Prompt Library
5 visual hooks that stop the scroll
Pick a hook type. Copy the prompt.
Text and graphic overlays
Big words or shapes on screen in the first second tell viewers what they are about to get.
Write the first 3 seconds of a vertical video about [TOPIC]. Give me one on-screen text line (max 7 words) that makes a viewer need the answer, plus one simple graphic (arrow, circle, split screen or label) and where it sits in the frame. Give 5 options, ranked by curiosity.
Example ideas
- A bold question over the opening shot
- An arrow or circle on the one thing to look at
- A before and after split with labels
Pattern interrupts
Something breaks what the viewer expects, so the scroll stops before the brain decides to skip.
Give me 5 pattern interrupt openings for a short video about [TOPIC]. Each one must break an expectation in the first second (sound, cut, framing or action). For each: the first frame, the surprise, and the line spoken right after it.
Example ideas
- A hard cut from calm to loud
- Starting mid-action, mid-sentence
- An object dropping into frame out of nowhere
Subject motion
The person or object moves toward the camera or across the frame, which pulls the eye in.
Generate a 4 second vertical clip: [SUBJECT] moves quickly toward the camera from mid distance, stopping in a close-up as the first word is spoken. Handheld feel, natural light, clean background, 9:16, no text.
Example ideas
- Walking straight into the lens while talking
- A product sliding or spinning into frame
- A whip pan that follows a hand
Visual effects
One clear effect in the opening, like a transition or a transformation, makes the first frame feel new.
Generate a 5 second vertical clip about [TOPIC]: start on [OBJECT A], then a smooth morph transforms it into [OBJECT B] at second 2, ending on a slow push-in. Cinematic light, 9:16, no text.
Example ideas
- A freeze frame with a zoom punch-in
- A morph from the old version to the new one
- A glitch or speed ramp on the key moment
Unusual visual choice
An odd setting, prop or angle makes people look twice before they know what the video is.
Give me 5 unusual visual setups for a short video about [TOPIC]. Each must be cheap to film or generate and still make sense with the message. For each: the location or prop, the camera angle, and why it makes someone look twice.
Example ideas
- Filming a money tip inside a fridge
- A top-down shot of a desk turned into a map
- A giant or tiny version of an everyday object
Where this comes from
The five hook types follow how Kallaway sorts visual hooks in Sandcastles Collections, a library of analyzed short-form videos. Explanations, ideas and prompts here are written by Starbelo.
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