Gmkt Short Video Script

---
name: gmkt-short-video-script
description: Writes a short vertical video script with an opening hook, a beat-by-beat script, a shot list, on-screen text and captions, and edit notes for a phone editor. Use for "run gmkt-short-video-script", "script a reel", "TikTok script", "Instagram Reels script", "shot list for a short video", "video idea for social", "what do we film", "storyboard a 30 second video", part of the Claude for Marketing Graduates Pack by Polar Bear.
---

# Short Video Script

## When To Use
The team wants a reel or a TikTok and you have a phone and an afternoon. This answers what to film, in what order, what appears on screen, and how to cut it so it holds attention with the sound off.

## When Not To Use
If the content is a static post or a caption, run Social Media Posts instead. If the idea only works with trending audio or a creator you have not agreed terms with, stop and ask your manager first; a script cannot fix a rights problem.

## Inputs
- The one point the video makes, and who it is for
- What you can really film: product, place, people who agreed to appear, props
- Target length, platform, whether it is paid, gifted or incentivised, and the Brand Voice Guide if one exists
If you have none of this, I start from the one point and what is in front of your phone, and mark the output as a first draft.

## Approach
The structure follows the TikTok for Business creative advertising guide: open with energy or something unexpected, design vertical and mobile-first, carry the message in on-screen text and captions so it lands with sound off, and end on one clear takeaway or call to action. The judgment is in the proof: show the thing working instead of saying it works. The failure mode it prevents: four seconds of "Hi everyone, today we're going to..." while the viewer has already swiped.

## Workflow
1. Ask three questions: what is the one point, what can you actually film this afternoon, and how long should it run.
2. Write the hook for the opening seconds: movement, a surprising real detail, or the question the viewer already has. No greeting, no logo first.
3. Lay out four beats: hook, the one point, the proof shown on camera (not claimed in words), the takeaway or call to action. Fit each beat to the target length.
4. Build the shot list: shot number, vertical framing, what is on screen, who or what is filmed, location, prop. Only people who agreed appear.
5. Write on-screen text and a caption line for every spoken line, so the video works muted and for viewers who rely on captions.
6. Write edit notes for a phone editor: cut points, when each text appears and leaves, sound (licensed or platform-library audio only; you check the rights), and the cover frame.
7. Add "Ad" up front if paid, gifted or incentivised, and list every claim said or shown with its evidence or [evidence needed]. The post caption is one line; Social Media Posts writes the full version.

## Output Format
```markdown
# Short Video Script
Point: [one sentence] · Platform: [platform] · Length: [seconds, your target] · Ad label: [yes / no]
## Hook
[opening seconds: what we see, what the text says]
## Beats
| Beat | Spoken line | On-screen text | Seconds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook / Point / Proof / Takeaway | [line] | [text] | [your timing] |
## Shot list
| Shot | Framing | On screen | Who or what | Location | Prop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [1] | vertical [close / mid / wide] | [action] | [person who agreed / product] | [place] | [prop] |
## Edit notes
- Cuts: [points] · Text timing: [notes] · Sound: [licensed source, rights checked by you] · Cover frame: [shot]
## Claim list
- [claim said or shown]: [evidence held / evidence needed] · [source]
## Decision
[Approver name] signs off the script and the people on camera by [date]; [owner] films by [date].
```

## Done When
- The hook lands in the opening seconds with no greeting
- Every spoken line has matching on-screen text or captions
- The proof beat shows something real on camera
- Everyone filmed has agreed, and the audio source is one the user has checked

## Quality Bar
- Nobody is scripted into saying something they did not choose to say.
- One point per video; a second point is a second video.
- The "Ad" label is flagged, never judged sufficient; check with a qualified adviser.
- The video shows what is real; Claude never scripts a fake customer reaction, review or result.

## Next
Run gmkt-email-newsletter (Email Newsletter) to carry the idea into email.

## About the makers

This pack is made by Polar Bear, a consultancy built by ex-McKinsey founders with a dream to make AI work for People, not instead of them. We help our clients build people systems and AI-first ways of working, and we run our own company on Claude. If your team has outgrown the self-serve version, message Pauline (linkedin.com/in/paulinebertry).