Social Media Video — Start to Finish Walkthrough
Who this is for: Anyone who learns best from seeing a complete example. This page walks through every step of producing a 60-second TikTok / Reels / YouTube Shorts video in ACT3 AI — from the initial idea through publish.
The example video: "3 mistakes people make when starting a business — and how to avoid them" — a 60-second Listicle/Countdown for a creator in the entrepreneurship niche.
Step 0 — Start with the idea
Idea: "3 mistakes people make when starting a business"
Format check: Listicle. A list of 3 items with a consistent message and a completion loop (viewer wants to see all 3). Good fit for 60 seconds on TikTok and Reels.
Hook angle: Don't start with "Hey, I'm [name]." Start with the first mistake itself, presented as a statement the viewer either agrees with or challenges. "Most people think the hardest part of starting a business is the idea. It's not."
Target audience: Aspiring entrepreneurs aged 22–35. Platform: TikTok and Instagram Reels (9:16 vertical).
Step 1 — Write the script
Open ACT3 AI. Create a new project: Social Video → 60-Second Listicle.
In the Script Editor, write the script. Target word count: 120–150 words (60 seconds of narration). Here is the complete script for this example:
[HOOK — 0:00–0:07]
NARRATOR (V.O.) Most people think the hardest part of starting a business is the idea. It's not. It's these three mistakes that kill most new businesses before they make a dollar.
[MISTAKE 1 — 0:07–0:22]
NARRATOR (V.O.) Mistake one: spending money before making money. New founders buy tools, build websites, and order business cards — before they have a single paying customer. Sell first. Build later.
[MISTAKE 2 — 0:22–0:37]
NARRATOR (V.O.) Mistake two: trying to solve a problem you don't have. The businesses that last solve a problem the founder has lived. If you've never felt the pain, you can't fix it.
[MISTAKE 3 — 0:37–0:52]
NARRATOR (V.O.) Mistake three: optimizing too early. Don't systemize a process until you've done it a hundred times by hand. Automation before understanding is just automating the wrong thing faster.
[CLOSE — 0:52–1:00]
NARRATOR (V.O.) Avoid these three mistakes. Everything else is figureoutable.
Total word count: ~140 words. Runtime: approximately 60 seconds at normal narration pace.
Step 2 — Set the project format and visual style
In Project Settings:
- Output format: Vertical 9:16 (1080×1920) — for TikTok and Reels
- Visual style: Cinematic Realism — clean, modern, relatable office/workspace aesthetic
- Color tone: Cool blue-gray with warm accent (professional but approachable)
Step 3 — Create the on-screen character
The narrator appears on screen as the host for this channel. In the Character Editor:
- Character: Young professional founder, early 30s, confident energy
- Voice: Azure Neural TTS — direct, measured, slightly fast pace (urgency fits the content)
- Wardrobe: Clean casual — T-shirt, no tie, modern background
Save the character. Lock their appearance so it stays consistent across this video and future videos in the series.
See How to Create a Digital Actor and How to Assign a Character Voice.
Step 4 — Create the sets
This 60-second video uses two sets:
Set 1 — Host presentation set A clean, styled workspace. Bookshelf in the background, natural light from camera-left. Minimal. Modern. Used for all talking-head shots where the host addresses the camera directly.
Set 2 — Context set Used for cutaway shots that illustrate each mistake. Scene 1 (spending money): a desk covered in receipts and equipment boxes. Scene 2 (wrong problem): someone working intensely at a whiteboard. Scene 3 (over-optimizing): a complex flowchart on a screen.
See How to Create a Set.
Step 5 — Build the scene and shot structure
This video has 4 Scenes (one per script section) inside 1 Act:
Scene 1 — Hook (0:00–0:07)
Set: Host presentation set Shots:
- Medium shot — host looks directly at camera, delivers hook line. 7 seconds.
Scene 2 — Mistakes 1, 2, and 3 (0:07–0:52)
Set: Alternating between host set (host address) and context set (cutaways) Shots: 2. Medium — host, "Mistake one:" 3 seconds 3. Insert — pile of receipts and equipment boxes (context set). 2 seconds 4. Medium — host, explanation of mistake 1. 10 seconds 5. Medium — host, "Mistake two:" 3 seconds 6. Medium — person at whiteboard (context set). 2 seconds 7. Medium — host, explanation of mistake 2. 10 seconds 8. Medium — host, "Mistake three:" 3 seconds 9. Medium — flowchart on screen (context set). 2 seconds 10. Medium — host, explanation of mistake 3. 10 seconds
Scene 3 — Close (0:52–1:00)
Set: Host presentation set Shots: 11. Medium — host, closing line. 8 seconds
Total: 1 Act, 4 Scenes, 11 Shots, ~60 seconds.
See How to Set Up a Shot.
Step 6 — Generate shots
Select all shots and click Generate All. For a 60-second video at Standard quality, generation takes approximately 10–20 minutes total.
While generating, you can write your next video or review other projects.
See How to Manage the Render Queue.
Step 7 — Review and iterate
Watch every shot. For each one, ask:
- Does it read clearly in the first half-second? (Vertical video moves fast)
- Is the host framing centered vertically for the 9:16 format?
- Does each cutaway shot match the mistake being described?
Regenerate any shot that doesn't work. The rest stay.
See How to Review and Approve Shots and How to Regenerate a Shot.
Step 8 — Review the assembled cut
Assemble shots in the Timeline Editor. Watch the complete 60-second video:
- Does the hook land in the first 3 seconds?
- Is the pacing fast enough? (For a listicle on TikTok, you want ~2–3 seconds per shot)
- Does it feel complete? Does the close land?
Trim shots or adjust timing in the timeline if needed.
Step 9 — Export
Export for platforms:
- TikTok: H.264 MP4, 1080×1920 (9:16), 30fps
- Instagram Reels: Same format
- YouTube Shorts: Same format
If cross-posting to YouTube long-form as a Short, no changes needed. The 9:16 file works natively on all three platforms.
See How to Export for Platforms and How to Export for Delivery.
Step 10 — Publish
Post on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts within the same 24-hour window for cross-platform reach.
Thumbnail / cover frame: In TikTok and Reels, select the frame of the host delivering the hook line (usually the first 2 seconds). Clear face, direct eye contact, readable energy. This is the frame shown in the feed before the viewer taps play.
Caption: Short, searchable, one CTA. Example: "These three mistakes kill most new businesses. Which one have you made? Let me know below."
Hashtags: 3–5 targeted hashtags (not 30 — the algorithm has changed; targeted beats spammy).
Total time breakdown
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Script writing | 15–30 minutes |
| Project setup and character creation | 15–20 minutes |
| Set creation | 10–15 minutes |
| Shot setup | 20–30 minutes |
| Generation | 10–20 minutes (unattended) |
| Review and iterate | 15–30 minutes |
| Export | 5 minutes |
| Total active time | 90–150 minutes |
First video takes longer. Once your character and sets are saved to your organization, a new episode of the same series takes 30–60 minutes of active time.
What's next
- Hooks and Storytelling — The principles behind this walkthrough
- Creating Short-Form Vertical Video — Deeper dive on format, framing, and pacing
- Building a Video Series for a Channel — Scaling this process to weekly output
- Creating a 3-Minute Social Video — When you need more room to develop the story