NanoFlick — Shot-by-Shot Video Guide
Surprise Birthday Weekend
Use this guide to quickly create a video for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
🗓️About This Video Story
Capture the planning, surprise and fun. Keep the shots SHORT because there are a lot of them. Final video will be short with quick pacing.
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
Introduction & Plan
00:08Introduce yourselves, say who you’ll be celebrating, their age and what the plan is.
2
Preparing
00:03Show and describe as you make the favors or presents or t-shirts…anything visual for the big surprise.
3
En Route
00:03Show the anticipation as you travel to the birthday weekend. You can add additional shots as necessary but keep them short.
4
Location Exterior
00:02Show the outside of where you’ll be surprising the person. Try to include the sign and/or frontage.
5
Location Interior
00:02Show the INSIDE of where you’ll be surprising the person. Pan across the restaurant or venue.
6
The Buildup
00:03If there’s a suspenseful moment leading up to the big reveal, shoot it now. Otherwise just skip to the next shot.
7
The Reveal
00:06Capture the full moment when the surprise is revealed. You don’t have to capture the reaction, that’ll be in the next shot. If this shot goes too long, you can always trim it later.
8
Aftermath Reaction
00:05Show the reactions to the birthday surprise.
9
YOUR Reaction
00:05Now show YOUR reaction. Describe how well the surprise worked and any other commentary.
10
Day 2 Fun
00:03Discuss the plan for fun during the day.
11
Daytime Fun
00:03Show the day 2 activities in this shot and the next two. Use different angles. You can add more shots if you’d like;
12
Daytime Fun: Shot 2
00:03Show more of the day 2 activities.
13
Daytime Fun: Shot 3
00:03Show more of the day 2 activities. You can add more shots if you’d like.
14
Day 2 Party Plan
00:04Discuss the plan for the evening…the Who What and How of the night.
15
Party Preparation
00:02Show people preparing: decorations, presents, food, etc.
16
Party Preparation: Shot 2
00:02Show more preparation, with your commentary.
17
The Big Arrival
00:04Show the birthday boy/girl as they enter, and their reaction.
18
Other Reactions
00:03Show your and others’ reactions. Comment on how the surprise/setup worked.
19
Party Fun - Wide Shot
00:02Pan around the party, showing guests having a good time.
20
Meet The Guests
00:04Introduce a few other guests. Have them share how they know the birthday boy/girl, how long they’ve known them, and an embarrassing or fun story. You can add a few more SHORT shots if you’d like.
21
Happy Birthday Song
00:06Shoot JUST THE END of the Happy Birthday song (the final “…happy birthday to you”) and the candle blowing out.
22
Party Wind-down
00:02Show more of the party as it the winds down.
23
Final Party Comments
00:05Say goodbye to the birthday boy/girl and ask them how they liked it. Again, KEEP IT SHORT.
24
Traveling Home Commentary
00:07Show yourself (and co-conspirators) traveling home and commenting on the weekend and your favorite moment. Say Happy Birthday to them one more time.
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.
