Short Form Video Brief

What This Skill Does

Writes a brief for a 15–60 second short-form video for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts — including hook, body structure, visual direction, and call to action, ready to hand to a creator or editor.

When To Use This Skill

• You need to create short-form video content and want a structured brief before filming or editing
• You want to repurpose a longer piece of content (documentary, interview, article) into a short-form clip
• You are briefing a social media manager, editor, or creator on a video you want made
• You want to build a library of short-form content from a single production

What You Need To Provide

Required: The subject or message of the video, the platform (TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts), the intended length (15, 30, or 60 seconds), the account type or brand.

Optional: Available footage or content to draw from (e.g., "we have interview footage of X"), tone (educational, entertaining, emotional, provocative, behind-the-scenes), target audience, any specific audio treatment (original audio, voiceover, trending sound), a call to action.

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Designs the video's structure around the platform's specific viewing behaviour: TikTok rewards immediate pattern interruption and authenticity; Reels rewards visual appeal and fast editing; Shorts rewards search-optimised clarity. The hook is written differently for each platform.
2. Breaks the video into timestamped segments: hook (0–3 seconds), body (3–45 seconds, depending on length), and close with CTA (last 3–5 seconds). Each segment gets specific direction — what to show, what to say, how long it lasts.
3. Adds practical production notes: whether the video can be made with existing footage or requires new filming, audio treatment recommendation, caption text for accessibility, and a suggested thumbnail or first-frame image

Output Format

Structured brief with: Platform and Length, Concept Overview (one paragraph), Timestamped Structure (second-by-second breakdown), Visual Direction (what is shown when), Audio Direction (voiceover, on-camera speech, music), Caption Text (for accessibility), and Thumbnail/First Frame Note. Total 400–600 words. Written for a creator, editor, or social media manager — no assumed knowledge of the underlying story required.

Quality Criteria

• [ ] Hook is written for the specific platform — not a generic "attention-grabbing" opener
• [ ] Timestamped structure accounts for the full specified runtime without padding
• [ ] Visual direction is specific — describes what appears on screen, not just "show relevant footage"
• [ ] Audio direction distinguishes between on-camera speech, voiceover, and music
• [ ] CTA is present in the final 5 seconds and specific
• [ ] Caption text is written for accessibility — complete and accurate, not "transcribed from audio"

Example

Input

Subject: A 30-second explainer about how festival submission fees work and why they're a significant barrier for first-time filmmakers Platform: TikTok Length: 30 seconds Account: Documentary filmmaker / film education account Tone: Educational, slightly sardonic — "things film school doesn't teach you" Footage: No existing footage — filming new content Audio: On-camera (talking head) CTA: Follow for more documentary filmmaking realities

Output

Short-Form Video Brief

Platform: TikTok Length: 30 seconds Format: On-camera talking head / creator-style Tone: Educational, sardonic — "things film school doesn't teach you"

Concept Overview

A first-person explainer revealing the hidden cost of the festival submission process: filmmakers can spend €500–1,000+ just applying to festivals before they've secured a single screening. The video positions this as one of the most overlooked financial realities in independent filmmaking.

Timestamped Structure

0:00–0:03 — HOOK On-camera direct address. Open with: "Nobody tells you that getting your film into festivals costs money before you've earned a single dollar from it." Deliver this fast, looking directly at camera. No smile, no preamble.

0:03–0:12 — CONTEXT Explain the economics quickly: "To submit to IDFA, Sundance, Tribeca, CPH:DOX, Sheffield, and Berlinale — that's around €500–€700 in submission fees. Before they've even watched it. Before you know if you're in." Use rapid-cut editing here — each festival name appears on screen as a text overlay as you say it.

0:12–0:22 — THE TWIST "And if you're a first-time filmmaker with no track record? Some festivals have early-deadline fees and late-deadline fees. The early deadline is cheaper — but it's also before your film is ready. So you wait. And pay more."

0:22–0:27 — THE REALITY "This is why you see crowdfunding campaigns that include a line item called 'festival fees.' It's not padding. It's real."

0:27–0:30 — CTA "Follow for more things documentary filmmaking doesn't warn you about." Pause before the final sentence — let the follow request land as a natural close, not a tagged-on request.

Visual Direction

• On-camera, medium shot, clean background (not a studio — a real workspace or home works better on TikTok)
• Text overlays for festival names and key figures (€500–€700)
• No B-roll required — talking head works for this subject
• Consistent, slightly flat lighting — creator aesthetic, not broadcast

Audio Direction

• On-camera audio only — no background music, no voiceover
• Natural room tone is fine; avoid noticeable echo
• Speaking pace: faster than normal — this is TikTok, not a lecture

Caption Text (Accessibility)

"Nobody tells you that getting your film into festivals costs money before you've earned anything from it. Submission fees for major festivals alone can reach €500–700. First-time filmmakers pay the same fees as established directors. And late-deadline fees are higher than early ones — but your film often isn't ready for the early deadline. Follow for more."

Thumbnail / First Frame

First frame: creator mid-sentence, eyes slightly wide, direct to camera. The expression of someone saying something they've been holding back. Do not use a smiling thumbnail for this type of content on TikTok.

Known Limitations

• This brief is optimised for a creator-style talking head format. If the content requires significant B-roll, graphics, or archival footage, a more detailed production brief is needed.
• Short-form video trends change faster than any other social media format. What works on TikTok in one quarter may perform differently six months later. This brief reflects current best practices, but platform behaviour should be monitored continuously.
• The brief assumes the creator has baseline video production experience. First-time creators will need additional guidance on filming, lighting, and editing that is beyond the scope of this skill.

Related Skills

• caption-writer
• carousel-script-writer
• thread-writer
• platform-strategy-brief