Guide
Checklist video format: five items, six seconds each
A checklist video lists five actions for one event with a date, such as a move, in the order the viewer will do them. Here is a 40-second structure, an example script and hook lines.
In short
- A checklist video lists five numbered actions for one event, such as a move, in the order the viewer does them.
- A checklist video works best at 35 to 45 seconds, with about 6 seconds for each item.
- Each item should be an action with a reason, like "book the parking bay", not a tip like "be organised".
- The video ends by asking viewers to save it for the day they need it.
- length of the example structure
- 40 s
- items of about 6 seconds each
- 5
- words in the example script
- 83
What is a checklist video?
A checklist video is a short talking-head video that lists the actions to take before, during or after one event.
- It usually runs 35 to 45 seconds, in vertical 9:16, with one person talking to the camera.
- It opens with the event and the number of items, for example: moving next week? Five checks.
- Each item is one action and one reason, numbered out loud, in about 6 seconds.
- The items run in date order, with the earliest deadline first and the last task on the day last.
- It ends by asking the viewer to save it, because people open a checklist again on the day.
Checklist or mistakes video?
| Checklist | Mistakes video | |
|---|---|---|
| Tells the viewer | What to do, in order | What to avoid |
| What the viewer does with it | Saves it and opens it on the day | Trusts your advice next time |
| Best for | People facing an event with a date | A general audience |
: Tells the viewer
- Checklist
- What to do, in order
- Mistakes video
- What to avoid
: What the viewer does with it
- Checklist
- Saves it and opens it on the day
- Mistakes video
- Trusts your advice next time
: Best for
- Checklist
- People facing an event with a date
- Mistakes video
- A general audience
Who should make checklist videos?
It works when customers face an event with a date, such as a move, a tax deadline, a wedding or a launch.
- Removal firms, travel agents, accountants, vets and wedding suppliers can make one for the event their customers are preparing for.
- Software companies can use it to walk new users through their first week.
- Creators who film videos for brands can use it too. A checklist is easy to film and useful on its own, so it needs no hard sell.
- People look for a list when they are nervous about an event, so a checklist reaches them at the right moment.
- A saved checklist keeps your name in their phone until the day itself.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How to structure a checklist video in 40 seconds
The example has a 4-second hook, five items of 6 seconds each and a 6-second close.
- Six seconds is about 13 words, which is enough for one action and one reason.
- If an item needs more time, split it into two items or give it its own video.
- Put the item with the longest lead time first, so the viewer can act on it today.
A checklist video in 40 seconds
Five items of 6 seconds each, in the order the viewer will do them.
Hook
0-4 s. The event and the number of items
Item 1
4-10 s. The one with the longest lead time
Item 2
10-16 s. One action and one reason
Item 3
16-22 s. The one people forget
Item 4
22-28 s. One action and one reason
Item 5
28-34 s. The last task on the day
Save reminder
34-40 s. Ask them to save it for the day
Example checklist video script
Here is an example script for a removal company. It is 83 words, which takes about 40 seconds to say out loud.
Example script: moving house next week
One line for each part of the structure above.
| Part | Time | What you say |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0-4 s | Moving next week? Five checks, in order. |
| Item 1 | 4-10 s | One. Book the parking bay for the van. Most councils need five working days. |
| Item 2 | 10-16 s | Two. Defrost the freezer two days before. A wet freezer in a van ruins boxes. |
| Item 3 | 16-22 s | Three. Photograph the back of the television before you unplug it. |
| Item 4 | 22-28 s | Four. Pack one box with a kettle, mugs, chargers and bedding. It travels in your car. |
| Item 5 | 28-34 s | Five. Read the meters on your way out, and photograph them. |
| Save reminder | 34-40 s | Save this now, and tick them off from Monday. |
Part: Hook
- Time
- 0-4 s
- What you say
- Moving next week? Five checks, in order.
Part: Item 1
- Time
- 4-10 s
- What you say
- One. Book the parking bay for the van. Most councils need five working days.
Part: Item 2
- Time
- 10-16 s
- What you say
- Two. Defrost the freezer two days before. A wet freezer in a van ruins boxes.
Part: Item 3
- Time
- 16-22 s
- What you say
- Three. Photograph the back of the television before you unplug it.
