Nobody hits their retention numbers with a script that reads like a term paper. Below is a prompt that locks ChatGPT into a two-column video storyboard, visuals on one side, voiceover on the other, timed down to the second. Reddit user u/Dombherek built it as part of a bigger set of “architecture-grade” prompts and dropped this one free in r/PromptEngineering.
Why wall-of-text scripts kill retention
Ask ChatGPT for a “TikTok script” with no constraints and you get paragraphs. Nice sentences, zero direction. No cue for when the camera cuts, no note on what text overlay hits at second 4, no sense of pacing. An editor has to translate that prose into shots before they can even open their timeline. That translation step is where good scripts die.
What the prompt actually forces ChatGPT to do
This one skips the request for “a script” entirely and demands a production document instead. Three things make that happen:
- Role assignment: it casts the model as “an elite Short-Form Video Director and Direct-Response Copywriter,” not a generic assistant.
- A hard format lock: output must be a markdown table, column one for visual and audio cues, column two for the exact spoken words.
- Timing rules baked into the instructions: a hook in the first 3 seconds, a scene change every 2 to 3 seconds, and a fixed structure (hook, agitation, solution, soft CTA) mapped to exact seconds.
That last part matters more than it looks. Most people ask for “a short, punchy script.” This prompt says 0 to 3 seconds is the hook, 3 to 15 is the problem, 15 to 30 is the solution, 30 to 40 is the CTA. ChatGPT can’t wing pacing when the seconds are already assigned.
Why the technique works
The table isn’t decoration, it’s the actual trick. Forcing two columns means the model can’t blend “what the viewer sees” with “what the viewer hears” into one paragraph anymore. It has to think about them as separate tracks, which is exactly how a real production team works. Add the second-by-second structure on top and you’ve replaced a vague creative brief with something closer to a shot list. The original poster’s framing, “stop treating this like an essay, start treating it like a storyboard,” is the whole idea in one line.
Use cases 🎬
- Fast first drafts for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts ad scripts before a client call
- Repurposing a long YouTube video into three or four short clips with a template you can reuse per topic
- Handing new editors a script that already tells them where to cut, so pacing questions stop landing in your inbox
- Testing five hook variations for the same offer in minutes instead of writing each one from scratch
Prompt of the day
Act as an elite Short-Form Video Director and Direct-Response Copywriter.
Your task is to write a high-retention 30-40 second video script based on the TOPIC provided at the end.
STRICT FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
- Output MUST be formatted as a Markdown Table with two columns:
- [VISUAL & AUDIO CUES] (On-screen actions, text overlays, sound effects, B-roll directions)
- [SPOKEN SCRIPT / VOICEOVER] (Exact spoken words, formatted for natural pacing)
- Include a strong visual hook in the first 3 seconds.
- Every scene change must happen every 2-3 seconds to maintain retention.
STRUCTURE:
- 0-3s: Pattern Interrupt Hook (Visual + Verbal)
- 3-15s: Core Problem / Agitation
- 15-30s: Solution / Breakdown
- 30-40s: Soft CTA
TOPIC TO WRITE ABOUT: [INSERT YOUR TOPIC HERE, e.g., “How to organize Notion for productivity”]
Drop in your actual topic where the bracket sits and run it as is. The table format is doing the heavy lifting, so don’t loosen it.
Two tweaks worth testing
First, add a third column for “shot duration” if your editor works better with exact frame counts instead of a range. Second, paste in three lines about your brand voice before the topic so the spoken script column doesn’t sound like generic ad copy on every run. Neither change breaks the structure, they just tighten it for your specific channel.
The original poster built six more prompts in this same system, covering ad angles, landing page frameworks, and retention hooks, and mentioned taking requests in the comments for what to build next. Worth reading the full thread if structured prompting for content production is your thing, and worth trying this one on your next script before you write another paragraph by hand.
Architecture-Grade System Prompt: Enforcing a 2-Column Video Script Layout in ChatGPT
by u/Dombherek in PromptEngineering