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The field guide for modern creators

Make videos people stop for, stay for and share.

A practical guide to making videos that are worth someone's time, from the first idea to the final edit.

Read the free sample → See what's inside
77chapters
686pages
35templates
Worth Watching book cover by Ray S
The one rule

The first seconds of your post make a promise. The rest of the post has to keep it.

Inside the book

Nine parts.
One question each.

It follows the order you actually work in: the idea, the hook, the story, filming, sound, editing, AI, posting and growing. Plain words for beginners, a “Level up” for people who already post.

Part 01Ch 1–4

Attention

“Why would anyone stop?”

How attention works, how the feed works, who you’re talking to, who you are.

Part 02Ch 5–13

Ideas That Stick

“What am I saying, and why will they care?”

Finding ideas, sharpening them, hooks.

Part 03Ch 14–21

Story

“How do I hold them to the end?”

How stories work, from 30 seconds to a whole series.

Part 04Ch 22–31

Planning and Shooting

“How do I capture it?”

Planning, framing, staging, movement, light, your phone, being on camera.

Part 05Ch 32–40

Sound

“How do I make it sound right?”

Mics, recording, sound effects, music, mixing.

Part 06Ch 41–50

Editing

“How do I put it together?”

Cuts, pacing, captions, color, workflow, endings.

Part 07Ch 51–56

Making Video With AI

“How do I use AI well, and honestly?”

AI images, motion, voices and music, a complete AI video, mixing real and AI, publishing responsibly.

Part 08Ch 57–70

Publishing and Growing

“How do I learn and grow?”

Getting found, reading numbers, fair tests, going viral, community, money, selling in the app, long videos.

Part 09Ch 71–77

Doing It Right

“How do I last?”

Honesty, copyright, privacy, protecting your account, AI principles, the business side, not burning out.

The Toolkit

Grab it while you work.

  • 4 worked examples, start to finish
  • 35 ready-to-use templates
  • 350+ creator questions answered
  • Master checklists, a decision guide, an accessibility guide, a month of practice and a glossary
Hook BankTwo-Column ScriptShot ListStoryboardContent CalendarSeries BibleExperiment LedgerPromise-to-Payoff MapMedia KitRate WorksheetAI Publishing CheckAccount Emergency Kit+ 23 more
Every chapter

Built to be used, not just read.

  1. The big ideaThe whole chapter in a couple of sentences.
  2. The chapterWhat the idea is and why it works, with examples.
  3. The AI WorkflowHow AI can help with that job, with example prompts and what to check.
  4. Do thisNumbered steps you can use today.
  5. Level upDeeper material for people who already post.
  6. Try itOne short exercise. Reading about video is not the same as making it.
See all 77 chapters

Start here

  • A Note from Ray
  • Welcome
  • Choose Your Path
  • Meet the Crew
  • The One Rule: Every Post Is a Promise
  • The Whole Process on One Page
  • Quick Start: Your First Good Video in Seven Days
  • Working With AI: The Six-Step Loop

Part 1: Attention

  1. 1The First Seconds: How Attention Works
  2. 2How the Feed Decides What People See
  3. 3Know Your Viewer
  4. 4Know Yourself: Purpose, Voice, and Trust

Part 2: Ideas That Stick

  1. 5Finding Ideas Worth Making
  2. 6One Point: Say One Thing Well
  3. 7Surprise and Curiosity
  4. 8Make It Something They Can See
  5. 9Proof: Getting People to Believe You
  6. 10Getting People to Care
  7. 11Why Stories Work
  8. 12Hooks: Winning the First Seconds
  9. 13When Hooks Wear Out

Part 3: Story

  1. 14What a Story Really Is
  2. 15Choosing the Shape: Structure, Setting, and Genre
  3. 16Beginning, Middle, and End in 30 Seconds
  4. 17Scenes, Beats, and Turning Points
  5. 18Characters and Conflict
  6. 19Meaning, Information, and Words
  7. 20Writing the Script
  8. 21Formats and Series

Part 4: Planning and Shooting

  1. 22See It Before You Shoot It
  2. 23Designing What’s in the Frame
  3. 24The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition
  4. 25Point of View: Whose Eyes Are We Using?
  5. 26Staging People and Things
  6. 27Moving the Camera
  7. 28Light
  8. 29Your Phone as a Camera
  9. 30Being on Camera
  10. 31Filming Objects, Food, and B-Roll

Part 5: Sound

  1. 32Sound Is Half the Video
  2. 33How Sound Works
  3. 34Microphones and Gear
  4. 35Recording Clean Sound
  5. 36Recording Your Voice
  6. 37Sound Effects and Foley
  7. 38Sound Design
  8. 39Music
  9. 40Editing and Mixing Sound

Part 6: Editing

  1. 41What Editing Really Is
  2. 42Where and Why to Cut
  3. 43Choosing Your Best Footage
  4. 44Cuts and Transitions
  5. 45Continuity: Keeping Viewers Oriented
  6. 46Rhythm, Pace, and Timing
  7. 47Text, Captions, and Graphics
  8. 48Color
  9. 49The Editing Workflow
  10. 50Endings, Loops, and Calls to Action

