Filmmaking,
the working knowledge.
Long-form guides on writing, shooting, cutting, and finishing video. Practical, opinionated, cross-linked to the Filmwiki and the tool kit.
How to write a 60-second hook that doesn't waste a second
Sixty seconds is a contract: deliver the promise in the first three, or the viewer leaves before frame four.
The 5 chapter cards every explainer video needs
A chapter card is the silent narrator your video has been waiting for - five of them do all the heavy lifting.
Color-grading for vertical video - what changes from 16:9
Vertical video isn't a horizontal video rotated - and the color grade that worked on the timeline doesn't survive the crop.
AI voiceover that doesn't sound AI
The difference between a believable AI voice and an obvious one is almost always in the script, not the model.
Match-cutting between B-roll and stock footage
The seam between your own footage and a stock clip is where the audience either trusts you or doesn't.
Lower-third typography that actually reads
A lower-third is the only typography in your video the viewer has to read while something else is happening - design accordingly.
How to plan a shot list in 20 minutes
A {filmwiki:shot-list} isn't a wish-list - it's the smallest amount of pre-production that prevents the largest amount of post-production.
The math of LUFS - getting your audio loud enough without clipping
LUFS is the number that decides whether your video sounds quiet, normal, or like it's yelling - and every platform measures it differently.
Picking music that doesn't fight your voiceover
The right music makes the voiceover sound smarter - the wrong music makes the voiceover sound like it's shouting.
Storyboarding without a sketching app
A storyboard isn't a drawing exercise - it's a thinking exercise that happens to produce a few frames.
The J-cut and the L-cut - and when to use them
The seam between two shots is rarely picture-to-picture and audio-to-audio at the same instant - that's where the J-cut and L-cut do their quiet work.
Writing a script that voices like real speech
A script meant to be spoken is not a paragraph of prose - it's a transcript of a conversation that hasn't happened yet.
A 5-second test for a clickable thumbnail
A thumbnail has to communicate one promise to a half-attentive viewer scrolling past at 400px wide - in less than a second.
From article to 90-second video - the news-briefing playbook
A {filmwiki:news-briefing} is the most compressed long-form writing exists - an article reduced to its decision-grade essentials in 90 seconds.
Building a brand kit for video creators
A brand kit isn't a logo and three colors - it's the decisions that mean you don't have to redesign the lower-third every Monday.
The 6 shot types every cinematic explainer uses
Six shot types do 90% of the work in cinematic explainers - knowing when each one belongs is the difference between coverage and storytelling.
Hashtag strategy that doesn't look desperate
The line between thoughtful hashtags and desperate hashtags is exactly five tags and which five you picked.
The 30/60/90-second cuts of the same video - and which platform wants which
Three different runtimes from one source isn't a cost - it's leverage, if you cut for each platform's native rhythm.
The narrative arc for a 60-second product explainer
A product explainer needs a story shape, not a feature list - and a 60-second video has room for exactly one arc.
Captions, subtitles, and the difference that matters
Captions and subtitles are not the same thing - and confusing them is the most common reason creators ship the wrong format for the wrong audience.
How to score a niche before you commit to a channel
A bad niche is six months of work in the wrong direction. Score it before you start, not after.
How to audit a YouTube channel in five minutes
An audit is not a vibe check. It is a scored report card across the eight things that decide whether a channel grows or stalls.
The Topic Queue - bulk-import the next 30 videos
A single video is a project. A pipeline of 30 topics, each in a defined state, is an operating system.
Source Packs - how to write AI scripts that don't hallucinate
Without sources, an LLM improvises. With sources, an LLM cites. Source Packs are the difference between AI scripts that are publishable and AI scripts that aren't.
Companion Articles - the video earns subs, the article earns rank
A video that lives only on YouTube is half a publish. Pair every video with a companion article and you get the rank too.
YouTube Compliance Mode - private-first uploads, audit-ready
YouTube's API gives you a small daily quota by default. Above that, you need an audit. Compliance Mode positions you to pass it.
The Comment Inbox - policy-safe engagement across every channel
Reading every comment across ten channels is impossible. Reading every comment with Cue drafting replies is a 20-minute job.
The portfolio operator playbook - running 3 to 100 channels
One channel is a project. Ten channels is a portfolio. A hundred channels is an operating system. The difference is the engine.
Build your first character
A character is your recurring presenter, defined once and cast into every video, every channel, every Look.
Author a custom Look
Looks are visual styles. Fork one from the catalog, tweak the palette and prompt suffix, and your brand has its own house aesthetic across every video.
Train a character LoRA
When reference images stop being consistent enough, train a LoRA. Studio and Portfolio tiers unlock per-character image and video LoRAs that lock identity at a deeper level.
Ref or LoRA: which to pick for your character
Two ways to lock identity. One is cheap and instant. The other is premium and exact. Picking right saves credits and avoids drift.
Turn a song into a character music video
Upload a track, cast your characters, and let the vocal timing decide every cut. No narration, no lip sync, no guessing at the edit.