Viral Hook — Scroll-Stopping Short-Form Video Prompts

Seedance 2.0 on Higgsfield — Input Specs

• Images: Up to 9 reference images (mood boards, product shots, brand assets)
• Videos: Up to 3 video clips (existing footage, motion references)
• Audio: Up to 3 audio files (trending sounds, voiceover, SFX)
• Text: Full prompt with timing, camera, lighting, sound
• Max Assets: 12 total combined
• Output: 4-15 seconds, 720p video with synchronized audio
• Reference Syntax:

  @material[name]

  to reference uploaded assets

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The Attention Economy: Why 2 Seconds

• 0-2s: The gate. If 50%+ bounce here, the video dies. If 90% stay, the algorithm promotes.
• 2-5s: Hook confirmation. Brain decides: worth my time or not.
• 5-15s: Engagement peak. Emotional beats, reveals, payoffs land here.
• 15s+: Retention cliff. Most viral videos are under 15 seconds.

Videos with 80%+ completion get 2-3x algorithmic reach. Your hook determines everything.

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The Hook Arsenal: 12 Battle-Tested Patterns

1. Pattern Interrupt — Break Reality

Technique	Mechanism	Prompt Template
Physics Break	Objects defy gravity, water flows up, time reverses	"Open with [object] defying physics — floating upward, sliding in reverse, freezing mid-air. Camera steady, treating impossible action as mundane. First 0.8s shows normal expectation, 0.8-2s breaks it. No music, only ambient sound emphasizing the wrongness."
Scale Warp	Familiar object at impossible size	"Extreme wide shot: [tiny object — coin, key, pen] scaled to building size in landscape. Human figure provides scale reference at base. Drone-style camera slowly pushing forward. Overcast lighting, photorealistic. Viewer spends 2s processing scale."
Color Bomb	Grayscale world gets sudden saturation	"Scene begins fully desaturated — gray, lifeless, muted. At 1.2s, single element ignites with saturated color [neon pink/electric blue/gold]. Color bleeds outward across frame over 0.8s. Hard bass hit synced to color moment."

2. Curiosity Gap — Incomplete Information

Technique	Mechanism	Prompt Template
Obscured Subject	Camera hides the reveal	"Tight framing shows only hands working on [something]. Close-up of concentrated facial expression. Sounds of creation — cutting, assembling, clicking. Camera never shows the full object. At 2s, slight pull-back hints at shape but doesn't reveal. Viewer must keep watching."
Reaction Before Action	Show the response, hide the cause	"Open on person's face — eyes widen, jaw drops, hand covers mouth. Camera captures pure shock reaction for 2s. No context, no environment shown. Sound: gasp, then silence. The question 'what are they looking at?' forces continued viewing."
Countdown Tension	Visual timer creates urgency	"Bold text '3' appears center-frame with bass hit. Cut to new angle, '2' with rising synth. Cut again, '1' with tension peak. Frame holds on black for 0.5s. The reveal never comes in the hook — it's downstream. Camera movements accelerate with countdown."

3. Dopamine Trigger — Instant Reward

Technique	Mechanism	Prompt Template
Satisfying Motion	ASMR-tier visual satisfaction	"Extreme close-up: [liquid pouring perfectly into glass / knife slicing through smooth surface / sand cascading in slow motion]. Macro lens, shallow depth of field. Sound design: crisp ASMR audio synced to motion. Slow motion at 0.5x speed. Warm golden lighting from side."
Before-After Flash	Instant transformation	"Split screen or quick cut: left/top shows 'before' state for 0.8s. Hard cut or wipe transition. Right/bottom shows transformed 'after' state. The contrast must be dramatic — ugly to beautiful, chaos to order, empty to full. Transition sound: whoosh + impact."
Kinetic Typography	Words that move with impact	"Bold white text on black background. Words slam into frame one at a time, synced to beat. Each word creates micro screen-shake. Text: [provocative statement — 3-5 words max]. Camera pushes in slightly with each word. Bass-heavy sound design."

