video/skills/creative/short-form.md

Short-Form Video Pipeline (TikTok / Reels / Shorts)

Sources: TikTok Creator Portal, Instagram for Business blog, YouTube Shorts documentation, Hootsuite Social Trends Report 2025, OpusClip retention data 2025, Shortimize 35B Shorts analysis, PostPlanify safe zones 2026, Kreatli platform guides, TTS Vibes hook statistics

Quick Reference Card

ASPECT RATIO:     9:16 vertical (1080x1920)
SAFE ZONE:        900x1400px centered (universal cross-platform)
DURATION:         15s (highest completion) | 30s (best engagement) | 60s (most flexible)
HOOK:             First 1-2 seconds — visual or text pattern interrupt
CAPTIONS:         Mandatory (85% watch muted on mobile)
TEXT SIZE:         42px+ minimum, bold sans-serif
PACING:           Visual change every 1-3 seconds
TARGET LUFS:      -14 LUFS, true peak -1 dBTP
MUSIC:            120-140 BPM for energetic, 90-110 for explainers

Platform Safe Zones (1080x1920)

Platform	Safe Zone	Top Dead	Bottom Dead	Right Dead
TikTok	900x1492	108px	320px	120px
Instagram Reels	996x1400	210px	310px	84px
YouTube Shorts	984x1500	120px	300px	96px
Facebook Reels	1080x1520	100px	300px	60px

Universal safe zone: 900x1400px centered — works across all platforms.

Bottom dead zones are critical — platform UI (comments, share buttons, captions) covers the bottom 300-320px. Never put important content there.

Upload Specs

CODEC:       H.264 High Profile, Level 4.2
BITRATE:     8-15 Mbps VBR (below 5 Mbps triggers quality downgrade)
FORMAT:      .mp4 preferred
MAX SIZE:    500 MB (desktop), 287.6 MB (iOS), 72 MB (Android)

Duration Strategy

Duration	Avg Completion Rate	Best For
0-15s	92%	Single fact, quick tip, visual gag
16-30s	84%	One concept explained, before/after
31-60s	68%	Mini tutorial, step-by-step, story arc
60s+	48%	Deep explainer, only if retention structure is strong

Platform sweet spots:

• TikTok: 21-34 seconds for completion; 60-180s for maximum total watch time
• Reels: 15-30 seconds for viral reach; 60-90s for highest engagement
• Shorts: Bimodal — ~13 seconds OR full 60 seconds (Shortimize 35B views analysis)

Key formula: A 45s video with 70% completion (31.5s watch time) outperforms a 15s video with 40% completion (6s). Total watch time is what the algorithm rewards.

The 1-Second Hook

70%+ of TikTok users decide to scroll or stay within 3 seconds (average decision point: 1.7 seconds). The hook must be immediate.

3-Second Retention and Algorithmic Impact

3-Second Retention	Algorithmic Effect	View Multiplier
Below 60%	Minimal promotion	1.0x (baseline)
60-70%	Average distribution	1.6x
70-85%	Optimal reach	2.2x
85%+	Viral potential	2.8x

Retention Checkpoints

Timestamp	Target Retention
3 seconds	70%+
15 seconds	60%+
30 seconds	50%+

Hook Techniques

Technique	Example	When to Use
Bold text on screen	"STOP doing this..." (text appears frame 1)	Always — text hooks work even muted
Pattern interrupt	Unexpected visual, jump cut, color flash	Attention-grabbing
Question	"Why does X happen?" (text + voiceover)	Educational
Result first	Show the finished result, then explain how	Tutorial/how-to
Controversy	"Everyone gets this wrong"	Engagement bait

Hook Rules

1. Frame 1 must have visual interest — no blank intros, no logos, no "hey guys"
2. Text appears in the first 0.5 seconds — viewers scan text before listening
3. Voice starts immediately — no silent buildup
4. Movement in frame 1 — static opening frames get scrolled past

Pacing

Rule	Value	Why
Visual change frequency	Every 1-3 seconds	Mobile attention span
Cuts per minute	20-40	2-3x faster than long-form
Text on screen	2-4 seconds per text block	Fast reading pace
No static holds	Max 3 seconds	Anything longer feels frozen
Speed ramp	1.2-1.5x for setup, 1.0x for payoff	Compress boring parts

Impact of pacing on retention:

• Pattern interrupts every 2-4s: 58% average retention
• Static talking head (no interrupts): 41% average retention
• That's a 41% relative improvement from pacing alone

Script Word Counts

Duration	Word Count
15 seconds	35-40 words
30 seconds	70-80 words
60 seconds	125-150 words

Text & Captions

Mandatory Captions

80% of short-form viewers watch without sound (mid-2025 data). Videos with accurate captions average 12% higher retention. Captions are not optional.

Parameter	Value
Font size	42px+ at 1080p
Font weight	Bold
Font family	Sans-serif (Inter, Montserrat, Poppins)
Background	Semi-transparent black (75% opacity) or text stroke (3px)
Position	Center or lower-center, within safe zone
Max chars/line	30
Max lines	2
Word-by-word highlight	Recommended for engagement

On-Screen Text (Non-Caption)

• Position in the top 40% of the safe zone (above center)
• Bold, high contrast (white on dark or colored background box)
• 3-5 words maximum per text block
• Animate entrance (scale pop or fade, 0.2-0.3s)

Audio

Element	Level	Notes
Voiceover	-12 to -14 dB peak	Primary
Music	-22 to -26 dB	Lower than long-form — less room
SFX	-18 to -14 dB	Brief pops/whooshes only
Target LUFS	-14 LUFS	Same as long-form YouTube
True peak	-1 dBTP	TikTok/Instagram spec

Music Selection

• Energetic content: 120-140 BPM
• Explainer content: 90-110 BPM
• Match trending audio patterns — short-form audiences expect music-forward content
• Music should start immediately — no silent intro

Voiceover Pacing

• 180-200 WPM for short-form (faster than long-form's 150-160)
• Speak with energy and urgency
• No long pauses — dead air = scroll

Structure Templates

15-Second Quick Tip

[0-1s]   HOOK: Bold text + voice starts immediately
[1-3s]   CONTEXT: One sentence setup
[3-12s]  CONTENT: The tip/fact/technique (show, don't tell)
[12-15s] PAYOFF: Result or CTA text overlay

30-Second Explainer

[0-1s]   HOOK: Pattern interrupt or question
[1-5s]   PROBLEM: Why this matters
[5-22s]  SOLUTION: Step-by-step with visual changes every 2-3s
[22-28s] RESULT: Show the outcome
[28-30s] CTA: Follow/share/comment prompt

60-Second Mini Tutorial

[0-2s]   HOOK: Show finished result first
[2-8s]   SETUP: "Here's how to do X in Y steps"
[8-45s]  STEPS: 3-5 steps, ~8s each, visual change per step
[45-55s] RESULT: Before/after or final demo
[55-60s] CTA + LOOP: End connects back to start for replay

Applying to OpenMontage

When building short-form content:

1. Set output resolution to 1080x1920 (9:16) in the compose stage
2. Keep all text within 900x1400px safe zone — centered in frame
3. Captions are mandatory — use subtitle_gen with word-by-word timing
4. Hook in frame 1 — text overlay + voice starts immediately, no intro
5. Visual change every 1-3 seconds — use quick cuts, zooms, text pops
6. Voiceover at 180-200 WPM — faster than long-form
7. Music starts immediately — set music_gen to energetic BPM (110-140)
8. Target 15-30 seconds for maximum completion rate
9. Test on phone — view at actual mobile size before publishing