L27. Four shots for TikTok

Create desk-tiktok.mp4, a vertical video lasting around 32 seconds. Allow about 45–60 minutes for the work. You need a phone, the Clipchamp route from Lesson 21, a book, a pen, and a box. This version tells the familiar story in four shots.

In class

With the teacher, compare two openings: a general desk view and a book with nowhere to go. Choose the shot that communicates the problem without extra explanation.

Begin with something understandable

Olena holds a book above a desk with nowhere to put it. Viewers immediately see the problem and can compare it with the result at the end.

Enter this in your usual chat:

> [PROMPT] Check my short-video plan: no room for a book; remove extras; keep the essentials; show the result. Four shots last 4, 10, 10, and 8 seconds. Suggest one short opening line in English. Do not introduce new objects or promises.

A worked result is “Where can this book go on a crowded desk?” Save it with the plan in Documents\AI-practice\content\tiktok-script.txt.

| Time | On-screen action | Exact spoken line |

| --- | --- | --- |

| 0–4 s | A hand holds a book above a crowded desk | “Where can this book go on a crowded desk?” |

| 4–14 s | Extra objects move into a box | “First, I remove what I am not using now.” |

| 14–24 s | The book and pen remain in the centre | “I keep what I need for reading. Small things go at the side.” |

| 24–32 s | Olena opens the book in the clear space | “Now I can begin. Which small area would you clear?” |

[[VIS:s27_four_shots]]

Record and save your version

• Put the phone upright on a stable support. Open the camera and choose 1080p and 30 frames per second if those settings are available. Check that the hands and book fit inside the frame.
• Record four clips with their spoken lines, leaving a second of spare footage at each end. Record the “before” shot first. Turn off the television or other background music so the recording contains your own voice.
• On the computer, create content\tiktok-raw inside Documents\AI-practice and copy the files there through USB, as in Lesson 21. Name the copies 01-question, 02-clear, 03-keep, and 04-read, retaining their actual extensions, usually .mp4. Check each before editing. [P210]
• In Clipchamp, select Create a new video, name it Desk TikTok, and set 9:16. Select Import media, open the four files, and place them on one timeline track in order 01–04. [P207][P227]
• Trim the clips to approximately 4, 10, 10 and 8 seconds. Move them together so no gaps remain. Add brief labels through Text: “No room?”, “Remove extras”, “Keep essentials”, and “Ready to read”. Add reviewed subtitles using Lesson 25 if needed. Keep labels away from the bottom and right edges where app controls may cover them.
• Select Export → 1080p and save content\desk-tiktok.mp4. Copy the finished file back to Movies\AI-practice on the phone through USB. Open it in the gallery and watch once with sound and once without. [P208][P210]

A complete 34-second version is acceptable: do not cut an action or spoken line simply to reach 32.

> [FIX] If hands or the book are cut off, do not stretch the picture at random. Check the 9:16 canvas and the clip’s position. If an object was never inside the recording, reshoot that particular shot.

Home practice

• In content\tiktok-home-plan.txt, plan four shots about preparing to read: find a book, clear a space, place a bookmark and open a page.
• Divide 32 seconds between the shots and add one short line to each. Check the total.
• Record only the first shot on your phone and watch it silently. Note whether the action is clear and one change you would make. Keep the test recording in the gallery; editing and publication are unnecessary.

Self-test

• What is the planned duration?
• What should the final shot prove?
• Reaching exactly 32 seconds required cutting off the final words. Should you keep that version?

Useful terms

• Opening: the first seconds explaining the idea.
• Source footage: the original recordings before editing.
• Version: a separately saved iteration of the video.