4. Primal Attention — Evolutionary Triggers

Technique	Mechanism	Prompt Template
Eye Contact	Human eyes trigger social brain	"Extreme close-up of eyes in shadow. At 0.6s, eyes snap open and lock directly into camera. Pupil dilates. Subtle head tilt forward — predatory, intense. Single rim light catches iris detail. No blinking for 2s. Sound: heartbeat, low frequency."
Sudden Movement	Peripheral vision hijack	"Frame is static, calm, almost boring for 1s. Then — fast object enters frame from edge at high speed. Or person lunges toward camera. Movement creates motion blur trails. Camera flinches slightly in response. Sound: sharp whoosh or impact synced to movement."
Silence Then Sound	Audio contrast exploits neural adaptation	"First 1.5s: complete silence. Black screen or static wide shot. No sound at all — the absence itself is jarring on a platform of constant noise. At 1.5s: explosive audio — bass drop, scream, impact, alarm. Synced with hard visual cut to action."

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Camera Movement Library

Fast Hooks (0-2s)

Move	Speed	Purpose	Prompt Phrasing
Snap Zoom	0.3s	Instant focus, shock	"Snap zoom from wide to tight close-up in 0.3s. No easing — hard, mechanical zoom. Subject centered. Creates urgency and disorientation."
Whip Pan	0.5s	Energy, transition	"Whip pan left-to-right in 0.5s. Motion blur trails. Camera settles on new subject with slight overshoot and bounce-back. Horizontal momentum."
Drop Shot	0.4s	Falling sensation	"Camera drops vertically 6 feet in 0.4s. Creates stomach-drop sensation. Subject stays centered. Frame shakes slightly on landing. Vertigo trigger."
Dutch Snap	0.3s	Unease, style	"Camera rotates 30 degrees clockwise in 0.3s. Horizon tilts. Creates instant visual tension. Hold the tilted frame — don't correct it."

Reveal Hooks (1-3s)

Move	Speed	Purpose	Prompt Phrasing
Pull-Back Reveal	2s	Context expansion	"Tight close-up on detail. Camera pulls back steadily over 2s revealing the full scene. The context changes the meaning of what was shown initially. Smooth dolly movement, no jitter."
Orbit Reveal	3s	360 discovery	"Camera orbits 180 degrees around subject over 3s. Each 45 degrees reveals new environmental element. Consistent distance from subject. Reveals build narrative: what seemed simple becomes complex."
Rise Reveal	2s	Scale, majesty	"Camera rises vertically 20 feet over 2s. Ground-level detail gives way to aerial perspective. Reveals scale of scene. Subject shrinks in frame. Slight tilt-down to maintain connection."

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Lighting Presets for Maximum Retention

High-Engagement Setups

Neon Contrast

"Dual-color neon lighting: [pink/cyan or orange/blue] from opposing sides.
Hard shadows where colors meet. Subject's face split between warm and cool.
Background dark, no ambient fill. Rim light separates from black background.
Colors at 80% saturation. Cinematic, moody, scroll-stopping."

Silhouette Pop — Maximizes curiosity (who is this?)

"Complete backlight silhouette. Strong light source directly behind subject
(window, LED panel, sunset). No fill light on face — pure black outline.
Shape and posture tell the story. Viewer cannot identify subject = curiosity.
Edge light catches hair/shoulder outline. Background blown out to white/gold."

Flash Strobe — Motion + light = primal attention

"Strobe lighting at 4Hz — rapid on-off creating freeze-frame effect.
Subject in motion but captured in staccato bursts. Dark between flashes.
Creates urgency, energy, nightclub intensity. Sound synced to strobe rate.
Background pure black between flashes."

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Sound Design for Hooks

The Sound Stack

Layer these elements for maximum impact:

1. Base Layer — Ambient bed (room tone, wind, hum) or silence
2. Impact Layer — Bass hits, whooshes, clicks synced to visual beats
3. Music Layer — Trending audio or custom beat (enter after 1-2s)
4. Voice Layer — Voiceover hook or text-to-speech (optional)

Sound Templates

Hook Type	Sound Design	Prompt Phrasing
The Bass Drop	Silence → explosion	"Audio: 1.5s of near-silence (faint ambient). At 1.5s marker: deep 808 bass hit synced to visual cut. Sub-bass vibration. Music enters on beat 2."
The Glitch	Digital disruption	"Audio: clean ambient interrupted by digital glitch sounds — bit-crush, stutter, frequency sweep. 0.3s glitch at 0.8s mark. Creates 'something wrong' feeling. Synced to visual glitch effect."
ASMR Crunch	Tactile satisfaction	"Audio: hyper-close microphone capturing texture sounds — crunch, crack, pour, slice. No music. Pure sound design. Binaural feel. Viewer's brain triggers tactile response."
Voice Hook	Words that stop scroll	"Audio: confident voice says [provocative 3-5 word statement] in first 1.5s. No intro, no greeting — statement starts at 0.0s. Slight reverb, clean recording. Statement creates question or controversy."

