Prompts

Talking head with b-roll video rough cut prompts

These prompts cut raw footage into a talking head with b-roll video (45-120s, 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: Talking head with b-roll video
Step: Rough cut
Length: 45-120s
Aspect: 9:16 or 16:9
Platforms: TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube

Real examples from @sulansart

At a glance


Target length	45-120s
Beat order	0-3s: hook over the best b-roll clip; 3-10s: cut to face, who you are and why this; 10-70s: face and b-roll alternate on every new noun; 70-85s: the payoff on your face, no b-roll; 85-90s: one last b-roll shot or a still
Pacing	Face 4-8 seconds, b-roll 2-4 seconds, repeat
Hook	Your claim, spoken over your best b-roll shot
Avoid	B-roll that doesn't match the words; Cutting away mid-word; Face gone for more than 6 seconds

Prompt it in Vyra

Minimal:

Make a 120-second talking head with b-roll video from these clips. Best takes only.

Standard:

Cut my clips into a 120-second talking head with b-roll video for TikTok. Follow this order.
- 0-3s: hook over the best b-roll clip
- 3-10s: cut to face, who you are and why this
- 10-70s: face and b-roll alternate on every new noun
- 70-85s: the payoff on your face, no b-roll
- 85-90s: one last b-roll shot or a still
Pacing: face 4-8 seconds, b-roll 2-4 seconds, repeat.
Keep the strongest clip or take for each part and cut the rest. No captions or music yet.

Full:

Cut my clips into a 120-second talking head with b-roll video for TikTok. Follow this order.
- 0-3s: hook over the best b-roll clip
- 3-10s: cut to face, who you are and why this
- 10-70s: face and b-roll alternate on every new noun
- 70-85s: the payoff on your face, no b-roll
- 85-90s: one last b-roll shot or a still
Pacing: face 4-8 seconds, b-roll 2-4 seconds, repeat.
Keep the strongest clip or take for each part and cut the rest. No captions or music yet.
Open with this. Your claim, spoken over your best b-roll shot.
Avoid these. B-roll that doesn't match the words. Cutting away mid-word. Face gone for more than 6 seconds.
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.
Talking head with b-roll videos usually run 45-120s on TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and YouTube.
The pacing line (face 4-8 seconds, b-roll 2-4 seconds, repeat) 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 90 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 3-10s 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 talking head with b-roll video be? Short versions run 45-120s. 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.