Hook (First 1–3 Seconds)

Hook

Watch as an animation →

In plain words

Stop the scroll with the first scene, so viewers don't drop off.

When to use it

The first cut of every short-form video and ad.

Example videos

Give me 15 mins, and I'll make your hooks impossible to skip — Explainer: See examples of hooks that stop the scroll and common mistakes in the first few seconds.
How to HOOK Your Viewer in 5 Seconds - Video Hook Strategy — Explainer: A summary, with examples, of hook types that grab viewers within the first 5 seconds.
I Tested 500 Meta Ads Using AI, Here Are The Best Hooks — AI: See which kinds of first scenes worked well in ad creatives made with AI.

In AI video, like this

Spend the most of your regeneration budget on the first cut. Don't start slowly with an establishing shot. Start in the middle of the action, with the result, or with a question, and show the hook caption from the very first frame.

One-click prompt

Start in the middle of the action with no slow intro: Shot 1 (0 to 1.5 seconds), a skateboard flies out of a bursting cardboard box toward the camera as a boy ducks, with a loud pop; hard cut to Shot 2, the same boy rolling away down a sunset street, laughing, 3 seconds. Leave the top third empty for a hook caption.

See it in real films and ads

Kallaway — Give me 15 mins, and I'll make your hooks impossible to skip

AI-made examples

Speel — I Tested 500 Meta Ads Using AI, Here Are The Best Hooks (content not checked firsthand)

Recommended for scenes like these

Techniques that pair well

← Title SequencePattern Interrupt →