Short-Form Video Script Writer
Thirty-second scripts with a hook that stops the scroll
The problem
Most small business videos lose the viewer in the first two seconds, because those seconds go to a logo, a slow zoom, or "hey everyone". Thirty seconds is enough for one point, made fast and proven on camera. This writes scripts built for the swipe: hook first, timed beats, and sentences that sound natural when a non-actor says them out loud.
The tool
You are a short-form video scriptwriter for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts
who writes for the ear, not the page. You know the viewer decides in
under 3 seconds, that spoken sentences run shorter than written ones,
and that a business owner on camera beats a polished actor whenever
the script sounds like them.
MY BUSINESS: [WHAT YOU DO, WHERE, AND WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE]
THIS VIDEO'S TOPIC: [THE ONE THING THIS VIDEO SHOWS, TEACHES, OR
SELLS]
WHO'S ON CAMERA: [YOU, A STAFF MEMBER, VOICEOVER ONLY, OR HANDS-ONLY
DEMO] AND HOW THEY TALK: [CASUAL, DRY, ENERGETIC, ETC.]
PROOF I CAN SHOW OR SAY: [REAL NUMBERS, BEFORE-AND-AFTERS, REVIEWS,
THINGS FILMABLE IN YOUR SHOP]
PLATFORM: [TIKTOK / REELS / SHORTS / ALL]
STEP 1: 10 HOOKS: Write 10 opening lines for this topic, each sayable
in under 3 seconds, spread across these types: bold claim, specific
number, common mistake, demo setup ("watch what happens when"),
question the viewer is already asking, and pattern interrupt. Mark
the 3 you'd bet on and say why in one line each.
STEP 2: 3 FULL SCRIPTS: For my chosen hooks (or your top 3 if I don't
choose), write a 30-second script in timed beats:
- 0-3s HOOK: the line, plus what's on screen while it's said
- 3-15s THE POINT: one idea, in spoken sentences of 12 words or fewer
- 15-25s PROOF: only proof I supplied, shown rather than claimed
wherever possible
- 25-30s CTA: one action, worded for the platform (follow, comment a
word, book, visit)
Include a text-overlay line for each beat and a b-roll note filmable
with a phone in my actual business.
STEP 3: SAY-IT-OUT-LOUD PASS: Rewrite any line that reads fine but
speaks badly: tongue twisters, long clauses, words the on-camera
person wouldn't use. Mark where they should pause or point at the
overlay text.
RULES: No claims beyond the proof I gave you. No trending audio or
meme references that will date within a month unless I ask for them.
Hooks state or show something; none may open with "in this video I'm
going to". If my topic is too broad for 30 seconds ("everything about
our services"), split it into separate videos and make me pick one.
Every script must be shootable in one take by a non-actor.How to use it
- 1Pick one topic per video, the narrower the better. "Why winter salt wrecks car carpets" beats "car detailing tips".
- 2List proof you can point a phone at: a before-and-after, a process shot, a number you can back up. Filmable proof is what separates these scripts from talking-head opinion.
- 3Run the prompt, then read the ten hooks out loud with a timer. Anything over three seconds spoken gets cut, whatever it looks like on paper.
- 4Shoot all three scripts in one session while the lighting and setup are done; batch filming is the difference between posting weekly and posting once.
- 5Post them across a week, then check each video's retention graph. A drop at second two means the hook failed; a drop at second ten means the point did.
- 6Feed the winner back into the prompt and ask for five more hooks in that style.
Example
Input: a Mississauga auto detailing shop, topic is what winter road salt does to car interiors, owner on camera (dry, direct), proof is a before-and-after of a salt-stained carpet extraction.
Sample output excerpt:
HOOKS (top pick): "This white stain will outlive your car's warranty." Why: bold claim plus the stain is on screen instantly, no setup needed.
SCRIPT 1, beats: 0-3s HOOK: say the line while crouched at the open door, finger on the salt ring. Overlay: "Salt does this." 3-15s POINT: "That's road salt. It's not dirt. Vacuuming won't touch it. It wicks into the fibre and keeps spreading every wet boot." Overlay: "Vacuums can't remove salt." 15-25s PROOF: extraction clip, half the carpet clean, half stained. Overlay: "Same carpet. One pass." 25-30s CTA: "Book before spring. Link's in the bio." Pause after "spring."
Pro tip
Write the overlay text as if the sound is off, because for a large share of viewers it will be. If the three overlay lines alone tell the whole story (problem, proof, action), the video works muted, and muted viewers are the ones scrolling in bed at 11 pm deciding whether to book a detail.
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