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Building a Creative Template

You've done research. You have a niche scan, one or two creator scans, maybe a transcript of a top-performer. Now turn all of that into a creative template the Visual Planner can apply when storyboarding a new workflow.

This is the bridge between research and production.

What a creative template is

A structured document that captures the format you want to apply — the persona, environment, camera, color palette, vibe, and production level — so the Visual Planner can use it instead of asking 20 setup questions.

Think of it as a format brief: not for a specific workflow, but for a recurring style you've decided to use.

The template structure

# Creative Template — {Template Name}

## Inspired by

{Optional — what creators / videos this template draws from. Document the
inspiration so future you remembers why this template exists.}

## Persona

- **Person**: {age range, gender, archetype, vibe}
- **Wardrobe**: {default wardrobe style — t-shirt / sweater / blouse / etc.}

## Environment

- **Setting**: {bathroom vanity / kitchen counter / bedroom / car / etc.}
- **Background**: {what's behind the subject; props visible}
- **Lighting**: {natural window light / ring light / overhead LED / etc.}
- **Lighting direction**: {camera-left / camera-front / overhead / etc.}

## Camera

- **Framing**: {selfie / tripod / handheld / mirror shot}
- **Crop**: {chest-up / waist-up / full body / extreme close-up}
- **Stability**: {fixed / slight handheld jitter / phone propped on surface}

## Aesthetic

- **Vibe**: {raw UGC / semi-polished / lo-fi retro / clean minimal / etc.}
- **Color palette**: {warm / cool / neutral, dominant tones}
- **Production level**: {authentic smartphone / semi-pro / professional}

## Captions / on-screen text

- **Style**: {serif white with black drop shadow / sans-serif / etc.}
- **Animation**: {word-by-word / line-by-line / static / typewriter}
- **Position**: {bottom-third / center / top}

## Pacing

- **Average video length**: {30s / 45s / 60s / 90s}
- **Hook duration**: {first N seconds}
- **CTA duration**: {last N seconds}
- **Average beat length**: {3s / 5s / 8s per scene}

## Sound

- **Voiceover**: {direct dialogue / scripted VO / cloned voice}
- **Music**: {none / ambient / trending audio}
- **Sound effects**: {captions click / no SFX / etc.}

## Hook structure

- **Default hook style**: {authority-betrayal / symptom-cluster / confessional / etc.}
- **Schwartz level**: {Unaware / Problem Aware / Solution Aware / Product Aware / Most Aware}

## CTA approach

- **Channel**: {TikTok Shop / Amazon keyword / Meta Shop}
- **Wording style**: {direct / soft / value-add first}
- **AI Label Trick required**: {yes / no}

## Body structure

- **Pattern**: {hook → symptom cluster → personal story → product reveal → CTA}
  (or whatever the template's body structure is)
- **Beats**: {how the body is paced; how many scenes}

## Notes

{Any operational notes — known constraints, things to watch for, recurring
issues with this template, things that DON'T work in this format.}

Save the template to reference/creative-templates/{template-slug}.md.

How to write one

Sit down with the research outputs and synthesize:

  1. Pick a winning pattern from the niche scan
  2. Drill into a specific creator who exemplifies it (via creator-scanner)
  3. Pull the structural details from the creator scan
  4. Get pacing and hook specifics from a whisper transcript of one of their viral videos
  5. Combine into the template — fill each section based on what you observed

The template is your synthesis. It should reflect what you saw in research, not what you imagine should work.

What a template enables downstream

Once a template is documented, future workflow briefs become two-line briefs:

Brief without a template

"Make a sales workflow for Brand XYZ targeting women 35-55 with sleep issues. Use Account A. TikTok Shop. Medium B-roll. Casual warm tone. Selfie framing. Natural window light from camera-left. Kitchen counter. Authority-betrayal hook. Comment keyword CTA."

(10+ specifications. You have to remember all of them.)

Brief WITH a template

"Make a sales workflow for Brand XYZ using the 'naturopath authority' template. Account A. Target women 35-55 with sleep issues."

The template carries everything else.

Templates compound — once you have 3-5 documented templates, you can produce briefs in seconds instead of minutes, and you stay consistent across workflows.

When to start a new template

Create a new template when:

  • A new format starts working in your niche
  • A specific creator's approach is one you'll use repeatedly
  • A client has a brand-specific format that recurs
  • You notice you're specifying the same 10 things in every brief — collect them once

Don't create a template for:

  • One-off experimental briefs
  • Templates that are too similar to existing ones (consolidate instead)
  • Templates without clear inspiration source (vague templates produce vague output)

Handing the template to the Script Writer

The Visual Planner uses the template for storyboarding. The Script Writer uses the same template for hook style, pacing, and body structure — but applies the brand's voice on top.

When briefing:

You: build a workflow for Brand XYZ. Use the "naturopath authority"
     creative template. Target women 35-55 with sleep issues.
     Product: magnesium-glycinate.

Claude:
  Loading creative template 'naturopath authority' from
  reference/creative-templates/naturopath-authority.md...

  Visual direction inherited from template:
    - Setting: bathroom vanity, ring light
    - Camera: selfie framing, chest-up
    - Aesthetic: clean minimal, neutral tones
    - Captions: serif white, black drop shadow, word-by-word
    - Pacing: 50-60s, 4s hook, 8 beats body, 5s CTA
    - Hook style: authority-betrayal
    - Schwartz level: Solution Aware

  Brand voice applied on top:
    - Brand XYZ Wellness — warm, conversational, science-informed
    - Banned words: cortisol, cure, guarantees
    - Approved claims for magnesium-glycinate: sleep onset support,
      muscle relaxation support

  Ready to script. Script Writer using Mode 5 (new script) with the
  template + brand layered in.

The template + brand combination eliminates 90% of the brief setup work.

When you're ready

You've finished Chapter 9. You can now:

  • Run niche-wide trend research with last30days
  • Drill into specific creators with creator-scanner
  • Extract dialogue and pacing from reference videos with whisper
  • Synthesize research into reusable creative templates
  • Hand templates off so future briefs are concise

→ Next: Chapter 10 — The Pipeline in Detail. The deep-dive concept chapter before the from-scratch doing chapter. Full agent cast, prehook, PiP, storyboarding logic, architecture patterns.