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Start
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Basics
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Structure
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Content
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Beat Map
HOW ARE YOU STARTING?
This shapes everything that follows.
I HAVE AN IDEA OR SCRIPT
You'll paste or type your concept before we talk footage.
I ALREADY HAVE FOOTAGE
Tell me what happened. WritΩr maps the story from what you shot.
I HAVE SOME OF BOTH
Bring both. We'll connect them.
I HAVE FOOTAGE IN THE VAULT
Describe what you shot or browse VaultΩr clips. WritΩr builds the story from what already exists.
PROJECT BASICS
Name it. Define it. Two sentences max.
PICK YOUR STRUCTURE
This determines the beat map. You can change it later.
ROCK RICH EPISODE
7 beats. Gold Rush meets How the Universe Works. The land always fights back.
Retention mechanism
The environment as antagonist creates guaranteed tension. Viewers stay because they don't know if Jason wins — and Rock Rich doesn't always win.
SAVE THE CAT
15 beats. For Rock Rich Episodes and reality storytelling.
Retention mechanism
Emotional arcs and reversals keep viewers locked in — the All Is Lost moment is one of YouTube's strongest retention beats.
STORY CIRCLE
8 beats. Dan Harmon's structure. Fast, clean.
Retention mechanism
The need established at beat 2 creates a loop that only closes at beat 8 — viewers subconsciously stay to see it close.
VSL ARC
7 beats. For sales and community videos. Hook to CTA.
Retention mechanism
Agitation raises emotional stakes before the solution — viewers need to hear the offer to resolve the tension.
FREE FORM
No fixed structure. Claude identifies natural sections from footage.
Retention mechanism
Your natural energy and personality drive retention — best used when the content is inherently compelling.
NEW
THE CONFESSION ARC
Admit something uncomfortable, then reveal what you discovered.
Retention mechanism
Vulnerability creates immediate trust — viewers stay to see if you're for real.
NEW
BEFORE/AFTER BRIDGE
The painful before, the exact moment of change, the bridge, and how they can cross it.
Retention mechanism
Viewers stay to see if the "after" is real.
NEW
THE MYTH BUSTER
State the common belief, dismantle it piece by piece, reveal the truth.
Retention mechanism
Creates cognitive dissonance — viewers MUST stay to resolve it.
NEW
DOCUMENTARY ARC
Follow the problem in real time — unresolved tension keeps viewers watching.
Retention mechanism
Viewers need to see what happens — same as a thriller.
NEW
TUTORIAL WITH STAKES
A how-to elevated into a story by showing what could go wrong.
Retention mechanism
Stakes turn a tutorial into a story — viewers care about the outcome.
NEW
THE EXPLAINER PYRAMID
Start with the shocking conclusion, build the case, return with new meaning.
Retention mechanism
Counterintuitive opening creates a "how did they get there?" loop.
NEW
THE HERO'S GAUNTLET
Three escalating obstacles create three retention peaks in one video.
Retention mechanism
Three-obstacle structure creates natural retention spikes throughout.
NEW
THE VIRALITY PYRAMID
Believable conflict + impossible goal + vulnerable honest pursuit = channel-defining video.
Retention mechanism
The goal is SO audacious viewers subscribe just to see if you pull it off.
NEW
THE PERMISSION STRUCTURE
Prove the thing they want is actually possible — then give them permission to want it.
Retention mechanism
Speaks directly to the viewer's internal objection — they stay because you're talking TO them.
NEW
THE DUAL TIMELINE
Non-linear storytelling — present and past intercut to create a puzzle viewers stay to solve.
Retention mechanism
Non-linear structure creates a puzzle — viewers stay to assemble the full picture.
SERIES
EPISODE ARC
Built for series. Every episode stands alone while advancing the season story.
Retention mechanism
Viewers in an ongoing story return at 3x the rate. The Seed beat creates the loop that brings them back.
SHORT FORM — TikTok / Reels / Shorts
3–7 beats. Each beat has a second-range duration target. Id8Ωr research shifts to scroll-stopping angles. WritΩr caps at 150–300 words.
SHORT
HOOK → TENSION → PAYOFF
3 beats. The simplest short-form structure. Every great reel follows this shape.
Beat timings
Hook: 0–3s · Tension: 3–45s · Payoff: 45–60s
SHORT
OPEN LOOP
4 beats. Ask an irresistible question early, tease the answer, deliver at the end.
Beat timings
Hook/Question: 0–3s · Build: 3–30s · False Reveal: 30–45s · Payoff: 45–60s
SHORT
PAS — PROBLEM / AGITATE / SOLVE
3 beats. Name the pain, make it urgent, deliver the solution.
Beat timings
Problem: 0–5s · Agitate: 5–40s · Solve: 40–60s
SHORT
BEFORE → BRIDGE → AFTER
3 beats. The transformation short. Painful before, specific bridge, clear after.
Beat timings
Before: 0–10s · Bridge: 10–45s · After: 45–60s
SHORT
LIST FORMAT
6 beats. Hook + 4 punchy points + CTA. Strongest point first.
Beat timings
Hook: 0–3s · Points 1–4: ~10s each · CTA: 55–60s
SHORT
HOT TAKE
4 beats. One bold contrarian claim, dismantled, backed up, challenged.
Beat timings
Claim: 0–3s · Dismantle: 3–25s · Evidence: 25–50s · Challenge: 50–60s
SHORT
SHORT TUTORIAL
4 beats. Result first, setup fast, steps clean, viewer application at the end.
Beat timings
Result: 0–5s · Why: 5–15s · Steps: 15–50s · Apply: 50–60s
YOUR CONTENT
YOUR BEAT MAP
Review the story structure. Each beat is a target — not a cage.
Beat maps only show for Save the Cat, Story Circle, and VSL Arc. Free Form skips this screen.