How to script a 45-second health reel

Forty-five seconds is long enough to teach one useful thing and short enough that most viewers finish the video. This post walks through a method for writing a 45-second patient-education reel, scene by scene.

Start with a word budget

Spoken English in a calm, clear delivery runs at roughly 2.5 words per second. A 45-second reel therefore holds about 110–120 words, including the closing line.

That is less than most people expect. Write the script, count the words, and cut until it fits. If you are over budget, cut a point rather than speaking faster.

Target length	Approximate words (English)
30 seconds	75
45 seconds	115
60 seconds	155

Hindi and other languages pace differently, so time a test read aloud.

Split the script into scenes

A 45-second reel works well as five to seven scenes of four to eight seconds each. Short scenes keep the visuals moving and make editing easy.

Use two scene types:

• Talking head: you on camera. Use it to open, to deliver the key advice, and to close.
• B-roll: an illustration with your voice narrating. Use it for explanation and lists.

A reliable pattern is to begin and end with a talking head and never place two B-roll scenes back to back.

Scene 1: the hook (first 3–5 seconds)

The first line decides whether anyone watches the rest. It should state the problem in the viewer's words, not in textbook terms.

• Weak: "Today we will discuss pyrexia in paediatric patients."
• Strong: "Your child has a fever. Here is when to worry."

Scenes 2–5: explain and act

Give two or three points. For each one, write a short sentence that someone could repeat to a family member.

Then turn the explanation into action. What should the viewer look out for, and what should they do? This is the part that changes behaviour, so make it concrete: "fast breathing, unusual sleepiness, a rash that does not fade, or fewer wet nappies."

The final scene: close responsibly

Every reel should end with two things:

1. When to see a doctor: "See a doctor if the fever lasts more than three days."
2. A brief education disclaimer: "This video is for general education."

This keeps the reel on the education side of professional guidelines and reminds viewers that a reel is not a consultation.

Words to avoid

Some words turn education into advertising or overpromise:

• cure, guaranteed, permanent, 100%
• best, number one, miracle
• drug and brand names
• patient stories and testimonials

If you catch yourself writing one of these, rephrase in neutral terms.

Choosing B-roll images

Good B-roll supports the words without distracting from them:

• simple objects (a thermometer, a glass of water, a calendar)
• clean diagrams of organs or processes
• calm, consistent colours across all scenes

Avoid real patients, visible disease, wounds, rashes or anything graphic.

A worked example (about 45 seconds)

Scene	Type	Script
1	Talking head	Most fevers in children are the body fighting a common infection.
2	B-roll	What matters more than the number is how your child is behaving.
3	Talking head	A child who is playing and drinking fluids is usually doing well.
4	B-roll	Watch for fast breathing, unusual sleepiness, a rash, or fewer wet nappies.
5	Talking head	Any fever in a baby under three months needs a doctor the same day.
6	B-roll	Keep them in light clothing and offer fluids often.
7	Talking head	See a doctor if the fever lasts beyond three days. This video is for education only.

That is under 90 words across seven scenes, which leaves room for natural pauses between scenes.

Captions and hashtags

The caption should restate the takeaway in one line and add two or three specific hashtags. Specific tags such as #childfever reach the right people better than generic ones such as #health.

Speed it up

DoctorStudio drafts scripts in exactly this structure for your specialty, with the word budget set by the length you choose. You then edit each scene, swap talking-head and B-roll, and render the reel in your own face and voice.