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Platform-Specific Optimization

TikTok (9:16 vertical)

• Hook must land by 1.5s (fastest scroll speed of any platform)
• Text overlays in safe zone (center 80% of frame)
• Trending audio integration critical — use

  @audio1

  for trending sounds
• Loop potential: last frame should visually connect to first frame
• Loop template: "Final frame composition mirrors opening frame — same camera angle, same lighting, same subject position. Last 0.5s movement creates visual continuation into the first frame when video replays. Seamless loop point."

Instagram Reels (9:16 vertical)

• Hook at 2s (slightly more patient audience)
• Aesthetic quality weighted higher than TikTok
• Color grading matters — Instagram audience expects polish
• Cover frame must work as static image in grid

YouTube Shorts (9:16 vertical)

• Hook at 2-3s (YouTube audience most patient)
• Higher production value expected
• Longer retention = more algorithmic push (aim for 80%+ at 15s)
• Description and title can provide context the video doesn't

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Complete Example Prompts

Example 1: Product Reveal Hook (8s)

SEEDANCE 2.0 PROMPT:

Extreme close-up of fingers slowly peeling back matte black packaging material.
Macro lens, shallow depth of field (f/1.4 equivalent). Warm side-lighting from
left creates long shadows across textured surface.

0-2s: Only fingers and packaging visible. Material peels with satisfying slow
motion at 0.5x speed. ASMR-quality sound: crisp paper/foil texture amplified.
No music. Camera slowly pushes in.

2-4s: Product edge becomes visible — metallic, catching light. Camera pull-back
begins. Single lens flare as product surface catches key light. Soft synth note
enters audio.

4-6s: Full product revealed in hero position. Camera orbits 90 degrees at
constant distance. Three-point lighting: warm key at 45 degrees left, soft fill
right, cyan rim light behind. Background transitions from black to gradient.

6-8s: Product floats/rotates in center frame. Logo catches light. Music builds
with bass and synth layers. Camera slowly pushes in to final close-up of key
feature detail. End on product with full brand lighting.

Sound: 0-2s ASMR texture only. 2-4s single sustained note. 4-8s minimal
electronic beat, bass-forward, modern. No voiceover.

Mood: Premium, satisfying, curiosity-driven. The unboxing IS the hook.

Example 2: Founder Authority Hook (10s)

SEEDANCE 2.0 PROMPT:

Open on extreme close-up of eyes in low-key lighting. Single rim light from
right side catches iris detail. Eyes are focused, intense, looking slightly
off-camera. Shallow depth of field — only eyes sharp.

0-1.5s: Static shot of eyes. No blinking. Minimal ambient sound — room tone
only. Camera micro-pushes (barely perceptible forward movement). Creates tension
through stillness in a platform of constant motion.

1.5-2s: Eyes shift to lock directly into camera. Subtle head tilt forward.
The direct gaze is the hook — primal social brain activation. Sound: single
low-frequency pulse synced to eye contact moment.

2-4s: Camera pulls back to medium shot revealing person in workspace/studio.
Three-point lighting: warm key light, minimal fill, strong backlight separating
from dark environment. Environment communicates authority — screens, equipment,
clean desk. Person's posture is confident, centered in frame.

4-7s: Camera slow orbit 90 degrees around subject. Environment details reveal
themselves — achievements, tools of trade, brand elements. Lighting shifts as
camera moves, revealing new depth layers. Ambient electronic music enters,
minimal and modern.

7-10s: Camera settles at 3/4 angle. Subject in power position frame-left,
environment frame-right. Depth of field racks from subject to background detail
and back. Music reaches steady state. Frame composition suggests story
continuing beyond the clip.

Sound: 0-1.5s silence. 1.5s low pulse. 2-10s ambient electronic, bass-forward,
no vocals. Clean, modern, authoritative.

Material references: @image1 for face/person reference. @image2 for workspace
environment reference.

Example 3: Dopamine Transformation (6s)

SEEDANCE 2.0 PROMPT:

Split composition — frame divided vertically. Left side shows chaotic, messy,
ugly state: cluttered desk, tangled wires, dim fluorescent lighting, gray
color palette. Right side is black/hidden.