Part: Item 4
- Time
- 22-28 s
- What you say
- Four. Pack one box with a kettle, mugs, chargers and bedding. It travels in your car.
Part: Item 5
- Time
- 28-34 s
- What you say
- Five. Read the meters on your way out, and photograph them.
Part: Save reminder
- Time
- 34-40 s
- What you say
- Save this now, and tick them off from Monday.
Hook lines for a checklist video
The hook is your first sentence. It names the event and how many items are coming. Here are three the removal company could say, with your own event and number in place of theirs.
- Moving next week? Five checks, in order.
- This is the five-point checklist I give every customer before a move.
- Before you book the van, do these five things, in this order.
Where to put captions and b-roll
People read a checklist as much as they hear it, so the words on screen matter.
- Show each number on screen as you say it.
- Keep each item short enough to fit on two lines of captions.
- A caption style that puts a solid box or a tag behind the words keeps each item on one clean line.
- Use one b-roll clip per item, so the viewer can see the list moving on.
- Show the b-roll as a small card, so your face stays on screen.
Boxed caption styles for list items
Four caption styles that put a box behind the words. Tag and Bead set each line in a rounded pill. Filled puts the whole line in colour. Banner sets the words on a solid bar.
Tag
Bead
Filled
Banner
Common checklist video mistakes
Checklist videos fail when they list tips instead of actions. People agree with a tip and forget it, but they tick off an action.
- Tips are not items. "Be organised" is a tip, while "book the parking bay" is something the viewer can do.
- A list in random order is hard to follow. Sort the items by deadline.
- Ten items do not fit. Five items of 6 seconds each is the limit for 40 seconds.
- Forgetting to ask for the save loses the main benefit. Ask for it, and say when the viewer will need the list.
Checklist videos on Reels, TikTok and Shorts
It works best as a normal post on all three apps, where the goal is to get saved.
- Write the five items in the post caption too, so people who saved it can read the list on the day.
Where a checklist video works
| Platform | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | Put the event and the number of items in the headline on screen, so the cover explains the video. |
| TikTok | Use it the same way as on Reels, with the event and the number of items on screen. |
| YouTube Shorts | Use the same words in the title, such as moving checklist: 5 things to do. |
Platform: Instagram Reels
- How to use it
- Put the event and the number of items in the headline on screen, so the cover explains the video.
Platform: TikTok
- How to use it
- Use it the same way as on Reels, with the event and the number of items on screen.
Platform: YouTube Shorts
- How to use it
- Use the same words in the title, such as moving checklist: 5 things to do.
Making a checklist video in Cutroom
Cutroom edits the video for you. You say the list to the camera once, and get a finished vertical video back.
- You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Captions are timed to your voice and burned in. You can move them up or down and set their size with a slider.
- You highlight the sentence for each item, and a clip lands on those words. Put it on a small card so your face stays in the frame.
- You pick one of 40 caption styles, including boxed styles that suit a list.
- You get a 9:16 MP4. Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it.
Questions people ask
- How long should a checklist video be?
- 35 to 45 seconds. The example here runs 40 seconds: a 4-second hook, five items of 6 seconds and a 6-second close, in 83 words. A longer list works better as a written post.
- How many items should a checklist video have?
- Five. At 6 seconds each they fit in 40 seconds with a hook and a close. Three feel thin, and seven leave each item under 4 seconds, too short for an action and a reason.
- What is the difference between a checklist and a mistakes listicle?
- A checklist tells the viewer what to do, in order, and is made to be saved. A mistakes listicle tells them what to avoid and shows you know your subject. Use the checklist before an event with a date.
- Should I put the checklist in the post caption too?
- Yes. Write the five items as plain text under the video. It helps people who saved the post, tells the app what the video is about and suits viewers who prefer to read.
- Can Cutroom edit a checklist video?
- Yes. Say the list to the camera as one video of up to 3 minutes and upload it. Cutroom adds captions, puts your opening line on screen as a headline, drops a clip on each item you highlight, and exports a 9:16 MP4. Your first video is free.
- When is a checklist the wrong format?
- When you are selling a product directly, or the subject has no event or deadline. If there is no day the viewer will use the list, make a 3 mistakes video or a myth-bust instead.
Say the five items in order, once, and Cutroom puts them on screen. Your first video is free.