What you’ll make
A short shot list you can use to film one thing your product does.
Can you see what the preset changed?
An 18-second demo for a photography preset
Say you sell a photo preset called Soft Window. Show what one click does using the same photo and crop. Start with the original, apply the preset, then leave the finished photo up long enough to see what changed.
0–8 seconds
Show the photo and the click
- 0–3 sec. Show the original photo. The cup and its shadow are both in frame.
- 3–8 sec. Click Soft Window and let the viewer see the photo update.
8–18 seconds
Hold the result and show the next step
- 8–13 sec. Hold on the finished photo with the label ‘Soft Window applied.’
- 13–18 sec. Show ‘Soft Window’ and ‘See the preset pack.’
Before you start
- Pick where the clip will live. Write down the shape, length, and any space you need to leave around the edges.
- Record yourself doing one thing in the product with sample data you can show. Have your logo, font names, the link for the last card, and one video you like handy.
Pick one change to show
Decide what someone should see change and what they can do next. Grab a recording or describe what you can film, then write down the video’s shape and length.
Turn it into a timed shot list
Open a new Claude chat. Copy the prompt below, attach your recording or describe what you can capture, and send it. Use the suggested times as a starting point.
Plan one short product demo
Use the details I provide in this chat or in my attachments. Write one timed shot list for a product demo. Use the footage I attach or describe and identify any shot I still need to capture. Give each shot a start and end time, what to show, and the exact on-screen words. Keep the cuts continuous and give the visible result time to read. End with my chosen action. If you don’t know the runtime or what changes on screen, ask me before writing the list.
Save the cut you can film
Check that the shot list uses footage you have or can record. Mark missing clips, then save the list beside your video files.
I give Claude 18 seconds to show a photo before and after applying Soft Window.
I might get 0–3 seconds for the original, 3–8 for the click, 8–13 for the result, and 13–18 for “See the preset pack.”
Check the story with the sound off
Read the shot list or look at one still per shot in order. Change the crop or move time into the result shot if the change is hard to see.
- Point to the change the viewer can see.
- Add up the shot times and confirm the planned runtime.
- Read the closing action at the size the video will play.
Optional: Try a second opening
Keep the same final frame and swap the first two seconds. Watch both versions muted and keep the opening that makes the change easier to spot.
Give me two ways to tell this in a few seconds
Start with your raw capture and placement details to get two shot lists you can compare.
Help me storyboard a short demo of [product] for [audience]. It will appear on [placement] at [aspect ratio and runtime]. I want people to see [specific change] and then [closing action]. Here are my captures, brand assets, safe-area notes, and one pacing reference: [files or descriptions]. If I left a placement detail blank, call it out and give me a labeled working assumption. Give me two timed cuts, one that opens on the visible result and one that opens on the problem. For each shot, list start and end times, source file or capture needed, crop, visible action, exact words on screen, and how long the important detail stays readable. Keep the cuts continuous and end at my target runtime. Tell me which version reveals the product sooner and what I’d need to recapture. Stop at the shot lists so I can pick a cut.
Check the stills before I animate
Once you pick a cut, attach a still for each shot to find framing problems while they’re easy to fix.
Here’s my selected shot list, a still for each shot, and the size and safe area the clip will use: [inputs]. Review each still for the one thing the viewer should notice. Check that the important control or result is readable, captions clear the product UI, and the last card makes sense on its own. Give me a short review table with the shot time, what’s hard to see, and one exact crop or overlay change. If a still is missing or the size is unknown, name the frame or measurement I should supply. Save timing judgments for the rough cut.
Tell me what you can see in the rough cut
After the first export, share the clip or timed stills for a fix list you can recheck in the next export.
Here’s the first export or a frame strip with times: [file]. My approved shot list and playback size are [plan]. Check what a viewer can understand with the sound off. Tell me the first moment they can see what changed. Check the cut into that moment, whether they can read the result, and whether the final card stays up long enough to act on. Give me a prioritized list with time, issue, exact edit, and what to look for on the retest. If you only have stills or can’t play the file, tell me which checks I need to run during playback.
Optional worksheet: Product video worksheet
Fill this in as you go. Keep this page open while you work. Reloading it clears your answers.
Troubleshooting
Why does the product screen look soft?
Open the capture beside the export. If the export is zoomed way in, record the control at a larger size or grab a close-up to cut to. Zooming in on a tiny screenshot makes its blurry edges bigger too.
The demonstration feels rushed even though the runtime is right. What should I trim?
I’d trim a little off the intro and give those seconds to the result. Play the new cut muted and check that you can see the change before the final card appears.