes a video on its own; one is made only when you ask.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a short video be?
As short as the idea allows. If one sentence makes the point, use six seconds. Longer is only better when every second holds attention.
Do I need to appear on camera?
No. Hands, screens, products and places all work. A face helps people connect with a personal brand, but it is not required.
Should every video have captions?
Yes, whenever there is speech. Captions make the video usable with the sound off and for people who cannot hear it.