0-1.5s: Camera slowly reveals left-side chaos. Handheld micro-jitter for
documentary realism. Flat, unflattering lighting. Sound: discordant ambient —
buzzing fluorescent, keyboard clacking, phone notification chaos.

1.5-2s: Hard vertical wipe transition sweeps left-to-right across frame.
Sound: dramatic whoosh + deep impact hit. Screen shake on impact.

2-4s: Right side reveals the transformation — same space but organized,
minimal, beautiful. Warm golden-hour lighting from window. Clean surfaces,
cable-managed desk, plant accents. Color palette shifts to warm amber and
cream. Camera movement becomes smooth Steadicam — contrasting the earlier
handheld jitter.

4-6s: Camera pushes in to hero detail — the centerpiece of the transformed
space. Single object in perfect light. Shallow depth of field, bokeh
background. Sound transitions to clean ambient: soft music, no clutter.
The audio transformation mirrors the visual one.

Sound: 0-1.5s chaotic ambient. 1.5-2s whoosh + impact. 2-6s clean minimal
beat, satisfying, resolution-feeling. Low BPM, warm tones.

Example 4: Mystery/Curiosity Loop (8s)

SEEDANCE 2.0 PROMPT:

Black screen for 0.5s. Then: rapid flash of an image for exactly 3 frames
(0.12s) — too fast to consciously process but brain registers it. Back to
black for 0.3s.

0-1s: Three subliminal flashes of different angles of [subject/product/scene],
each 3 frames long with black gaps between. Sound: each flash accompanied by
sharp digital click. Brain is now primed — it SAW something but couldn't
process it. Curiosity at maximum.

1-2s: Image holds for 1 second but heavily blurred — gaussian blur at maximum.
Shape and color visible but no detail. Camera slowly pushes in. Sound: rising
frequency tone building tension. The blur is slowly, almost imperceptibly
clearing.

2-4s: Blur clears over 2 seconds. Rack focus from completely soft to tack
sharp. The reveal is gradual — brain gets more information each frame. Camera
continues steady push-in. Sound: tension tone resolves into clean musical
note as image sharpens.

4-6s: Subject now fully revealed in sharp focus. Camera begins slow orbit.
Dramatic lighting — strong key light from above at 60 degrees, minimal fill,
subject appears sculptural. Sound: full music enters, confident, modern.

6-8s: Camera completes 180-degree orbit. Each angle reveals new detail or
context. Lighting shifts dynamically with camera position. Final frame
settles on the most dramatic angle. Sound: music reaches plateau, bass
anchors the visual.

Sound: 0-1s digital clicks. 1-2s rising tension. 2-4s resolution tone. 4-8s
full electronic track, mid-tempo, bass-driven.

Example 5: Speed Ramp Energy (6s)

SEEDANCE 2.0 PROMPT:

Action sequence in extreme slow motion (0.1x speed). Subject in motion —
running, jumping, turning, creating. Every detail frozen in time: hair
suspended, particles floating, fabric rippling.

0-2s: Ultra slow motion. Camera tracking alongside subject at matching speed.
Macro details visible: individual water droplets, dust particles, fabric
threads. Shallow depth of field. Sound: deep, stretched ambient tones. Time
feels stopped. Cinematic anamorphic lens flare from backlight.

2-2.5s: SPEED RAMP — action snaps to 3x normal speed instantly. No
transition, no easing — hard cut to fast motion. Camera whip-pans to follow.
Sound: BASS DROP synced to speed change. Energy explosion. Motion blur
trails appear.

2.5-4s: Fast motion continues. Quick cuts between 3 angles (0.5s each).
Each cut synced to beat hit. Camera movements are aggressive — snap zooms,
whip pans, dutch tilts. High energy, kinetic. Sound: fast-tempo beat,
kicks on every cut.

4-6s: Speed ramp back to slow motion for final beat. Hero moment captured
in slow-mo glory. Camera pushes in to final frame. Particles and details
suspended again. Sound: music drops to single sustained bass note.
Silence on last frame.

Lighting throughout: strong backlight creating rim/silhouette effect. Warm
golden tones. Volumetric light visible in slow-motion segments (dust/haze
catches light rays). Contrast between ethereal slow-mo and aggressive
fast-motion.