Short-form video script template for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
A short-form video script has five parts: the hook, the set-up, the meat, the payoff and the ending. Write each part as three lines: what the viewer sees, what they hear and what they read on screen. Copy the template below, fill it in, read it out loud against a timer, and film.
It works for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels, for talking-head videos, stories, tutorials and videos with no talking at all. Below the template you get the word budget for 15, 30 and 60-second videos, three filled-in examples and a six-point check to run before you press record.
The short-form video script template
This is laid out for a 60-second video. For shorter videos, use the timings in the next section.
VIDEO: [the idea in one line]
FOR: [who it is for, in a few words]
PLATFORM: [TikTok / Reels / Shorts] LENGTH: [15 / 30 / 60 s]
PROMISE: [what the viewer gets by the end, in one sentence]
1. HOOK (0 to 3 s, about 7 words)
See: [the first frame: what is in shot and what moves]
Hear: [your first line. No hello, no name.]
Read: [the text on screen. It must work with the sound off.]
2. SET-UP (3 to 8 s)
See: [where you are, what you are holding]
Hear: [why this matters, the problem, or where the story starts]
Read: [optional]
3. THE MEAT (8 to 45 s)
Beat A See: [ ] Hear: [ ] Read: [ ]
Beat B See: [ ] Hear: [ ] Read: [ ]
Beat C See: [ ] Hear: [ ] Read: [ ]
4. PAYOFF (45 to 55 s)
See: [the result, the reveal or the punchline in shot]
Hear: [the line that pays off the promise]
Read: [the result in a few words]
5. ENDING (55 to 60 s)
Hear: [one ask only: a question to answer in the comments,
"part 2 tomorrow", or a line that loops back to the start]
Read: [the same ask, short]
SHOTS: [one line per shot: framing, camera height, where you stand]
CAPTION: [first line repeats the promise]
How many words for a 15, 30 or 60-second script?
At a steady to-camera pace of 150 words per minute you say about 2.5 words a second. That gives each part of the script a word budget. The split below is a starting point that keeps the hook short and gives the payoff room to land, not a platform rule.
| Part | 15-second video | 30-second video | 60-second video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 2 s, 5 words | 3 s, 7 words | 3 s, 7 words |
| Set-up | 2 s, 5 words | 4 s, 10 words | 5 s, 12 words |
| The meat | 7 s, 17 words | 16 s, 40 words | 37 s, 92 words |
| Payoff | 3 s, 7 words | 5 s, 12 words | 10 s, 25 words |
| Ending | 1 s, 2 words | 2 s, 5 words | 5 s, 12 words |
| Total | 36 words | 74 words | 148 words |
Everyone talks at a different speed. Paste your script into the free script timer to get the exact read time and word budget at your own pace, and see how many words fit in a 60-second video for the sources behind these numbers.
How to write a TikTok script, part by part
1. The hook: stop the right person
The first one to three seconds decide whether anyone sees the rest. TikTok tells advertisers to "introduce your content proposition in the first 3 seconds" (TikTok creative best practices), and the same thumbs judge every other video. Start on the point, never on hello. Make the first frame, the first line and the text on screen all make the same promise. Stuck for one? Pick from these eight hook formulas with examples.
2. The set-up: one reason to stay
One sentence that tells the viewer why this is worth their next 50 seconds: the problem, the stakes, or where the story starts. If the hook already did that, cut the set-up and go straight to the meat.
3. The meat: three beats, one point each
Split the middle into beats, and give each beat one point and one new thing to look at. A new shot, a new angle or a new object in hand every few seconds gives the eye a reason to stay. Three beats fit a 30 to 60-second video. For 15 seconds, use one.
4. The payoff: deliver what the hook promised
Show the result, the reveal or the punchline in shot, and say it plainly. If the hook promised "£40 a week", the payoff shows the £40. A video that never pays off its hook gets the stop but loses the watch, and the comments will say so.
5. The ending: one ask, then stop
Give one clear ask: a question people want to answer, a reason to follow for part two, or a last line that runs straight back into the first so the video loops. One ask beats three. Then end the video. No "thanks for watching".
