StoryCraft · Omni-Video Framework
Omni-Video Framework
The anatomy of every video that ships through the Omni system — long-form, short-form, entertainment, documentary, and testimonial. Each format has a fixed skeleton: hook, story, proof, CTA. This doc gives you the shot list, gear settings, color recipe, pacing rules, and distribution plan for each one.
The Universal Omni-Video Skeleton
Every video, regardless of format, is built from the same five beats. The ratio between them is what changes by format.
| Beat | Long-form | Short-form | Testimonial | Documentary | Entertainment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0–15s | 0–3s | 0–5s (result stated) | 0–20s (question) | 0–2s (pattern break) |
| Setup / Context | 15–60s | skip | The problem | The world | Character intro |
| Body / Story | 60% of runtime | 3–20s | The turning point | Interviews + B-roll | Tension escalation |
| Proof / Payoff | Case, data, demo | Reveal | Named result + metric | Resolution / insight | Punchline |
| CTA | End card + mid-roll | Caption + comment prompt | Soft — brand mention | Subscribe / next episode | Follow for more |
Long-Form Video
YouTube evergreens, webinars, explainers, deep dives. Purpose: authority + search discovery + long dwell time. Runtime 6–20+ minutes.
Shot list & structure
Optimize for retention curve. Every 30–45s needs a visual or pacing change or the audience drops.
Shot List
- Cold open (0–15s) — biggest promise or a curiosity gap. NO logo bumper.
- Talking head A-cam — 50mm equivalent, eye-level, chest up, background 6ft+ behind.
- B-cam / wide — cut every 20–30s for movement.
- B-roll — one clip per key point. Product, process, or metaphor.
- Graphics / lower thirds — for stats, names, chapter titles.
- Screen recordings — for tutorials; zoom to focal element.
- End card (20s) — next video + subscribe.
Gear & Settings
- Resolution / fps — 4K 24fps (cinematic) or 4K 30fps (talky).
- Aspect — 16:9 (1920×1080 min).
- Shutter — 2× fps (1/50 at 24fps).
- Aperture — f/2.8–f/4 for A-cam, f/5.6 for B-roll.
- ISO — native (100–800 depending on body).
- Audio — lav OR shotgun 6" off frame. Record at –12dB peak.
- Light — key at 45°, fill at 1/2 power, hair/rim for separation.
Color / LUT Recipe
- Base LUT — neutral Rec.709 conversion of your log profile.
- Contrast — +8 to +12; crush blacks slightly.
- Saturation — +5; skin tones protected via HSL.
- Temperature — warm bias (+150K) for interviews.
- Grain — light 35mm grain overlay for cinematic feel.
Pacing / Edit Rules
- Cut on breath or thought change — never on dead air.
- Jump cut to compress ums, but preserve human rhythm.
- Chapter markers every 60–120s (YouTube retention lift).
- Music bed low (–24dB), duck under dialogue.
- Pattern interrupt every 30s: cut, zoom, graphic, or B-roll.
Thumbnail Rules
- One human face, one big emotion, one high-contrast object.
- Max 3 words of text, 60pt+ bold.
- Legible at 120×68 px (mobile feed size).
- Not the exact promise of the title — creates curiosity gap.
Distribution
- Primary — YouTube (SEO-driven title + description).
- Secondary — website resource page, sales enablement, email nurture.
- Cutdowns — 3–5 short-form clips per long-form asset.
Common Mistakes
Logo bumper up front
Kills retention in the first 5 seconds. Save branding for the end card.
Talking head for 8 minutes straight
No B-roll = no reason to keep watching. Break every 30s.
Weak thumbnail + strong title
Thumbnail does 80% of the click. Invest there.
CTA only at the very end
Most viewers leave before it. Plant a mid-roll ask too.
Short-Form / Reels / TikTok / Shorts
Vertical 9:16, 7–60 seconds. Purpose: reach, follower growth, top-of-funnel awareness. The algorithm rewards watch-through and rewatches.
Hook · Loop · Payoff
The first 3 seconds decide everything. The last frame decides if they rewatch.
Shot List
- Hook frame (0–1s) — visual pattern break OR bold on-screen text.
- Verbal hook (1–3s) — question, contrarian claim, or curiosity gap.
- Body (3–20s) — 3–5 tight cuts, each <3s.
- Payoff / reveal — the answer, transformation, or punchline.
- Loop close — final frame visually matches opening frame so it rewatches seamlessly.
Gear & Settings
- Aspect — 9:16 (1080×1920). Shoot vertical or crop with room.
- Resolution / fps — 1080p 30fps or 60fps (for slow-mo cuts).
- Safe zones — keep text and faces inside center 80% (top/bottom get UI overlays).
- Audio — phone lav or Rode Wireless Go. Music from platform library for algorithmic boost.
- Captions — burned in. 85% watch muted.
Color / Filter Recipe
- Base — bright, punchy, phone-native look.
- Contrast — +15 to +20 (feed-stopping).
- Saturation — +10 to +15.
- Sharpen — moderate; avoid halos.
- Filter preset — CapCut "Fresh," Instagram "Clarendon-lite," or a custom LUT tuned for skin.
Pacing Rules
- Cut every 1.5–3 seconds max.
- Add subtle zoom/pan on static shots to fake motion.
- Front-load payoff clues to keep watch time.
- End on a loop or a question in caption ("agree?").
Distribution
- Primary — TikTok + Instagram Reels + YouTube Shorts (post native to each).
- Secondary — Facebook Reels, LinkedIn (business-context edits).
- Cadence — 3–5x per week per platform to feed the algorithm.
Sound-On / Sound-Off Design
- Visual + captions must carry the story alone.
- Music/sfx should enhance, not deliver, information.
