Reference · Cheat Sheet

Short-Form Script Template

From Lessons 1011. One Reel = five lines. Fill each slot, read it top to bottom, and if it runs under 30 seconds you have a script.

The 5 lines

SlotIts one jobYour line
HookEarn the next second (frame 1).
ContextOne breath of setup — what broke. Keep it tiny.
ValueThe steps / the fix, shown on screen.
PayoffThe "aha" the hook promised, plainly.
CTAOne small ask — save / follow / comment.
Filled example · "Learn from me" bug Reel

Hook "This one line cost me 3 hours in production."

Context "My Node API kept serving stale data after every deploy."

Value Screen-record: no Cache-Control header → add Cache-Control: no-store → redeploy. Big text on each step.

Payoff "One header. Stale data gone. That was the whole bug."

CTA "Save this so it doesn't cost you 3 hours."

Retention checklist

Before you hit record, run the script past every line. Each unchecked box is a place viewers leave.

No intro. First frame is the hook — no "hey guys."
Context is one line. Setup shorter than the fix.
One open loop — a question raised early, answered at the payoff.
Beats joined by "but / therefore," not "and then… and then."
Promise delivered fast — value arrives in the first seconds.
Dead air cut — no pauses, "um," or slow zooms in the edit.
Exactly one CTA at the end.
Rule of thumb Every line has one job. If a line isn't a hook, a breath of context, value, the payoff, or the ask — cut it. The shortest script that delivers the promise wins the Stay signal.
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