Prompts

Listicle talking head video rough cut prompts

These prompts cut raw footage into a listicle talking head video (45-90s, 5 beats in order), with the pacing and the usual mistakes written in.

By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24

Format: Listicle talking head video
Step: Rough cut
Length: 45-90s
Aspect: 9:16
Platforms: TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube

Real examples from @sulansart

At a glance


Target length	45-90s
Beat order	0-2s: number plus promise; 2-5s: why you'd know, one sentence; 5-65s: items, best one first, title card each; 65-75s: what they all have in common; 75-80s: ask which one they'd try
Pacing	8-15 seconds per item, hard cut between
Hook	The number and the promise, "5 apps that replaced my editor"
Avoid	Saving the best item for last; Uneven item lengths; Nothing marking the switch between items

Prompt it in Vyra

Minimal:

Make a 90-second listicle talking head video from these clips. Best takes only.

Standard:

Cut my clips into a 90-second listicle talking head video for TikTok. Follow this order.
- 0-2s: number plus promise
- 2-5s: why you'd know, one sentence
- 5-65s: items, best one first, title card each
- 65-75s: what they all have in common
- 75-80s: ask which one they'd try
Pacing: 8-15 seconds per item, hard cut between.
Keep the strongest clip or take for each part and cut the rest. No captions or music yet.

Full:

Cut my clips into a 90-second listicle talking head video for TikTok. Follow this order.
- 0-2s: number plus promise
- 2-5s: why you'd know, one sentence
- 5-65s: items, best one first, title card each
- 65-75s: what they all have in common
- 75-80s: ask which one they'd try
Pacing: 8-15 seconds per item, hard cut between.
Keep the strongest clip or take for each part and cut the rest. No captions or music yet.
Open with this. The number and the promise, "5 apps that replaced my editor"
Avoid these. Saving the best item for last. Uneven item lengths. Nothing marking the switch between items.
Export 9:16. When you're done, list what you cut with timestamps so I can check.

Why these settings

A numbered beat list gives the agent an order to follow. Leave it out and it picks one for you.
Listicle talking head videos usually run 45-90s on TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and YouTube.
The pacing line (8-15 seconds per item, hard cut between) sets how long each clip stays on screen.
The full prompt names the common mistakes up front, so you're less likely to see them in the first cut.
Asking for a list of cuts with timestamps makes the first pass quick to check.

Fixes

Too long. "Cut it to 70 seconds. Drop the weakest part first."
Parts out of order. "Follow the order from my first message exactly."
Wrong clip in a part. "For the 2-5s part, show me other clips I could use, with timestamps."
Something you wanted got cut. "Put back the part where [describe it]." It can find the moment from a description.

FAQ

How long should a listicle talking head video be? Short versions run 45-90s. Put the number in the first sentence of the prompt so the cut is built around it.

Do I need to trim my clips before uploading? No. Upload the raw clips. Vyra transcribes and describes every scene on upload, so it can find the part that fits each beat.