- Use trending sounds only when they fit — not for their own sake.
Common Mistakes
Horizontal video reposted vertical
Wastes 50% of the frame. Algorithm demotes it. Shoot native vertical.
No captions
Muted viewers scroll past. Burn them in.
Hook is a slow intro
"Hey guys, today we're going to talk about…" = dead. Skip to the promise.
Text in top/bottom 10%
Covered by platform UI. Keep it center-safe.
Entertainment-Style Video
Character-driven, comedic, or emotionally engaging content. Purpose: brand affinity and shareability. Sells nothing directly — earns attention that later assets convert.
Character · Tension · Payoff
Story rules the frame. Production polish is secondary to timing and delivery.
Structure
- Character intro — establish who and what they want in ≤3s.
- Tension / conflict — obstacle, misunderstanding, or setup.
- Escalation — 2–3 beats that raise stakes or absurdity.
- Payoff / punchline — visual reveal, twist, or callback.
- Button — one final reaction shot or tag.
Gear & Settings
- Same as short-form; skip cinema polish.
- Handheld / natural = feels less scripted.
- Two-shot + reaction cuts drive comedy timing.
- Music low, sfx accented (whoosh, ding, record scratch).
Trend-Jacking Rules
- Only jack a trend if it fits your character/voice.
- Use the trending sound; write your own visual/text.
- Post within 5–7 days of the trend peaking.
- Don't force a product mention — let it live in the caption.
Delivery Rules
- Deadpan > overacting.
- Cut on the beat of the joke, not after.
- Rewatch loop = watch-time compounding.
- Recurring character or bit builds an audience.
Common Mistakes
Sales pitch dressed as comedy
Audience smells it and swipes. Entertainment first, brand second.
Trend without a twist
Copying = invisible. Add your angle.
Joke too late
Payoff after 20s in a Reel = missed. Compress.
Documentary-Style Video
Interview + B-roll storytelling. Purpose: trust, depth, brand mythology. Works for founder stories, customer journeys, "behind the scenes."
Interview cinematography & story arc
Real moments beat scripted ones. Your job is to capture them and cut ruthlessly.
Interview Setup
- Framing — subject looks slightly off-camera; interviewer sits next to lens.
- Lens — 50mm or 85mm equivalent, f/2.0–f/2.8 for shallow depth.
- Lighting — soft key from window or diffused LED at 45°; negative fill for depth.
- Audio — lav on subject + boom overhead as backup. Record room tone 60s.
- Two cameras — A-cam medium close-up, B-cam wide or tight cutaway.
B-Roll Priorities
- Hands working / process shots.
- Environment establishing shots.
- Product or artifact close-ups.
- Ambient candid moments (no eye contact with camera).
- Slow motion for emotional beats (60–120fps).
Color / LUT Recipe
- Look — filmic, muted, slightly desaturated.
- Contrast — +5, lift shadows to 5–8 (matte look).
- Saturation — –5 to –10 overall; boost oranges/teals via HSL.
- Grain — moderate 16mm or 35mm overlay.
Edit / Pacing
- Let silence breathe. Reaction beats matter.
- Use natural sound (nat sound) between edits — no sterile cuts.
- Lower thirds on first appearance only.
- Score sparingly; music should serve emotion, not fill space.
Common Mistakes
Leading questions
You get soundbites, not stories. Ask open, then wait.
Wall-to-wall music
Kills authenticity. Let nat sound carry.
Over-directed subject
Stiff = untrustworthy. Warm them up off-camera first.
No B-roll plan
Talking head only = boring. Shoot 4× more B-roll than you think.
Testimonial Video
Customer speaks; brand listens. Purpose: proof, objection-crushing, conversion lift. This is the highest-ROI creative asset most brands underinvest in.
Problem · Turning point · Result
Structure the interview to yield this arc, then cut to it.
Question Framework
- Who — name, role, business.
- Before — what problem/frustration existed?
- Trigger — what made them look for a solution now?
- Objection — what almost stopped them from buying?
- Turning point — first "aha" moment with the product/service.
- Result — specific outcome, ideally with a number.
- Recommendation — who else should use this and why?
Shot List
- Talking head (interview A-cam).
- B-roll of them working / at their business.
- Product / service in use.
- Result visualization (screenshot, metric, before/after).
- Optional: happy customer / team candid.
On-Screen Trust Markers
- Lower third: full name, title, company, location.
- Metric callout when result is stated (animated number).
- Logo of their business (bottom corner).
- Runtime: 60–90s for social; 2–3 min for landing pages.
Delivery Recipe
- Open on the strongest result soundbite — not the problem.
- Then flash back to the problem/objection.
- Middle: journey + turning point.
- End: recommendation + brand tag.
Common Mistakes
Scripted testimonial
Reads fake. Interview conversationally, cut for tightness.
Vague result ("really helped us")
Push for a number. "3x leads in 60 days" > "helped us."
No objection addressed
Missing the "I almost didn't…" beat costs conversions.
Poor audio quality
Bad sound = untrusted. Never skip the lav.
Color / LUT Cheat Sheet by Format
| Format | Look | Contrast | Saturation | Grain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-form YouTube | Cinematic-natural | +8 to +12 | +5 | Light 35mm | Warm bias interviews |
| Short-form / Reels | Punchy phone-native | +15 to +20 | +10 to +15 | None | Sharpen +moderate |
| Entertainment | Match trend / raw | +10 | +8 | None | Timing > polish |
| Documentary | Filmic matte | +5, lifted blacks | −5 to −10 (HSL boost oranges/teals) | Moderate 16/35mm | Muted, emotional |
| Testimonial | Clean corporate-warm | +8 | 0 to +5 | None | Skin tones true |