Formats · Length 30-90s · 9:16 or 16:9 · intermediate
Testimonial video: how to shoot, edit, and prompt it
A testimonial is a customer describing a specific before, after, and result in their own words, cut so the strongest line comes first.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24
- Platforms
- TikTok, Reels, YouTube, LinkedIn, landing pages
- Length
- 30-90s
- Aspect
- 9:16 or 16:9
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Gear
- phone, tripod, a customer, a quiet room
"It's great" is useless. "We went from 6 hours to 40 minutes" is the video.
At a glance
| Best for | Landing pages, ads, sales decks, case studies |
| Hook style | The most specific result, spoken |
| Pacing | Calm, 8-12 seconds per point |
| Caption style | Phrase captions, name and role lower third |
| Music | Soft, no vocals |
| Shot list | Interview framing, slightly off-axis. B-roll of them using the product. Their workspace. The product screen. |
| Common mistakes | Vague praise. Interview questions left in. 90 seconds of one face. |
Structure
- 0-4s: the specific result
- 4-15s: who they are and the before
- 15-50s: what changed, 2-3 points with b-roll
- 50-70s: the result again, with proof on screen
- 70-80s: who they'd recommend it to
How to shoot it
- Ask questions that force specifics. "What did Tuesday look like before?"
- Eye line just off the lens, you sitting next to the camera.
- Record 15-20 minutes to get 60 usable seconds.
- Shoot b-roll of them using the product after the interview.
- Get their name, role, and company for the lower third.
How to edit it
- Find the single most specific sentence. Open on it.
- Cut out every question. Answers stand alone.
- B-roll over every claim.
- Lower third for their first 4 seconds on screen.
- Show proof (a screen, a number) when they say it.
- Keep pauses that show thinking. Cut the ones that show searching.
Prompt it in Vyra
Cut this 18-minute interview into a 75-second testimonial. Open on the line about "six hours to forty minutes". Remove my questions, keep only her answers. Cover her mentions of "the dashboard" and "the team" with the matching b-roll. Add a lower third with her name and role at the first cut. Soft music under.
Make a 30-second vertical version with just the result and the recommendation, phrase captions.
Variations
- Quote card, 15 seconds, one quote, big text.
- Case study, testimonial plus a numbers section.
- Three customers on one theme, cross-cut.
FAQ
How long should the interview be? 15-20 minutes. The specifics show up after the first five, once they relax.
Can Vyra remove my questions? Yes. It transcribes both voices, so ask it to keep only the customer's answers.
Do testimonials need b-roll? Over 30 seconds, yes. One face for 90 seconds reads as low effort.