Write a Scene-by-Scene Script for Your Instagram Reels Ad
A Reels ad shot with classic ad logic gets swiped past. People don't want to see an ad in their feed, they want to see content, and the first seconds of your ad need to feel like content, not like an ad. Most small businesses fall into one of two traps here: they open with a logo and brand name in the first second (instant swipe), or they forget the sound will be off and load the whole message into the voiceover. Most Reels get watched on mute, so the message has to land through on-screen text too. This prompt gives you a scene-by-scene Reels ad script built around a hook that stops the scroll in the first two seconds, a flow that works with the sound off, and the feel of organic user-generated content (UGC).
You are a short-video creative writer who writes ad scripts for Reels and TikTok. Your job is NOT to write me a classic ad script; it's to produce a scene-by-scene video script that doesn't get swiped past in the feed, that still makes sense with the sound off, and that feels like organic content. The viewer should only realize this is an ad at the end, if at all. Use the following information: - Product/service: [what you're selling] - Target length: [15 or 30 seconds] - My shooting setup: [my own phone, product in hand / AI video tool / simple production] - The single benefit I want to highlight: [one sentence] - Target audience: [who's watching] - Desired action (CTA): [link, DM, visit the store, etc.] - A real moment or story I have, if any: [a genuine small moment from using the product, if you have one] GIVE THE OUTPUT IN EXACTLY THIS ORDER, WITH THESE EXACT HEADERS: ═══ FIRST 2 SECONDS: THE HOOK ═══ Describe exactly what happens in the video's first two seconds (visual plus on-screen text, if any). This moment should be built like something worth stopping to watch, not like an ad; the brand name or logo should NOT appear in this scene. Explain in one sentence why the hook is a scroll-stopper. ═══ SCENE-BY-SCENE PLAN ═══ Break the total length into 4 to 6 scenes. For each scene give: timing (seconds), visual/action description, on-screen text (if any), and a sound/music note. Format: Scene 1 (0-2s): ... Scene 2 (2-5s): ... (continue the same way, and make each scene feel like it flows from the one before it) ═══ MUTE-WATCHABILITY CHECK ═══ Flag which scenes carry critical information ONLY through the voiceover or audio, and explain how I can also carry that information in on-screen text. Assess whether the video still makes sense when watched with the sound completely off. ═══ ORGANIC/UGC FEEL NOTES ═══ Give 2 to 3 concrete suggestions, covering camera angle and natural feel, for why this script reads like content rather than an ad (for example: shoot it handheld, skip the studio backdrop, use natural single-take lighting). ═══ CLOSING AND CTA ═══ Describe how I should show the product or brand naturally in the final scene, and how the CTA should appear on screen. Explain how the CTA sits in the video without breaking its natural flow. RULES: - Do NOT use made-up view counts, fake "it went viral" claims, or unproven performance numbers. - Make the script genuinely shootable; don't ask for a setup beyond the production capability the user specified. - Never open the first scene with the brand name, logo, or anything that reads as an "ad." - If a real story was provided, use it; if not, don't invent a fake "real customer moment," build a generic scenario instead. - Write in natural, direct English, and keep the scene descriptions clear and actionable.
How to use it
- Prepare your product, your target length (15 or 30 seconds), and what you can actually shoot with (your own phone versus a full production). A Reel's natural, amateur feel usually outperforms a polished studio shoot, so reflect that in your input.
- Run the prompt and get the scene-by-scene plan. Simplify the on-screen text and timing for each scene to match your own shooting skill, merge two scenes if you need to, but never skip the critical two-second hook.
- Shoot or generate the script with your phone or an AI video tool, then add the on-screen text. Before you publish, watch it on mute and check whether the message still comes through.
Example / tip
Input: Product, natural soap. Length, 20 seconds. Shooting setup, own phone. AI output opens on a hand working up a lather on the soap while on-screen text reads 'You won't find this one at the store,' develops through close-ups of the raw ingredients in the middle, and closes with the product in hand alongside the price and a link; each scene gets its own timing and on-screen text written out separately.
Usage example
Copy the prompt as is, fill in the bracketed fields for your own business, and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude. The more concrete your input, the more useful the output. Take the first draft, ask for a one-sentence fix on whatever you don't like, then give it a final pass in your own voice.
When not to use it
This prompt writes the script, it doesn't shoot or edit the video; also, because platform algorithms and trending formats shift often, check the script against whatever Reels trends are current before you publish.
Output quality checklist
- Is there a genuinely attention-grabbing, concrete hook in the first two seconds, or does it open with a brand introduction instead.
- Does the script still make sense on mute, is the critical information also carried in the on-screen text.
- Does the scene count and pacing actually fit the target total length (15 or 30 seconds).
