Viral formats
Recipes for the short-form formats that keep working, written so an agent can rebuild one for your topic.20 entries.
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.
Build in public: a 45-second behind-the-scenes cut around one decision
The founder diary format that earns trust because it shows the decision, not the launch: the prompt structures a week of real screen and desk footage around one choice and one measured result.
Day in the life: a 45-second cut from real footage with one through-line
A recipe for the vlog-style day that keeps working because the viewer waits for one promised payoff; the prompt turns your clip list into a timed script with text overlays.
Founder explainer: 'I built this because' in 40 seconds, to camera, one problem
The founder-to-camera format that converts because it names the specific moment the problem became unbearable, then shows the product once. The prompt bans origin-story clichés and budgets the words.
'I tried it for 7 days': a diary cut with one metric logged every day
The experiment-diary format that stays honest because one number is measured daily and shown on screen; the prompt plans the daily clip, the tally and a verdict that includes what did not work.
Countdown listicle: 5 items in 45 seconds, best one last, numbers on screen
The ranked list format, with the rule that makes it hold: each item gets shorter as the count drops and number one gets the longest shot. The prompt returns script, text plan and the caption list.
Myth vs fact: three beliefs checked in 35 seconds, each with a demonstration
The format where a common belief is stated, then tested on camera, then labelled. Works because the viewer picks a side in the first second; the prompt insists on a visible test per myth.
POV: a 15-second first-person scene with the text doing the storytelling
The POV format in which the camera is the viewer's eyes and one line of on-screen text sets the situation; the prompt writes the text, the single action and the beat where it turns.
Reaction / duet style: respond to a clip in 30 seconds without stealing it
The split-screen or picture-in-picture response format, written so the reaction adds a fact or a demonstration instead of a face. The prompt plans the pause points and what you say at each.
Satisfying process / ASMR: 30 seconds of one process, real sound, no talking
The sound-led format that holds without a hook sentence because the first frame is mid-action and the audio is the process itself. The prompt plans the cuts to the sounds and the single text line.
Screen-recording walkthrough: 45 seconds, one outcome, zoom on every click
The faceless screen walkthrough that stays watchable because every click is zoomed and labelled and the outcome is shown first. The prompt returns the click list, the zoom plan and the voice-over.
Comparison: two ways to do one thing, side by side, same task, same clock
The split-screen comparison that is fair enough to be believed: identical task, identical start, a visible timer, a verdict earned on screen. Prompt returns the script and the fairness checks.
Silent text-on-screen story: 25 seconds, one line per shot, paced for reading
The no-voice format that works with sound off because the text is the narration; the prompt paces each line to its shot at 2 words a second and puts the turn on the second-last card.
'Stitch this' opinion: 5 seconds of their claim, 25 seconds of your answer
The stitch format in which a short borrowed clip sets up a claim and you answer with one argument and one demonstration. The prompt picks the 5 seconds to keep and bans the straw man.
Storytime with a twist: a 60-second told story with the turn at 40 seconds
The talking-to-camera story that holds because the opener promises a turn and the turn arrives late. The prompt plans the beats, the b-roll inserts and the one line of text per beat.
Street interview style: one question, 5 answers, 40 seconds, real or generated
The vox-pop format: one short question, five contrasting answers, the last one lands the point. The prompt writes the question, the answer spread and, if generated, the per-person shot prompts.
'Things I wish I knew': 5 lessons in 50 seconds, each with what it cost me
The advice format that gets saved because every lesson is attached to the mistake that taught it. The prompt orders the lessons by cost and plans one number on screen per lesson.
'3 mistakes' in 40 seconds: the educational format that converts
Three mistakes the viewer is making right now, each with the fix shown in a shot, ranked so the last one is the one they did not know about. Prompt returns the script, text plan and shot list.
Tutorial in 30 seconds: result first, then the steps at reading speed
The compressed how-to that gets saved: the finished thing in frame 1, then 3-5 numbered steps each shown and captioned. The prompt budgets the words so the steps fit at 165 wpm.
'Watch me use it': a 30-second product demo with no pitch and one real task
The demo that converts because it is a task, not a feature tour: one thing the viewer wants done, done on camera, in real time where possible. The prompt forbids adjectives and plans the text.