---
url: https://superduperai.co/library/before-after-reveal-format/
title: Before/after: the 20-second reveal with the 'after' shown first
description: The before/after format with the twist that keeps it from being skipped: open on the finished result, then show how bad it was, then the change. The prompt returns a timed script and text plan.
category: formats
platforms: [tiktok, reels, shorts]
works_with: [claude-code, claude, chatgpt, any-llm]
tags: [before-after, reveal, product, tiktok, reels, convert, script]
difficulty: beginner
verified: false
created: 2026-11-01
---

# Before/after: the 20-second reveal with the 'after' shown first

The before/after format with the twist that keeps it from being skipped: open on the finished result, then show how bad it was, then the change. The prompt returns a timed script and text plan.

## Prompt

```text
Write a before/after script for {topic}. The format works because the gap between two states is the whole message; narration only labels what the eye already sees.

Structure (20 s, 9:16):
- 0-2 s AFTER FIRST: the finished result, full screen, no narration. On-screen text: the one number or word that describes the gap ('2 taps', '40 min to 4').
- 2-6 s BEFORE: the starting state, held for 4 s. One spoken line that names what was wrong, max 12 words.
- 6-14 s THE CHANGE: 2-3 shots of the thing being done, 3 s each. One short line each, present tense.
- 14-18 s AFTER AGAIN: the same framing as shot 1, held. Spoken line: what changed, with the number.
- 18-20 s CLOSE: a question for the comments or nothing. No download ask; this format sells by the reveal, and the viewer who wants the thing will ask 'what app' in the comments. Answer there.

Word budget: 40-50 words at 165 wpm. Match the before and after framing exactly: same angle, same distance, same light. Say so in the shot notes.

Return: a table (time, shot, spoken line, on-screen text), then a 3-line shooting note on how to match the two framings.

Topic details:
{what the before state is, what the after state is, the number that describes the gap}
```

## Example

Topic: a photo app that removes the background from a product photo.

| Time | Shot | Spoken line | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2 s | Finished listing photo of a ceramic mug on white, phone held in hand | (silence) | 2 TAPS |
| 2-6 s | Same mug on a cluttered kitchen counter, cables, a sponge | This is what my product photos looked like. | BEFORE |
| 6-9 s | Thumb opens the app, picks the photo | Open the photo. | |
| 9-12 s | Tap on 'cut out', background drops away | One tap. Background is gone. | |
| 12-14 s | Tap on 'white', export | White, export. | |
| 14-18 s | The clean listing photo again, same hand, same angle | From this to this in two taps, on the phone, before the coffee got cold. | AFTER |
| 18-20 s | Hold on the result | What would you shoot first? | |

Shooting note: shoot the 'after' shot at 0-2 s and the one at 14-18 s as one take, held in the same hand against the same wall. Shoot 'before' in the same spot with the clutter put back. Window light both times, no lamp.

## Tips

- Hold the before shot longer than feels comfortable. Four seconds of the bad state is what makes the after land.
- If the number in the first frame is not real and measurable (taps, minutes, dollars), cut it and use a word instead.

## Works with

- Claude Code: Runs as a skill or a prompt in the terminal; can read your files and write the result.
- Claude: Paste into claude.ai or the Claude app.
- ChatGPT: Paste into ChatGPT; works with any GPT model.
- Any LLM: Model-agnostic: Gemini, Mistral, a local model.