Narration

• 2.5 words per second is natural speaking pace
• 15s = ~37 words. 30s = ~75 words. 60s = ~150 words
• Leave room for pauses. Silence between sentences is a feature, not dead air
• The script should feel SHORTER than the video — visual breathing room matters

Tone

Write like a person, not a brochure:

• Use contractions: “it’s”, “you’ll”, “that’s”, “we’ve”
• Vary sentence length — short punchy phrases mixed with longer flowing ones
• Read it out loud. If it sounds robotic, rewrite it
• Avoid jargon unless the audience expects it

Number Pronunciation

Write what you want the voice to say. TTS reads literally.

The visual can show the exact figure while the voice rounds it.

Structure

For product videos:

1. Hook — what’s surprising or impressive about this product? A bold claim, a provocative question, a contrast, or a striking number. This is the opening line. Vary the hook type — don’t default to a stat every time.
2. Story — what does the product do? Who uses it? Keep it concrete.
3. Proof — stats, customer names, social proof. Real numbers from the product.
4. CTA — what should the viewer do? “Start building at stripe dot com.”

Not every video needs all four. A 15-second social ad might be Hook + Proof + CTA. A 60-second product tour uses all four with more Story.

The Opening Line

The most important sentence in the video. It must create tension, curiosity, or surprise in the first 3 seconds.

Patterns that work:

• A bold claim: “The financial infrastructure that powers the internet economy.”
• A question that provokes: “What if your database could think?”
• A contrast: “Your AI agent already knows how to make videos. It just needs the right format.”
• A number that shocks: “Nearly two trillion dollars.” (Use sparingly — not every video should open with a stat.)

If the opening is generic (“Welcome to Stripe” / “Introducing our product”), start over.

Example

From a 62-second product launch video (team reference):

Note: ~140 words for 62 seconds — that’s 2.3 words/sec, leaving room for pauses and visual breathing.