Content creation
Break down a short video that worked
You will have a beat-by-beat breakdown of one video and a draft outline for your own, using your own words.
Before you start
- One short video that performed well in your field
- Its transcript or captions
- An idea of your own
Why break one down
Strong videos follow a structure you can see once you slow them down. Learning the structure is allowed and useful. Copying the words, the footage or the voice is not.
Step 1: Mark the beats
- Watch it three times.
- Note the first line and what it promises.
- Note each change in topic, picture or pace and the time it happens.
- Note how it ends and what action it asks for.
Step 2: Summarise the structure
Prompt you can copy
Here is the transcript of a short video with my notes on timing. Describe its structure in five beats: hook, setup, main points, proof and ending. Give the approximate length of each. Do not quote it at length and do not judge why it went viral, because you cannot know. [paste transcript and notes]
Step 3: Outline yours
Write your own idea into the same five beats, in your own words, with your own examples and footage. Then follow the script and editing guides.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Copying wording, footage or sounds
- Guessing why something went viral
- Studying only one video
- Making your version a close copy
Final checklist
- I marked every beat
- My outline uses my own words and examples
- I did not reuse anyone’s footage or audio