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Video tutorial script generator

Generates a scene-by-scene video tutorial script for a SaaS feature or workflow, with on-screen narration, action cues, timing estimates, and callout notes optimized for adult learners. Use when scripting product…

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Purpose

Turn a feature or workflow into a shoot-ready video tutorial script — with scene-by-scene narration, on-screen action cues, and timing — structured around how adult learners actually retain instructional video. Solves the gap between "I know the feature" and "I have a script a producer can record from today."

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks to:

  • Script a product tutorial or feature walkthrough video
  • Write narration for a screencast or how-to clip
  • Create an onboarding video that teaches a specific workflow
  • Produce a help-center video explaining how to complete a task
  • Turn documentation or release notes into a video script
  • Build a consistent tutorial script template across a video series

Inputs Required

Before starting, collect:

  • Feature or workflow: The specific thing the video teaches (e.g., "creating an automated approval rule")
  • Learner goal: The single outcome the viewer should be able to do after watching
  • Audience level: New user / existing user / admin — determines assumed prior knowledge
  • Target length: Desired runtime (default: 90–180 seconds if unspecified)
  • Brand voice: 2–4 adjectives describing narration tone (default: clear, warm, confident)
  • Key steps or clicks: The actual sequence of actions in the product (as many as they can provide)
  • Terminology rules: Preferred product terms, capitalization, or phrases to avoid

If the step sequence is incomplete, generate a logical flow and flag any assumed steps for the producer to verify.

Instructions

Step 1: Define the Learning Contract

Open by locking the single outcome and framing the video around it.

  • State the one job the viewer will be able to do after watching — no more than one.
  • Confirm the prerequisite state (what the viewer needs open or set up before starting).
  • If the feature involves more than one distinct outcome, recommend splitting into separate videos and script only the primary one.

Step 2: Structure the Script for Adult Learning

Build the script on four retention principles, applied in this order:

  • Relevance first: Open with the problem or payoff, not the interface. Adults engage when they know why it matters.
  • One idea per scene: Each scene teaches exactly one action or concept. No scene stacks two clicks that could confuse.
  • Show, then say: Narration describes what's happening on screen a half-beat behind the action, never ahead of it.
  • Chunk and signpost: Break the workflow into 3–6 named steps so the viewer always knows where they are.

Step 3: Write the Scene-by-Scene Script

Produce the script as a sequence of numbered scenes. Every scene contains:

  • Scene number and title: Short label for the step (e.g., "Scene 3 — Set the trigger condition")
  • On-screen action: What the viewer sees happening — clicks, screens, highlights, zooms
  • Narration: The exact spoken lines, written for the ear (short sentences, contractions, active voice)
  • On-screen text / callout: Any labels, key terms, or highlighted UI elements to superimpose
  • Timing estimate: Approximate seconds for the scene

Sequence the scenes in this arc:

  1. Hook (0:00–0:10): The problem or the promised result. One sentence.
  2. Context (optional, ≤10s): What they need ready before starting.
  3. Steps (the body): One scene per action, 3–6 scenes total.
  4. Confirmation: Show the successful end state so the viewer can verify they did it right.
  5. Close: One next action or related feature to explore. Keep it to a single line.

Step 4: Optimize the Narration

Refine every narration line against these rules:

  • Read at ~140–160 words per minute — check total word count against target runtime.
  • Replace passive constructions and jargon with plain, direct verbs.
  • Cut filler openers ("So," "Now," "As you can see") except where they aid pacing.
  • Use "you" throughout — the viewer is the actor, not the narrator.
  • Front-load each instruction with the verb ("Click Settings," not "You'll want to go ahead and click Settings").

Step 5: Add a Production Notes Block

Close with a short producer-facing block:

  • Total estimated runtime
  • Assumed steps flagged for verification (if any)
  • Suggested visual emphasis — where to zoom, highlight, or slow down
  • Accessibility note — reminder to caption and to ensure narration doesn't rely on color-only cues

Output Format

  • Structure: A numbered scene table or scene blocks, preceded by the learning contract and followed by production notes
  • Length: Narration total matched to target runtime (word count noted); full document typically 500–900 words
  • Format: Scene blocks — each with On-screen action / Narration / On-screen text / Timing — not continuous prose
  • Sections: Learning contract → Scene-by-scene script (Hook → Steps → Confirmation → Close) → Production notes
  • Tone: Narration is clear, warm, and direct — instructional without being condescending; production notes are terse and practical

Quality Checklist

Before delivering output, verify:

  • [ ] Exactly one learner outcome is stated in the learning contract
  • [ ] Each scene teaches only one action or concept (no stacked steps)
  • [ ] Narration word count matches the target runtime at ~150 wpm (state the count)
  • [ ] Every scene has on-screen action, narration, and a timing estimate
  • [ ] A confirmation scene shows the successful end state
  • [ ] Any assumed or invented steps are flagged in the production notes
  • [ ] Narration uses "you," active voice, and verb-first instructions throughout

Notes

  • The hook is where most tutorials fail — lead with the payoff, not "In this video we'll be looking at..."
  • If the workflow has more than six meaningful steps, it's usually two videos; recommend the split rather than cramming.
  • Narration written for the eye reads poorly aloud — always draft it to be spoken, then read it back at pace.
  • For a video series, reuse the same scene structure and close format so learners build a predictable rhythm across videos.

How to use this skill

This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.

Installing in Claude Code:

  • ~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)
  • <your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)

Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.

Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:

  1. Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
  2. Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits

For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills