Production Setup
CameraEye-level, medium shot (chest up). Slight off-center framing (rule of thirds, Harry camera-left).
BackgroundDark/black. Clean. No clutter. Subtle depth lighting (soft rim light camera-right).
OutfitDark fitted crew neck (black or charcoal). No logos.
LightingKey light camera-left (soft, warm). Rim/hair light camera-right (cool, subtle). Face pops.
Lens35mm or 50mm equivalent. Shallow depth of field. Cinematic.
Aspect Ratio16:9 (landscape for LP embed). Crop-safe for 9:16 Reel repurpose.
TeleprompterYes — word-for-word script. Position directly below or beside lens for natural eye line.
EnergyNot a Reel. Longer-form VSL. Pacing is conversational, not rapid-fire. Breathe between sections.
Hook 0:00 - 0:10
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 0:00 | 1 | MCU Harry, direct to camera. Serious expression. No smile. Slight lean forward. | Harry delivers hook (pick A or B). No music yet — just voice. Room tone. | None — let the words land clean. |
| 0:05 | 1 cont. | Same shot, continuous. | Hook continues. | "57%" bottom-third, bold white, fades in on the stat. |
Director note: The hook should feel like Harry stopped you in the street to tell you something important. No intro, no "hey guys," no wave. Just straight into it. Cut any warm-up. First frame = first word.
Step 1 — The Problem 0:10 - 0:45
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 0:10 | 2 | MCU Harry, talking head. | "Here's what's happening right now." | None. |
| 0:14 | 3 | B-ROLL: Animated data graphic — bar chart CPC rising $44.70 → $70.11. Dark bg, cyan bars, gold highlight. | Harry VO: CPC stat. | "$44.70 → $70.11" animated counter. Source: WordStream |
| 0:22 | 4 | B-ROLL: Screen recording — Google SERP with AI Overview pushing ads below fold. | Harry VO: AI Overviews — 68% CTR drop. | "-68% Paid CTR" — red, bottom-third. |
| 0:30 | 5 | MCU Harry, slight head shake. | "Fewer people clicking, paying more." | None. |
| 0:36 | 6 | Same shot, holds. | "100% paid = one change away from zero." | "100% Paid = 100% Risk" |
| 0:42 | 7 | MCU, slight pause. | "That's not a strategy. That's a gamble." | None — let silence punctuate. |
Music: Subtle tension bed enters at 0:10. Low, ambient, cinematic. Think Hans Zimmer lite. No beat, no percussion. Just pressure.
Step 2 — The Agitation 0:45 - 1:15
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 0:45 | 8 | MCU Harry. Slightly wider. Storytelling posture. | "The obvious answer is SEO..." | None. |
| 0:52 | 9 | B-ROLL: Generic agency boardroom. Desaturated, cold grade. | Harry VO: "Hired an agency. $3-5K/month." | "$3K-$5K/month" grey text. |
| 0:58 | 10 | B-ROLL: Generic SEO report mockup. Vanity metrics, scrolling. | Harry VO: "Graphs went up, phone didn't ring." | None — visual tells the story. |
| 1:04 | 11 | MCU Harry. Leans in. | "Locked into twelve-month contract..." | "Lock-in contracts." — red text. |
| 1:08 | 11b | B-ROLL: Mockup bank statement — recurring $5K charges. | "$60,000. That's not incompetence — that's theft." | "$60,000" — large, red. |
| 1:16 | 12 | MCU Harry. Pauses after "honestly?" — full second silence. The hinge. | "Most of it? You could learn to do yourself." | "2 Days." — center frame, fades in. |
Music: Tension bed continues. Slight build at 1:04 (locked-in contracts).
Step 3 — The Credibility 1:15 - 1:50
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 1:15 | 13 | MCU Harry. Calmer, grounded. | "My name's Harry Sanders..." | "Harry Sanders" lower-third. "Founder & CEO, StudioHawk" |
| 1:20 | 14 | B-ROLL: Quick montage: StudioHawk office, team, screens. | "120 specialists across 4 cities." | "120+ SEO & AI Specialists" |
| 1:28 | 15 | B-ROLL: Credential badges animate in — Forbes 30U30, Marketing Innovation Award, 7x Best Large SEO Agency, 42x Awards badges, client logos. | Stats: Forbes, Marketing Innovation, 7x Best Large SEO Agency, 42x Awards, Officeworks, QuickBooks, Bondi Sands, Weber. | "+60%", "+116%", "+94%" — gold, staggered. |
| 1:38 | 16 | MCU Harry. Direct to camera. | "I'm not telling you this to flex..." | None — must feel genuine. |
| 1:45 | 17 | Same shot, holds. | "...with AI, I can actually hand that to you — as a two-day workshop where we sit next to you and build it together." | None. |
Music: Resolves to warmer tone at 1:15. Less pressure. Credibility = a deep breath.
Step 4 — The Solution 1:50 - 2:35
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 1:50 | 18 | MCU Harry. Energy lifts. Slight smile allowed. | "This is the Hawk Academy Workshop." | "Hawk Academy Workshop" — centered, cyan accent line. |
| 1:55 | 19 | B-ROLL: Workshop room. 30 desks, Harry walking rows. | "Two-day, in-person, hands-on. 30 people max." | "30 Seats / 2 Days / Your Website" |
| 2:03 | 20 | MCU Harry. Emphatic. | "Not a course. Not a PDF." | None. |
| 2:08 | 21 | B-ROLL: Close-up hands on keyboard, CMS, Harry pointing at screen. | "Physically in the room, pointing at your screen." | None — visual sells "hands-on." |
| 2:16 | 22 | B-ROLL: Claude AI interface generating content. | "Same AI-powered workflow." | "AI-Powered Workflow" — cyan. |
| 2:19 | 22b | MCU Harry. Relaxed, concrete. | "Laptop at nine AM, by lunch three pages live." | "9 AM → Lunch = Pages Live" |
| 2:24 | 23 | MCU Harry. | "Real pages, live, built to rank." | "Pages Live. Built to Rank." |
| 2:27 | 23b | B-ROLL: Google SERP — local business ranking #1-3. | Harry VO continues. | "Your business. Page one." |
| 2:28 | 24 | Same shot. | "Six months of support." | "+ 6 Months Support" |
Music: Positive shift at 1:50. Light, forward-moving. "Reveal" music — promising, not triumphant.
Step 5 — The Differentiator 2:35 - 3:00
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 2:35 | 25 | MCU Harry. Wider. Hands visible. | "Let me be clear about what this isn't." | None. |
| 2:38 | 26 | Same shot. | "Not a course." | "Not a course." — strikethrough animation. |
| 2:44 | 27 | Same shot. | "Not an agency pitch." | "Not an agency pitch." — strikethrough. |
| 2:50 | 28 | Same shot. Leans forward. | "For business owners who want to understand SEO." | None — let it breathe. |
| 2:57 | 29 | Same shot. | "Nobody knows your customers better than you." | None. |
Music: Drops to near-silence at 2:35. Rebuilds gently from 2:50.
Step 6 — Social Proof 3:00 - 3:20
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 3:00 | 30 | MCU Harry. | "500 real campaigns. Not theory." | "500+ Campaigns / 3 Countries" — gold. |
| 3:06 | 31 | B-ROLL: StudioHawk team working. | "The people who ran those campaigns are in the room." | None. |
| 3:12 | 32 | B-ROLL: Testimonial clip or stat card: enterprise brands (QuickBooks, Bondi Sands, Officeworks) + [LOCAL BUSINESS EXAMPLES placeholder] | "Brands like QuickBooks, Bondi Sands, Officeworks. 42 awards." | Brand logos + stats — then transition to local business examples. |
Music: Confidence builds. Light percussive element — subtle pulse.
Step 7 — The Offer 3:20 - 3:50
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 3:20 | 33 | MCU Harry. Direct, no-nonsense. | "Here's what you get." | None. |
| 3:22 | 34 | B-ROLL/GRAPHIC: Offer stack checklist animates. | Harry names each item. | Checklist: 2-Day Workshop, 6M Community, Weekly Calls, Playbook, AI Workflow |
| 3:32 | 35 | MCU Harry. | "$2,500. Less than one month of agency fees." | "$2,500" large. $3,500 struck through above. |
| 3:40 | 36 | MCU Harry. Warm, genuine. | "Full refund. Tailfeather Guarantee." | "Tailfeather Guarantee" + hawk icon. "Full refund + $500 flights" |
| 3:48 | 37 | Same shot. | "We put our money where our mouth is." | None. |
Music: Clean, open. No pressure. Generous feel.
Step 8 — The CTA 3:50 - 4:10
| Time | Shot | Visual | Audio | Text Overlay |
|---|
| 3:50 | 38 | MCU Harry. Warm energy. | "Melbourne and Sydney now. Brisbane, London, Atlanta coming." | City names appear as spoken. |
| 3:58 | 39 | Same shot. | "30 seats. Just people like you." | "30 Seats" |
| 4:02 | 40 | Leans in for the close. | "Scroll down and apply." | None — keep personal. |
| 4:06 | 41 | Same shot. Beat. | "You've been paying for guesses long enough." | None. |
| 4:08 | 42 | Same shot. Slight nod. | "Stop guessing. Start ranking." | "Stop Guessing. Start Ranking." — holds 2s. |
| 4:10 | 43 | Hold 1 second, then cut to black / end card. | Music resolves. Clean end. | Hawk Academy logo. "Apply for a Seat" button. Pulsing down arrow. |
Music: Resolves cleanly at 4:08. No fade-out — clean stop with the logo.
B-Roll Shot List (Pre-Production)
| # | Shot | Source | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | CPC bar chart animation ($44.70 → $70.11) | Motion graphics | Dark bg, cyan bars, gold final bar. WordStream source. |
| 2 | Google AI Overview screenshot | Screen recording | Real SERP showing AI Overview pushing ads below fold. |
| 3 | Generic agency boardroom | Stock footage | Desaturated, cold grade. Impersonal. |
| 4 | Fake SEO report (vanity metrics) | Mockup | Graphs going up, impressions not leads. Blurred scroll. |
| 4b | Bank statement recurring $5K charges | Mockup | Recurring charges scrolling. Blurred account details. |
| 5 | StudioHawk office — team at desks | Real footage | Warm grade. Activity, energy, screens visible. |
| 6 | StudioHawk team photo | Real photo | All 120+ or large group. |
| 7 | Credential badges | Motion graphics | Forbes 30U30, Australian Award for Marketing Innovation, 7x Best Large SEO Agency (¹ 50 judges), 42x Industry Awards AU/UK/US, client logos. Gold/cyan on dark. |
| 8 | Workshop room visualization | Real footage or mockup | 30 desks, laptops, Harry walking rows. |
| 9 | Over-the-shoulder: hands on keyboard, CMS | Real footage | Close-up. Page being built. Harry pointing. |
| 10 | Claude AI screen recording | Screen recording | AI generating SEO content. Quick, impressive. |
| 11 | Case study stat cards | Motion graphics | Officeworks +60%, QuickBooks +116%, Bondi Sands +94%. Plus [LOCAL BUSINESS EXAMPLES] placeholder. |
| 11b | Google search result — "promised land" | Screen recording / mockup | Local business ranking #1-3. |
| 12 | Offer checklist animation | Motion graphics | Cyan checkmarks on dark bg. |
| 13 | Tailfeather Guarantee badge | Motion graphics | Hawk icon + guarantee text. |
| 14 | City names animation | Motion graphics | Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, London, Atlanta. |
Text Overlay Style Guide
- Font: Space Grotesk, Bold
- Color: White (#FFF) primary. Cyan (#00BEFF) accents. Gold (#FFD700) stats/credentials. Red for negative stats.
- Size: Large stats = 120px+. Lower-thirds = 36-48px. Source footnotes = 18px.
- Position: Bottom-third for lower-thirds. Center for hero stats. Never top-third (obscures face).
- Animation: Fade in (0.3s ease). Hold 2-3 seconds. Fade out. No bouncing, spinning, or gimmicks.
- Background: Semi-transparent dark pill behind text if needed. Never a full bar.
Music Direction Timeline
| Section | Time | Mood | Reference |
|---|
| Hook | 0:00-0:10 | Silence / room tone only | — |
| Problem | 0:10-0:45 | Tension. Low ambient drone. No percussion. | Interstellar "Mountains" (quieter) |
| Agitation | 0:45-1:15 | Tension builds. More pressure. | Same bed, subtle layer added |
| Credibility | 1:15-1:50 | Resolves warmer. Deep breath energy. | Calm authority |
| Solution | 1:50-2:35 | Forward momentum. Positive but grounded. | Subtle uplift, still cinematic |
| Differentiator | 2:35-3:00 | Drops to near-silence. Rebuilds gently. | Pause for emphasis |
| Social Proof | 3:00-3:20 | Confidence. Light pulse. | Building toward close |
| Offer | 3:20-3:50 | Clean, open. Generous feel. | No pressure |
| CTA | 3:50-4:10 | Resolves. Clean stop on logo. | Satisfying end |
Source: Artlist or Epidemic Sound. Search: "cinematic ambient" + "documentary tension." Avoid vocals or recognizable melody. Music should be felt, not heard.
Filming Checklist
- Teleprompter loaded with final script (word-for-word)
- Dark crew neck (black or charcoal), no logos
- Dark background with rim lighting
- Eye-level camera, medium shot, rule of thirds
- Room tone recording (10 seconds silence for audio bed)
- All B-roll screen recordings captured separately
- Motion graphics brief sent to editor with overlay specs
- Test record: check framing works in both 16:9 and 9:16 crop
- Water off-camera (4 min delivery = dry mouth)
- Film in one session, section by section (pause between steps for energy resets)