Guides for solo creators

Practical, sourced guides on hooks, scripts, filming yourself and phone camera settings for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

• Short-form video hook formulas that work on TikTok, Reels and Shorts

  Eight hook formulas with examples, the three layers every hook has, and how to check yours is working.

• How many words in a 60-second video script (and 15, 30, 90)?

  Word counts for 15, 30, 60 and 90-second scripts at real speaking paces, and how to split them into beats.

• How to film yourself alone with just your phone

  Where to put the phone, the light and yourself, plus a shooting order that saves you running back and forth to the tripod.

• The best phone camera settings for TikTok, Reels and Shorts in the UK

  Resolution, frame rate, stopping flicker under UK lights, and locking focus, exposure and white balance on iPhone and Android.

• Content ideas when you don't have a niche: make yourself the niche

  Five places to mine ideas from your own life, 30 prompts that work for TikTok and Reels, and a test for which to film.

See also our free tools.