How To Create TRENDING Reels, Shorts & Tiktoks (Step-by-Step)

Main Ideas

The video presents a step-by-step approach to making short-form videos for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Its central advice is to study successful examples, use their structure as a guide rather than copying them exactly, and add distinctive choices that help build a recognizable style.

The presenter analyzes a reference video said to have received more than 1.5 million likes. Its effective elements include cinematic imagery, animated text, a rounded black frame, and a motivational speech that gives the visuals a narrative. A second example, said to have received 150,000 likes, illustrates how a consistent visual style can help a creator stand out.

Suggested Workflow

1. Find a successful reference (“outlier”).

   • Look through accounts making the type of content you want to create.
   • Compare their posts and identify videos that perform unusually well.
   • Analyze what may be working: the opening, pacing, visuals, text, audio, and overall presentation.
   • Keep the reference video available while editing so you can study its cuts and placements. Use it for inspiration, not as something to reproduce exactly.

2. Locate the source speech or footage.

   • Check the video caption for a credit.
   • If there is no credit, look through the comments; viewers may have asked about the source.
   • If the video includes a spoken sentence, search for that wording online.

3. Edit the speech for retention.

   • Import the footage into an editor such as CapCut.
   • Trim the speech to the length needed for the video.
   • Avoid long build-ups or anticlimactic sections; get to the compelling part quickly.
   • Separate the audio if needed, then remove pauses and silences so the video flows smoothly.

4. Gather supporting visuals.

   • Find relevant B-roll, animations, or concept imagery. The presenter recommends Pinterest as one possible source.
   • Download several clips that fit the subject and prepare them on the timeline.
   • Place them where they support the narration and help tell a coherent story.

5. Create the frame and arrange the footage.

   • In CapCut, add a black stock-material layer and make it fill the screen.
   • Use the mask controls and rectangle mask to create the rounded-edge frame; use the reverse option to produce the desired border effect.
   • Keep the main footage positioned within the frame.
   • Use the reference video’s timing and cuts as a guide while adding your own choices.

6. Add and synchronize captions.

   • Use auto-captions if available, or create captions manually.
   • Review and adjust captions even when using auto-captioning.
   • The example uses the Europa font, but the presenter emphasizes that font choice is a matter of taste.
   • Separate words and time their appearance to match the speech, using the reference for guidance on timing and placement.

7. Add considered text effects and visual details.

   • The video demonstrates placing text behind or around an eye: remove the background from the eye area using CapCut’s custom removal tool, then layer the text appropriately.
   • For the demonstrated text effect, turn the text layer into a compound clip and set its blend mode to Soft Light.
   • The presenter also mentions an After Effects tutorial available through the presenter’s Discord.

8. Choose a color grade and clean the audio.

   • Select a look that suits the account. The presenter notes that creators use a range of styles, from black-and-white to vivid or sharp.
   • Use the editor’s noise-reduction option if the recording has unwanted background noise.

9. Consider adding background sound effects.

   • In addition to the speech, add sounds that match the visuals—for example, wave sounds during a beach scene or nature sounds during a butterfly scene.
   • The presenter suggests using suitable stock-audio or sound-effect sites with other editing software.

10. Develop a recognizable style. - Avoid cluttering the video with too many fonts, colors, and text effects. - In a competitive format, choose a consistent visual element that makes your work identifiable. The presenter gives anime imagery or Spider-Man, paired with a recurring purple-and-white text palette, as examples. - Aim to make the video distinctive and memorable while maintaining visual quality.

Additional Resource Mentioned

The presenter offers a folder of video hooks to people who follow the presenter on Instagram and send the message “Hooks.” The presenter also refers viewers to a Discord, newsletter, and further tutorials.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Presenter: The video’s narrator, who explains the workflow and editing demonstrations. The subtitles do not explicitly identify the narrator by name.
• Motivational speech in the example video: An embedded speaker says that people do not have to like, love, or respect you, but that you should love what you see when you look in the mirror. The speaker is not identified in the subtitles.
• Reference videos and accounts: The presenter discusses a high-performing reference video and another example used to illustrate differentiation; their creators are not identified in the subtitles.
• Visual and audio materials: Movie and TV imagery, B-roll and animations, Pinterest clips, and added environmental sound effects are discussed or shown as editing materials.