Trend Reels

Plan a vertical video reel from idea to upload. Drop in your topic and target length (15s, 30s, 60s, 90s), and the planner outputs a beat-by-beat shot list with timing for hook, payoff, and CTA. The hook lives in the first 1.5 seconds; if you don't earn the next swipe by then, nothing else matters.

The planner's defaults assume the format conventions that work for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts: 9:16 vertical, captions burned in (most people watch muted), faces in the upper third (UI overlays cover the bottom), pacing under 3 seconds per cut for short formats.

The actual shooting and editing is on you. The planner gives you the structure so you don't waste an hour of recording on a video that has no hook. Storyboard discipline at the planning stage saves more time than any editing trick later.

The beat structure for a 30-second reel: 0-1.5s hook (grab attention with movement, a question, or a pattern interrupt). 1.5-5s context (one sentence on what the video is about). 5-22s body (the actual content — 3-5 quick beats, each cut at 2-4 seconds). 22-27s payoff (the punchline, reveal, or main takeaway). 27-30s CTA or loop seed (something that pushes a follow, comment, or rewatch). Adjust the proportions for length: 15s reels compress everything to 1s hook, 1s context, 10s body, 2s payoff, 1s CTA. 60-90s reels can spend more on the body but the hook stays under 2s regardless.

Worked example: planning a 30-second reel on 'three AI tools that actually work for writers.' Output: hook (0-1.5s) — 'These three AI tools changed how I write — last one will surprise you.' Cut to first tool (1.5-9s) — show usage, voiceover names benefit. Tool two (9-17s) — same structure. Tool three (17-25s) — the surprising one, more screen time. Payoff (25-28s) — 'The real trick: pick the one that fits your workflow, not the one with the most features.' CTA (28-30s) — 'Comment your stack and I'll suggest one.' Total runtime: 30 seconds. Each tool gets ~7 seconds — enough to show the tool, name the benefit, transition to the next. The structure forces ruthless cuts; you can't fit four tools, can't include disclaimers, can't pad the intro.

Where short-form video fails: trying to do too much. A 30-second reel can't 'cover' a topic; it can demonstrate one specific point about a topic. Treat each reel as a single insight that earns the watch. The hook tells the algorithm it earns shows; the payoff tells the viewer it earned the watch; the CTA gives a next action. Skip any of those and watch retention drops, which depresses reach. Common mistakes: opening with a logo (kills retention immediately), explaining context for too long (lose 30% of viewers per second past 3s), no payoff (viewers leave with nothing memorable). The planner forces these decisions before you shoot.