ReelToons 1.0 doesn’t write your story or guess what you meant. That’s on purpose: you direct, the model animates. It also means the clearer your story, the closer the cartoon. Here’s how we’d write one.
1. Start with one idea
A short cartoon carries one idea well and three ideas badly. Before you write anything, finish this sentence: “After watching, people should remember that…” Everything in the story should serve that one line.
2. Write it scene by scene
Number your scenes. For each one, say where we are, who’s there and what happens. Short scenes are easier to animate and easier to follow on a phone.
Scene 1: A tiny café counter. A croissant sits in the display case, normal size.
Scene 2: The croissant starts to swell. The glass creaks.
Scene 3: It bursts out of the case and fills the café. Customers press against the windows.
Scene 4: Outside, the croissant rolls down the street like a golden boulder.
End card: “Bean There Café. Sizes may vary. Upwards.”
3. Write what we see, not what it means
“The croissant is very big” is an idea. “The croissant swells until it bursts through the door” is something to animate. Describe actions, expressions and movement. If a scene only works with a voiceover explaining it, rewrite the scene.
4. Put dialogue in quotes and say who speaks
Write Barista: “Did anyone else hear that?”, not “the barista wonders what the noise was”. Keep lines short: people read faster than characters talk. If you have a recorded voiceover, attach it when you describe your story.
5. Hook first, brand last
On social, the first second decides whether anyone watches the rest. Open on something happening, not a logo. Save your brand, product or line for the end card, where people are most likely to remember it.
6. Match the story to the length
You pick the length when you generate: 15 seconds to 3 minutes. A 15-second teaser has room for a setup and one surprise. A 60-second explainer can carry a problem, a struggle and a solution. If your story feels crammed, choose a longer length or cut a scene.
7. Pick the shape for where it’s going
9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. 16:9 for YouTube and your website. 3:4 for feed posts. If you need two shapes, generate each one.
A template you can copy
The one idea: …
Characters: … (or “see attached character art”)
Scene 1 (the hook): …
Scene 2: …
Scene 3 (the twist): …
End card: …
Remember: results vary from run to run, like any generation model. If a cartoon isn’t quite right, adjust the story and generate again, in ReelToons 1.0 or 1.0 Turbo.
