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.
Write a 30-second tutorial script for: how to {task} using {method or tool}. The format works because the viewer sees the result before deciding to invest 30 seconds, and the numbered steps give them a reason to save it. Structure (30 s, 9:16): - 0-3 s RESULT: the finished thing, full frame. Spoken: 'Here is how to {task} in {N} steps.' On-screen: the result name and '{N} steps'. - 3-25 s STEPS: {N} steps (3 to 5), equal time each. Each step is: one imperative spoken line (max 10 words), one shot that shows the action, one on-screen caption with the step number and a 3-word label. If a step needs a value (a setting, a time, a quantity) the value goes on screen, not only in the voice. - 25-28 s RESULT AGAIN: the same result, 3 s, spoken: one line on what it is good for now. - 28-30 s CLOSE: 'Save it for when you need it.' No download ask here; a tutorial that ends in a pitch gets scrolled. The product, if there is one, is visible in the steps. Word budget: 70-80 words at 165 wpm. Mark anything spoken over 80 words as too long and cut a step instead of speeding up. Return: the step list first (so I can check it is right), then a table (time, step, spoken line, on-screen caption, shot). Then a one-line caption for the post with the steps as a comma list. Task: {task} Method or tool: {method or tool} Steps as I do them (I will correct you): {rough steps}
In Claude Code, paste the prompt as a message.
Example
Task: make a cold brew concentrate. Method: a jar and a sieve.
Steps: 1 grind coarse, 2 one to four ratio, 3 twelve hours in the fridge, 4 strain twice.
| Time | Step | Spoken line | On-screen caption | Shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-3 s | Result | Cold brew concentrate in four steps, no machine. | COLD BREW · 4 STEPS | Glass of cold brew poured over ice |
| 3-8 s | 1 | Grind coarse, like sea salt. | 1 · GRIND COARSE | Grounds in the palm next to salt |
| 8-14 s | 2 | One part coffee, four parts cold water, into a jar. | 2 · 1 : 4 BY WEIGHT | Scale: 100 g then 400 g |
| 14-19 s | 3 | Lid on, fridge, twelve hours. | 3 · 12 H IN THE FRIDGE | Jar into the fridge, clock overlay |
| 19-25 s | 4 | Strain through a sieve, then through a paper filter. | 4 · STRAIN TWICE | Sieve, then filter |
| 25-28 s | Result | Keeps a week. Dilute one to one over ice. | 1 : 1 OVER ICE | The glass again |
| 28-30 s | Close | Save it for Sunday. | Hand sets the glass down |
Caption: grind coarse, 1:4, 12 h, strain twice.
Tips
- Any number the viewer needs to remember goes on screen as digits. Spoken numbers do not survive sound-off viewing.
- Five steps is the ceiling at 30 s. A sixth step means a second video, and a second video is a series.
| 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. |
| cost | Free. No API, no key. |
| status | Unverified: written from the technique, not yet run end to end by us. |
| license | CC BY 4.0 for the text here; skills are MIT. |
| updated | 2026-11-01 |
| for agents | tutorial-in-30-seconds-format.md |
Related
'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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.