How-to guides for short-form video

Hooks, pacing, captions, framing, audio, music. Short guides with real numbers.

Short guides with real numbers, written from our own footage. Plan, film, edit, then grow. Each one ends with the prompt that does the same job in Vyra.

Plan · Film · Edit · Grow

Plan

How to write a hook for short-form video

A hook is the first 1.5 seconds. It works when something moves, you say one specific thing, and the text on screen says it a second way.

How to structure a storytelling video

Setup, tension, turn, payoff. Open on the problem, say what's at stake in one line, show the moment things changed, then the result. 45 to 90 seconds.

How to find your niche as a creator

Your niche is what you can make every week, what a specific group wants, and what you can say that they can't get elsewhere. You find it by posting ten videos.

How to build a video series that people come back for

A series is one premise, a numbered episode, the same opening every time, and a reason to watch the next one. It grows faster than one-off videos.

How to batch film a week of content in one session

Batch filming is shooting five to seven videos in one two or three hour block, then editing one a day. It's how I post daily without living in the studio.

Film

How to frame yourself for a talking head video

Lens at eye level, eyes on the upper third line, both shoulders in frame, a hand of headroom, and at least an arm's length between you and the wall.

How to light a talking head video at home

A window 45 degrees to one side, a white wall or matching lamp on the other, every other light off, and exposure locked on your face. Costs nothing.

How to record clean audio for video on a phone

Keep the mic within 30 cm of your mouth, record in a room with soft stuff in it, use a lav when you can't stay close, and always use a windscreen outside.

How to shoot b-roll that actually gets used

Shoot a wide, a medium, and a detail of every subject, one simple move per clip, at least 8 seconds each, in the same light as the main footage.

How to vlog properly

Shoot for the edit. Short talking clips, a wide of where you are, a close detail, a moving shot to the next place. Film 15 to 25 minutes for a 60 second vlog.

Edit

How to pace a short-form video

Pacing is how often the viewer gets something new. Go fast, then slow for the payoff, then fast to the end, with a visual change every 2 to 4 seconds.

How to choose captions for short-form video

Default to 3 to 5 word phrase captions in a bold sans-serif, lower-middle of the frame above the platform UI. Word-by-word only for fast, punchy delivery.

How to cut a talking head video so it feels crisp

Cut every pause over 0.3 seconds, every filler, every bad take. Then hide the jump cuts with punch-ins and b-roll, and leave a small breath before each idea.

How to make motion graphics for short-form video

Use a motion graphic only for a job the footage can't do. A big word for the key claim, a lower third for a name, a callout. Two or three per video.

How to choose music for a short-form video

Match tempo to the format, 90 to 110 BPM for vlogs and 120 to 140 for montages, keep music 6 to 10 dB under speech, and cut on beats when the music leads.

How to edit a short-form video for retention

Win the first 3 seconds, put a re-hook every 8 to 12 seconds, deliver something before the midpoint, and end on the last useful frame with no outro.

How to repurpose long-form video into shorts

Find a 20 to 60 second piece with a complete idea, reframe 16:9 to 9:16 around the speaker, add captions, and restore any missing context.