TikTok and Shorts Script Template

Fifteen seconds in four parts: a hook, a body, a payoff and a loop back to the start. Filled in with a real example, then blank for your idea.

Use this template
  • FitsA clip of 8 to 30 seconds
  • IncludesFilled example and blank
  • CostFree to copy

Updated

A vertical clip of a golden retriever puppy running toward the camera through tall yellow sunflowers
A vertical clip of a paper boat floating away down a rain-filled gutter on a city street at dusk
A vertical cartoon clip of a cat in a tiny chef hat flipping a pancake in a sunny kitchen

Vertical clips made in Ziztu from one-sentence prompts.

The template

The example is a 15 second puppy clip. Short vertical video lives on its first two seconds and its last one, so the template spends most of its words there.

TikTok and Shorts script

Sunflower sprint, 15 secondsYour title here

Clip card

Settle these before you plan a shot.

Idea
A golden retriever puppy sprints through a sunflower field to the camera.
Length and shape
15 seconds, vertical 9:16
Feeling
Joyful and fast
Sound
An upbeat track and a few happy barks
Caption
He has been waiting all week for this

Four beats

The hook is two seconds. The payoff is close to the end. The loop makes the end flow into the start.

FrameBeatTimeWhat we seeOn screen
A vertical clip of a golden retriever puppy running toward the camera through tall yellow sunflowersHook0:00 to 0:02A puppy at the edge of a sunflower field, ears up, about to run.Wait for it
Body0:02 to 0:10He sprints toward the camera through tall yellow flowers, tongue out.No brakes
Payoff0:10 to 0:13He jumps and the camera catches him in the air, petals flying.Max speed
Loop0:13 to 0:15He lands and trots back to the starting spot, ears up again.Again?

Check the clip

Three checks before you post.

  1. 1A hook in two secondsThe puppy is about to run: the viewer waits for it.
  2. 2One idea, one placeA puppy, a sunflower field, one run.
  3. 3It can loopThe last frame matches the first.

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

    Write the idea in one sentence

    If you cannot say the clip in one sentence, split it into two clips. Add one feeling and the sound.

  2. 02

    Plan four beats

    Write one picture for the hook, the body, the payoff and the loop, and a few words of text for each.

  3. 03

    Check the first two seconds and the last

    The hook must make people stay. The last frame should match the first so the clip can loop.

What makes it work

Spend the words on the first two seconds

A clip that does not hold in two seconds is scrolled away. Show the action about to happen, not the build-up.

End where you began

A loop makes people watch twice without noticing. Match the last frame to the first.

Use big, short text

Two or three words per beat, in the middle of the frame, away from the buttons at the bottom and the side.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a TikTok script template?

It is a plan for a short vertical video: the idea, the length and the sound, and a few beats with a picture and a few words of text for each. A short clip needs very little script, but a plan stops it from drifting.

How long should a TikTok or YouTube Short script be?

Clips between 8 and 30 seconds usually have four beats and fewer than 40 spoken words. The example here is 15 seconds with no talking at all.

How do I write a hook for a short video?

Show the thing that is about to happen, or ask the question the video answers, in the first two seconds. Avoid a slow intro, a logo or a greeting.

Does it work for Reels too?

Yes. TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels all use a vertical 9:16 frame and reward a strong first two seconds, so one plan fits all three.

Can I make the clip with AI?

Yes. Press Use this template to open the idea box with the clip written out, or try the AI shorts generator for one 5 second clip. In Ziztu Studio you can chain shots into a longer video.

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 red fox leaping over bright white snow under a pale-blue skyAI Shorts GeneratorOne line of text in, one 5 second vertical clip out, ready for Shorts, TikTok or Reels.A golden retriever puppy tumbling through bright autumn leavesAI TikTok Video GeneratorDescribe a moment and get a 5 second vertical clip made for TikTok, with sound from the model.A creator laughing in a vertical phone frame with timeline markers, pink and cyanTikTok Script GeneratorType your video idea. This TikTok script generator writes a hook for the first three seconds, what to say, what to film, the words on screen and a caption.An illustrated white lighthouse on a green cliff above a turquoise seaAI YouTube Shorts GeneratorDraw vertical scenes for your Short here. For the full narrated Short, with voice and captions, use the AI Story Video Generator.A red play button with script pages and a small microphone on a yellow backgroundYouTube Script GeneratorType your video idea. This YouTube script generator writes three title ideas, a hook, sections with what to say and what to show, and an outro that pays off the hook.

Turn the template into a scene you can watch.

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

Try it free