Reels script: Why home iced lattes taste watery (about 25 seconds)
1. Assumptions and open questions
- Platform and length: Instagram Reels, about 25 seconds.
- Format: Voice-over or talking head with step-by-step footage. You're alone, so you film yourself at the cart, phone propped up, and talk while you work.
- Takeaway: Regular ice melts and dilutes your drink. Coffee ice cubes don't, so the latte stays strong.
- Viewer: Someone who makes iced lattes at home and is let down by them.
- Tone: Friendly and quick, like a barista tip to a regular.
- Call to action: Save it for later. No product mention.
- Real claims only: Everything below is basic physics, so no made-up numbers. The script doesn't claim a specific time or strength. Only say "it stayed strong" if your own glass really did.
- Open question: Did you use plain brewed coffee or espresso for the cubes? I wrote "coffee" so it works either way. Swap in the right word if you like.
2. Hook options
| # | Angle | Visual | On-screen text | First spoken line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Mistake | Hand dropping regular ice into a glass of espresso and milk | "Your iced latte is watery because of this" | "Your iced latte isn't weak. Your ice is the problem." |
| B | Question | Close-up of a half-melted, pale latte | "Why does it taste like milk water?" | "Why does your homemade iced latte taste watery?" |
| C | Result | Tray of coffee cubes popped out in a row | "The ice that never waters it down" | "I make my ice cubes out of coffee." |
Recommended: A. It names a mistake the viewer is probably making and promises a fix. Both the text and the line match what the video delivers.
3. Beat sheet (about 25 seconds, about 60 spoken words)
| Time | Visual | On-screen text | Spoken line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3s | Dropping regular ice into a glass with espresso and milk | "Your iced latte isn't weak. Your ice is." | "Your iced latte isn't weak. Your ice is the problem." |
| 3–8s | Close-up of regular ice melting, with the drink going pale | "Ice melts → water" | "Regular ice melts. That melt is plain water, and it dilutes your drink." |
| 8–12s | Tray of coffee ice cubes held up to the camera | "Freeze your coffee" | "So I freeze coffee into cubes the day before." |
| 12–18s | Pull the espresso shot, pour it over coffee cubes in a glass | "Coffee cubes + espresso" | "Cubes in the glass. Shot over the top. Then milk." |
| 18–22s | Pour milk, then a slow swirl of the finished glass | "Melts into coffee, not water" | "As they melt, you get more coffee, not water." |
| 22–25s | Hold the glass up to the camera and smile | "Save this for later ?" | "Save this, so you've got it next time." |
Word count: about 62 words. That's slightly fast for 25 seconds. If it feels rushed, cut "Then milk" and shorten the beat at 3–8s to "Regular ice melts into plain water."
4. Caption, tags and cover
Caption:
"Regular ice waters down your iced latte as it melts. Freeze leftover coffee into cubes the night before and use those instead. Save this for your next batch. ☕"
Tags: #icedlatte #baristatips #homebarista #coffeetips #coffeecart
Cover frame: The glass with coffee cubes against the milk swirl. Title text: "Stop watery iced lattes".
Pinned comment idea: "What's your go-to iced coffee at home? ?" It invites replies without pushing anything.
5. Shot list and filming tips
| # | Shot | Where | Say | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regular ice into the glass, then espresso and milk | Cart counter | Hook line | 3s |
| 2 | Close-up of ice melting in a pale drink | Cart counter | "Regular ice melts…" | 5s |
| 3 | Hold up the tray of coffee cubes | Cart counter | "So I freeze coffee…" | 4s |
| 4 | Cubes into the glass, pull the shot over them | At the machine | "Cubes in the glass…" | 6s |
| 5 | Pour milk, swirl | Cart counter | "As they melt…" | 4s |
| 6 | Hold the glass up, smile | Cart counter | CTA | 3s |
Tips:
- Prepare the dilution shot first. Pour a regular-ice latte a few minutes before filming so you have a genuinely watery-looking close-up for shot 2.
- Light and sound: Use soft daylight and keep the phone vertical. Record the voice-over separately if the machine is loud.
- Safe area: Keep text away from the bottom and right edges, where Instagram's buttons and caption sit.
- Hook: Film it twice and use the cleaner take.
- Clear glass: Use one so the cubes and the swirl show up.
6. Pre-posting checklist
- [ ] Does the first second make sense with the sound off?
- [ ] Is every claim true? The video says regular ice melts into water and coffee cubes melt into coffee. It doesn't say how long the drink stays strong.
- [ ] Is the on-screen text readable on a phone and inside the safe area?
- [ ] Is the music from Instagram's licensed audio library, or music you have the rights to? Confirm the current rules in the app.
- [ ] Does the video end on one call to action (save)?
I can trim it to about 20 seconds or write a talking-head-only version, if you'd like either.
Fictional barista scenario. I counted the spoken lines: they add up to 59 words, close to the model's figure of about 60; its remark that this is slightly fast for 25 seconds is its own judgment. Nothing was filmed or posted.
它做什么
为竖屏短视频写脚本：只讲一个主意，开头几秒就抓人，每句话都是为“说出口”写的。它会先问平台、时长、唯一的要点、谁出镜以及能拍什么，然后给出三个开头钩子（画面、屏幕文字、第一句口播）并推荐一个，再给带时间的分镜表、文案与几个相关标签、封面想法、置顶评论想法、拍摄清单和拍摄小贴士，以及发布前的简短检查表。由于观众可能静音，重点也会以屏幕文字呈现。它不承诺播放量，也不断言算法喜欢什么。
输出
假设、三个钩子选项、分镜表、文案与标签、拍摄清单与拍摄小贴士、检查表。
适合什么场景
需要为竖屏视频写一份清晰、真实脚本的创作者、小商家和团队。
低风险：纯指令文件，没有脚本，不联网、不写文件。它写的是脚本，不会剪辑、拍摄或发布。它不知道平台当前如何推荐视频，所以不承诺任何曝光。已用一个虚构的咖啡师需求试用过一次，口播字数已核对，没有拍摄或发布任何内容。它会提醒不要编造用户好评和前后对比，并提醒标注赞助内容、只使用有权使用的音乐。AIBars 原创（MIT）。