Before I had a script template, I had a notes problem. I'd open a new document, dump everything I knew about the topic onto the page, and then try to turn it into a coherent video. The result was usually a video that covered too much, took too long to get to the point, and ended with something vague like "anyway, let me know what you think in the comments."
The template I use now has four parts. I've used it for YouTube videos, TikTok scripts, course module introductions, and product demos. The structure is the same every time. Only the content changes.
The Four Parts
Part 1: The Hook (5 seconds)
Your job in the first five seconds is to answer one question in the viewer's head: is this for me?
Not to be clever. Not to introduce yourself. Not to explain what the video will cover. Just give them a reason to stay.
The best hooks do one of three things: name the specific problem, make a claim that creates tension, or show something unexpected. Here are real examples of each:
Naming the problem: "If you've ever watched a video back and noticed your eyes moving while you're reading, I'm about to fix that." That's a hook for a teleprompter tutorial. It addresses the exact frustration before anything else.
Claim that creates tension: "I've used seven different teleprompter apps. One of them is actually good." Now you want to know which one. See the full comparison here.
Something unexpected: "I built this app because I was tired of retaking the same four-minute video segment eight times in a row." The specificity of "eight times" and "four minutes" makes it feel real, not constructed.
What not to do: "Hey guys, welcome back to the channel. Today we're going to be talking about..." This is the most common opening on YouTube and the easiest to skip. Don't start with a greeting. Start with the thing.
Part 2: The Problem (15 seconds)
The next 15 seconds earn the viewer's trust by proving you understand their situation. Not your solution yet — just the problem, described in enough detail that they nod along.
The trap here is describing the problem too broadly. "Making videos is hard" is not a problem. "Every time you look down at your notes, the take is over" is a problem. Specificity signals that you've been there, not just that you know the concept exists.
For course content, this section often looks like context-setting: what does the student already believe, and what assumption are we about to challenge? For product demos, it's the pain state: what is the user doing today that makes them frustrated enough to look for alternatives?
Fifteen seconds is deliberately short. Long problem sections feel like the video is stalling before getting to the useful part. Say what the problem is and move on.
Part 3: The Solution (the body of the video)
This is where most of your word count lives. For a 5-minute YouTube video, maybe 3.5 minutes. For a 60-second TikTok, maybe 40 seconds. The ratio holds regardless of length.
A few things I've learned about writing the solution section:
Structure it as a sequence, not a list. "There are five things you need to know" produces a worse video than "here's how this actually works, step by step." Lists feel like articles. Sequences feel like someone showing you something. Use sequence language: first, then, once you've done that, now, finally.
Anchor every abstract point with a specific example. If I say "position the text close to the lens" without showing or describing what that actually looks like, the instruction doesn't translate. The example isn't extra — it's where the understanding happens.
Don't over-explain things your audience already knows. A video for experienced creators about advanced teleprompter technique shouldn't spend 30 seconds explaining what a teleprompter is. Know what your audience brings to the video and start from there. For tips on writing scripts that feel natural when read aloud, see this piece on script writing for natural delivery.
Part 4: The CTA (10 seconds)
The last 10 seconds have one job: tell the viewer what to do next.
Not five options. One. Maybe two if they're complementary.
The mistake I see most often is ending a video by summarizing what you just covered. "So that's how you set up a teleprompter for better eye contact. I hope that was helpful!" That's an ending, not a CTA. An ending says you're done. A CTA says where to go.
A CTA for a tutorial: "If you want to try this with your next video, the beta is free to join and you can be recording with camera overlay today." Specific, actionable, low friction.
A CTA for a course module: "In the next module we're going to apply this framework to a real script you'll write from scratch. Have something open to write on." Creates anticipation for what's next and gives them something to do before they even click.
For YouTube specifically, the standard play is to end with a link to a related video. The algorithm rewards session time, and if you've given the viewer a reason to keep watching your content, pointing them toward the next video is the most valuable CTA you can make.
Why This Works Everywhere
The Hook-Problem-Solution-CTA structure isn't a YouTube thing or a TikTok thing. It's a communication structure that matches how humans process new information.
We need a reason to pay attention before we'll pay attention (Hook). We trust a teacher more when they demonstrate they understand our situation (Problem). We learn best when information is sequenced rather than dumped (Solution). And we need to be told what to do with new understanding, or we'll default to nothing (CTA).
The format scales because the human information processing system doesn't change based on platform. What changes is timing — a TikTok hook needs to work in 1-2 seconds, a YouTube hook has 5-7. A TikTok solution is one tight insight; a YouTube solution can be a multi-step walkthrough. But the bones are identical.
The Copy-Paste Template
[HOOK — 5 sec]
Start with the specific problem, a tension-creating claim, or something unexpected. No greeting, no intro, no "today we're going to." Just the thing.[PROBLEM — 15 sec]
Describe the problem with enough specificity to prove you've lived it. Use concrete details, not general frustration. End by implying the solution exists.[SOLUTION — body]
Structure: first... / then... / once you've done that... / now... / finally...
Each step: state it, show/describe an example, confirm the outcome.
Don't over-explain what they already know.
Match depth to audience experience level.[CTA — 10 sec]
One action. Two max. No summary. Tell them where to go or what to do. Make it easy and specific.
That's it. Paste it into your script doc, fill in each section, and you have a structure that works. The hard part — the thinking, the examples, the thing that makes the video worth watching — that's still on you. But at least the skeleton is sound.
