On TikTok, Reels and Shorts a clip’s fate is decided before the viewer knows what it’s about. That’s a gift for AI video, because the models are good at exactly the kind of visual surprise a hook needs. These are the five hook shapes we build prompts around, with the timing line that makes each one work.
Key takeaways
- Open on the strangest frame, not the establishing shot.
- Put the reveal or the turn at 2–3 seconds, never later.
- Loop-friendly endings get replayed — and replays count as watch time.
1. The impossible object
Something physically wrong in a normal setting: a fridge the size of a house, a coin the size of a car. Timing: the object is already on screen at 0s; the human reaction lands at 2s.
2. The interrupted routine
A mundane action that goes wrong instantly. Timing: routine 0–1.5s, interruption 1.5–2.5s. The Overreaction Prank and Impossible Escape prompts in the catalog are built on this.
3. The whisper
A character speaking straight to camera, quietly, as if sharing a secret. Timing: eye contact at 0s, first line by 1s. Works best with a character sheet so the face is consistent across a series.
4. The transformation
One thing becomes another in a single continuous shot. Timing: start state 0–1s, morph 1–3s, end state held to the loop point. See the Impossible Transformation prompt.
5. The loop
A clip whose last frame matches its first, so it replays without a seam. Timing: plan the end state first, then write the action backwards from it.
Prompting for the hook
Put the hook in the Action line and force it with the Timing line: ‘reveal at 2s’ is an instruction the model will follow. Keep the Camera line simple — a static or slow push works better for hooks than anything fancy, because the surprise should come from the subject, not the camera.