Part 7: Making Video With AI

  1. 51How Generative AI Works
  2. 52AI Images: Directing the Picture
  3. 53AI Video: Directing the Motion
  4. 54AI Voices, Music, and Sound
  5. 55Making a Complete AI Video
  6. 56Real and AI Together: Hybrid Video and Responsible Publishing

Part 8: Publishing and Growing

  1. 57Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers
  2. 58When and How Often to Post
  3. 59Reading Your Numbers
  4. 60Fair Experiments: Learning Without Fooling Yourself
  5. 61Diagnose, Revise, Learn
  6. 62When a Video Takes Off
  7. 63Building a Community
  8. 64Growing with Others
  9. 65From Attention to Results
  10. 66Brands, Partnerships, and Platform Money
  11. 67Selling in the App: Shoppable Video, Affiliates and Live Selling
  12. 68One Video, Many Platforms
  13. 69Long-Form Video: Packaging, Structure, and Satisfaction
  14. 70Every Screen: Phones, Computers, TVs and Video Podcasts

Part 9: Doing It Right

  1. 71Honesty and Trust
  2. 72Copyright and Using Other People’s Work
  3. 73People on Camera, Privacy, and Safety
  4. 74Protecting Your Account: Hacks, Strikes, Scams and Backups
  5. 75Using AI Tools Wisely
  6. 76The Business Side: Records, Taxes, Contracts and Insurance
  7. 77Systems and Stamina

The Toolkit

  • Worked Example 1: A 30-Second Tutorial, Start to Finish
  • Worked Example 2: A Product Story for a Small Business
  • Worked Example 3: Planning a Series
  • Worked Example 4: A Filmed Video Made With AI Help
  • Before and After: Five Revisions
  • Master Checklists
  • Beginner Decision Guide
  • Accessibility Guide
  • A Month of Deliberate Practice
  • Templates
  • Creator Questions Answered
  • Glossary
  • Notes and Sources
  • A Final Word
A better way to start

A hook isn't noise. It's a promise.

A hook grabs attention honestly. Clickbait grabs it with a promise it doesn't keep. Keep the promise and your next hook works better. Flip between the two intros and watch the difference.

Topic, not reason. It tells people what the video is about, not why the next few seconds are worth their time.

Learn to write better hooks ↗
@yourchannel

Today I'm going to talk about video hooks.

ILLUSTRATION
The whole process

Fifteen steps.
Find your weakest one.

Every piece of content goes through the same steps. Big creators and beginners do the same things. One weak step drags down the rest, and the book helps you find yours and fix it. Tap any step to see what it covers.

Step 01 of 15

Know

How attention works, who you’re talking to, why you’re talking

Chapters 1 to 4
AI BriefGenerateEvaluateVerifyRefineProduce Make or improve any step with AI, and publish it honestly
77chapters
686pages
35templates
Pick your path

Built for wherever
you're starting.

You're not supposed to read it front to back like a novel. Three guided paths take you through the chapters that matter most for where you are right now. The rest is a reference for when something goes wrong.

Path 01 / Start Creating

Starting from zero?

You’re new, or you’ve posted a few things without a plan.

Plan, film, record, edit and post a short video that keeps its promise, with a 7-day plan to your first good video.

Start with
The Quick Start
Done when
You’ve posted ten videos and can explain why your best one worked.
Path 02 / Grow & Improve

Already posting?

You already post and want better results, or something stopped working.

Find the weak step in your videos, fix it and build steady growth and income.

Start with
Chapter 59, Reading Your Numbers
Done when
You can diagnose a weak video and run a fair test on your fix.
Path 03 / Create With AI

Working with AI?

You want AI to help with your videos, or to make videos mostly with AI.

Brief, generate, check and fix AI work, then publish it honestly, without losing your creativity.

Start with
Working With AI: The Six-Step Loop
Done when
You’ve finished one short AI video you’d be proud to label as AI.
Take a look inside

Don't take our word for it.
Read some first.

Explore the free sample before deciding whether the full book is right for you. No pressure. Just the work.

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  • Instant download
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Worth Watching book cover by Ray S
The creator's notebook

Useful ideas.
Zero gatekeeping.

All articles ↗
Filming

24fps vs 30fps vs 60fps, which frame rate should you use?

What 24, 25, 30, 60 and 120 frames per second look like, which to use for talking videos, tutorials, action and slow motion, how your country’s power supply affects it, and the shutter speed that goes with each.

Read the article · 5 min
Rules & Rights

Am I shadowbanned? How to check on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

What a shadowban really is, how to check whether TikTok, Instagram or YouTube has limited your account, what actually reduces reach, and what to do if your views have dropped but nothing is flagged.

Read the article · 5 min
Filming

B-roll ideas for any video, even if you film alone.

What B-roll is, ten kinds of B-roll to plan for any topic, ideas for cooking, fitness, beauty, tech, home, business and product videos, and how to film it quickly on your own.

Read the article · 5 min
Ready to make something?

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Better ideas. Clearer stories. Content worth watching.

Get Worth Watching → Free sample first