Three filled-in script examples
Example 1: a quick tip, talking head, 30 seconds
| Part | See | Hear | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | Close-up, face half in shadow | "Your videos look dark because of where you stand." | Why your videos look dark |
| Set-up | Step back, the window is behind you | "With the window behind you, your phone sets itself for the bright bit and your face goes dark." | Window behind you = dark face |
| Meat | Turn round so you face the window; the face lights up | "Turn round. Face the window. Same phone, same room, nothing to buy." | Face the window |
| Payoff | Split screen: before and after | "That's the difference. Ten seconds and one step." | Before / after |
| Ending | Back to close-up | "Which room do you film in? Tell me and I'll tell you where to stand." | Where do you film? |
Example 2: a story with B-roll, 60 seconds
| Part | See | Hear | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | You, mid-walk, holding a gym bag | "I quit the gym after one week. This got me back." | Quit after 1 week |
| Set-up | B-roll: the bag in the corner, gathering dust | "I'd bought the membership, the trainers, the lot. By Friday I'd stopped going." | |
| Meat, beat A | To camera, sat on the stairs | "It wasn't motivation. I just never knew what to do when I walked in." | The real reason |
| Meat, beat B | B-roll: writing three exercises on a note | "So I wrote three exercises on a note the night before. That's it." | 3 exercises, written down |
| Meat, beat C | B-roll: the note on the gym floor next to a dumbbell | "Walk in, do the note, walk out. No standing around." | |
| Payoff | A wall of notes, weeks of them | "That was eleven weeks ago. These are all the notes." | 11 weeks |
| Ending | To camera | "What's on your note tomorrow?" | What's on yours? |
Example 3: no talking, music and text, 15 seconds
| Part | See | Hear | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | A messy desk, hard cut on the first beat | Music starts | POV: it's Sunday night and Monday is coming |
| Meat | Fast cuts on the beat: clear the desk, wipe it, lay out tomorrow's three jobs | Music | 15 minutes. 3 jobs. |
| Payoff | The clean desk, lamp on, held for two seconds | Music drops | Monday, handled |
| Ending | Cut straight back to the messy desk so it loops | Music | Save this for Sunday |
The stories and numbers in these examples are made up to show the layout. Use your own.
Which script layout for which video format
| Format | How to fill the template |
|---|---|
| Talking head tip | Hear lines do the work. Use Read for the one phrase you want them to remember. Change the framing each beat. |
| Story time | Start mid-story in the hook. Cover the set-up with B-roll so it doesn't feel like a long intro. |
| Tutorial or how-to | One step per beat. Show the finished result in the hook, then build to it. |
| Skit | Write a Hear line for each character, and a See line for each switch of position or costume. The payoff is the punchline. |
| B-roll with voiceover | Write the Hear lines first and record them, then plan one See shot for every sentence. |
| No talking (music and text) | Fill See and Read only. Cut each beat to the music. |
| Reaction | See is the clip and your face. Hear is your take, one beat per moment in the clip. |
Before you film: a six-point script check
- The hook starts on the point. No hello, no name, no "so today".
- The promise and the payoff match. Read the hook, then the payoff. The second must deliver the first.
- It reads in time. Read it out loud against a timer at the pace you will film at.
- It works on mute. Watch it in your head with the sound off. The See and Read lines alone should still make sense.
- Something new every few seconds. Every beat has its own shot, angle or object.
- It sounds like you. Say it out loud. Any line you trip over, or would never say to a mate, gets rewritten.
Script template or AI script generator?
A free TikTok script generator gives you words in seconds. The catch: anyone who types the same topic gets similar lines, and generated lines often don't sound like the person saying them. That shows on camera. Whatever you use, put the draft into this template, check the hook against the payoff, and rewrite every line into words you would actually say. The template is what turns a list of lines into a video you can film: what is in shot, what is on screen, and how long each part runs.
Questions
How long should a TikTok script be?
About 37 words for 15 seconds, 75 words for 30 seconds and 150 words for 60 seconds, at a steady speaking pace of 150 words per minute. Talk faster and you get more; leave room for pauses and reactions and you get fewer.
Do I need a script for short-form video?
Script the hook and the ending word for word, because timing matters most there. The middle can be bullet points if you sound more natural that way. Time a practice read either way: unscripted middles nearly always run long.
How do I script a video with no talking?
Use the same five parts and fill in only the See and Read lines: what is in shot, what moves, and the words on screen. Pick the music or sound before you film so you can cut each beat to it.
Can I use the same script on TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
Keep the middle and the payoff the same, and change the hook and the ending for each platform. A raw, fast open suits TikTok, a clean first frame that reads with the sound off suits Reels, and a clear promise of a payoff suits Shorts.
What is the difference between a script and a shot list?
The script is what the viewer sees, hears and reads, in order. The shot list is what you film: each shot's framing and where the camera goes. Write the script first, then turn its See lines into shots.
Related
- Short-form video hook formulas that work on TikTok, Reels and Shorts
Eight hook formulas with examples, the three layers every hook has, and how to check yours is working.
- How many words in a 60-second video script (and 15, 30, 90)?
Word counts for 15, 30, 60 and 90-second scripts at real speaking paces, and how to split them into beats.
- Hook and shot list generator for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
Type your topic and get eight hook options and a timed shot list with framing, word budgets and a CSV download.
- Script timer: how long will your video script take to say?
Paste a script and see how long it takes to say out loud, plus the word budget for 15, 30, 60 or 90 seconds.