Micro Drama Series Bible Template

The one document that keeps ten episodes consistent: the premise, the cast, the rules of the world, the season map and the exact look of every character.

Use this template
  • FitsA series of 6 to 20 episodes
  • IncludesFilled example and blank
  • CostFree to copy

Updated

A cafe worker in a mustard apron looks over her shoulder at a man in a navy suit stepping out of a black car in a sunny city street
A cafe worker in a mustard apron holding two coffees on a city sidewalk as a tall man in a navy suit steps out of a black car behind her

Frames of the example series, Heir in Disguise, made in Ziztu.

The template

A series bible is written once and read before every episode. The example is a ten episode romance, Heir in Disguise. Switch to the blank version to write yours.

Series bible

Heir in DisguiseYour title here

Series card

The whole show in six lines.

Title
Heir in Disguise
Format
10 episodes, 60 to 90 seconds each, vertical live action
Genre and tone
Romance with a secret. Warm light, quick banter, one reveal in every episode.
Logline
The grandson of a coffee chain owner works the counter of one of its cafes under another name, and the strict new manager has no idea.
Promise
Every episode, someone is rude to the wrong person.
Ending
He is exposed in episode 9 and chooses to stay behind the counter in episode 10.

Cast

Three to five people. Each one has a trait the viewer can name and a want that gets in someone else's way.

  1. 1Theo Lang, the heirKind, funny and bad at lying. Wants to be liked for himself, not for his name.
  2. 2Priya Rao, the managerStrict, fast and quietly exhausted. Wants the cafe to pass its audit.
  3. 3Dana, the baristaSees through everyone and tells nobody. Wants a raise.
  4. 4Grandfather LangWarm on the phone, ruthless in a meeting. Sent Theo to the counter on purpose.

Look and sound

Decide once. Every episode repeats it, so the series feels like one show.

Light
Warm morning sun through the cafe window, soft shade on the street.
Color
Mustard, navy and cream. The black car is the only dark shape.
Camera
Close and level, handheld on the counter, locked off outside.
Sound
Espresso machine, street noise and a soft piano. No score in the reveals.

Rules of the world

Limits make a series cheaper to make and easier to follow.

  1. 1Two placesEvery scene is in the cafe or on the street outside it.
  2. 2The nameTheo's surname is never said on screen until episode 9.
  3. 3The carThe black car appears in every episode, always at the curb.

Season map

Four acts. Each act changes what the viewer knows.

ActEpisodesWhat changes
11 to 3Theo hides who he is. Priya decides to make him her project.
24 to 6They get close. A rival cafe owner starts to suspect him.
37 to 9The secret leaks. Theo learns the whole thing was his grandfather's plan.
410Theo chooses. The last scene is the counter, on an ordinary morning.

Look lock

One written description per character, pasted into every prompt so the face and clothes stay the same.

Theo
A man of about twenty-eight with short wavy brown hair, a friendly open face, brown eyes and a small scar on his chin, in a green barista apron over a white shirt, a pen behind his ear.
Priya
A woman in her early thirties with straight black hair in a sharp ponytail, dark eyes and a serious mouth, in a navy blazer over a cream shirt, a silver watch on her left wrist.

Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or any text editor. It is free to copy and use.

The fastest way to use it

On your own

  • Copy the template into a document and fill it in.
  • Find an image tool, a video tool and a voice tool, and move your work between them.
  • Keep the same faces, places and style yourself, shot after shot.

In Ziztu

  • The idea box opens with the example already written. Change the names and press go.
  • Studio plans the shot list, makes every shot and adds the music, in one place.
  • Character sheets keep the cast looking the same in every shot.
  • 40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.
Use this template

How to fill it in

  1. 01

    Fill in the series card

    Write the logline, the promise and the ending first. If you cannot say how it ends, the middle episodes will wander.

  2. 02

    Describe each person once

    Give every character a trait, a want and a written look. Keep the look to one sentence you can paste into any prompt.

  3. 03

    Set the rules, then the season map

    List the places and the facts that stay fixed, then plan four acts. Each act changes what the viewer knows.

What makes it work

A promise beats a plot

Viewers return for the same pleasure each episode. Write it as one sentence and check every episode keeps it.

Limit the places

Two or three locations make a series cheaper, faster to make and easier to keep consistent.

Write the ending now

You can change it later. Having one gives every episode a direction and every cliffhanger a reason.

More templates

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Frequently asked questions

What is a series bible?

A series bible is the reference document for a show: its premise, characters, rules, tone and season plan. Writers use it so every episode matches, and a production uses it to keep the look the same from the first episode to the last.

How long should a micro drama series bible be?

One to three pages is enough. The example here fits on about two. A short bible gets read before every episode, and a long one gets ignored.

What is a look lock?

A look lock is one written description of a character that you paste into every image or video prompt. Because the words never change, the character keeps the same face, hair and clothes across shots. Ziztu Studio does this for you with character sheets.

Do I need a series bible for a short series?

If the series has more than three episodes, yes. The bible costs an hour and saves you from rewriting scenes that contradict each other.

Is Heir in Disguise a real series?

It is a concept series made for this page. The frames are real outputs from Ziztu with invented people, and the bible is written the way you would write your own.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it as text, download it as a Markdown file or print it to PDF without an account.

Related tools

A woman in a red dress and a man in a navy suit mid-argument in a sunlit mansion hallAI Micro Drama GeneratorDescribe one scene and get a 5 second vertical drama clip with sound.A white screenplay page and a yellow pencil on a bright orange backgroundAI Script WriterType one idea and get a formatted script back: a scene, a short film, a comedy sketch or a 30-second ad.A six-panel storyboard sheet on a sky-blue backgroundAI Storyboard GeneratorDescribe one scene and get a six panel storyboard planned like a director would: a wide to open, an insert, a reverse angle and a close-up at the turn.
AI Screenwriting Software

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40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.

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