NanoFlick — Shot-by-Shot Video Guide
Happy Birthday Song Breakdown
Use this guide to quickly create a video for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
🎈About This Video Story
Breaks the “Happy Birthday Song” into individual shots to quickly make a tribute. Either sing each phrase yourself or have different friends each do one. Then share via text or social media.
How to Make a Great Video
Shoot each of the shots and keep the duration to the bare minimum. We've included instructions for each shot to create a short, fast-moving video your friends and followers will love. When you're finished shooting, just combine all the shots and you're done.
Find this template in the free NanoFlick app.
Video Shot List
ShotDescriptionLength
1
Sing: Happy Birthday
00:02Sing the first phrase of the song
2
Sing: To You
00:02With a different location, pose or activity, sing the next phrase of the song.
3
Sing: Happy Birthday
00:02With a another location, pose or activity, sing the next phrase of the song. Have fun creating a variety of visuals
4
Sing: To You
00:02With a different location, pose or activity, sing the next phrase of the song.
5
Sing: Happy Birthday
00:02With a different location, pose or activity, sing the next phrase of the song.
6
Sing: Dear Person’s Name
00:02Now sing “Dear” and the name of the birthday person.
7
Sing: Happy Birthday
00:02One more time with this one. Get creative!
8
Sing: To You
00:02Finish with a big flourish!
Top Video Tips
Keep it short...
...then cut it even shorter. Usually under 90 seconds for a serious video; under 30 for a fun one.
Keep it moving
Make sure each shot has a point...and get to it fast! No fluff or filler.
Tell a story
Stories need structure. Make sure you've got a beginning, middle and end.
Know the audience
Family will watch a 2:00 video. Everyone else gets bored after 45 seconds.
Focus on people
Go easy on transitions, filters, etc. The best content is people relating.
Time passages
Use transitions like Dissolve or Dip-to-Black to indicate passage of time
Multiple angles
Using multiple short shots with different angles is better than one longer shot.
Start wide...
...then move closer on subsequent shot for the scene.
Video Timeline
Timeline
This story template (and hundreds more) is built into the free NanoFlick iOS app. Download now for the fastest, easiest way to get this done. It'll coach you through every shot and automatically assemble your video for instant sharing — no editing required.
