> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.videngineer.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Teardown to your video

> Turn a reference teardown into a ready-to-shoot brief.

Teardown to your video answers: **how do I move from study to a brief my team can actually make?**

This workflow starts with a reference video and ends with a script, shot list, sound direction, and asset plan. Each step links to the layer reference for the details.

## Step 1 - Submit the reference

Open [videngineer.com](https://videngineer.com), click **+ New analysis**, then paste a public YouTube, TikTok, X, or Instagram link, or upload a video file.

The job queues immediately. Most short videos finish in about 60-90 seconds, with live progress while the report runs. Power and Team can use queue and batch workflows for larger research sets.

## Step 2 - Check whether the reference fits

Open the finished analysis and start with [What it's selling](/layers/what-its-selling). The format call and logline tell you whether this is actually comparable to what you need to make.

Then check [Scorecard](/layers/scorecard) if the report includes it. A video executing strongly for its format is worth a deeper read; a weaker score with high reach may mean distribution did more work than the creative.

## Step 3 - Pull the structure

Two layers carry the structural intelligence:

* **[The Blueprint](/layers/blueprint)** - the visual build: shot mix, camera language, scenes per minute, text-overlay frequency, and palette.
* **[Script analysis](/layers/script-analysis)** - the narrative skeleton: hook, re-hooks, beat sheet, CTAs, and voice-over read.

**What to do:** write down the beat count, beat labels, timing, re-hook cadence, CTA placement, and dominant shot types. That becomes your brief skeleton.

## Step 4 - Study the craft

* **[The Cuts](/layers/cuts)** - every real shot as a playable clip with a technique-focused title. Use the titles as your first shot list.
* **[Cast & World](/layers/cast)** - recurring characters, locations, and props, plus cutouts and clean plates when you need visual planning assets.
* **[Sound layer](/layers/sound-layer)** - music segments, SFX catalog, stems, and the sound recipe.

## Step 5 - Build your brief

Use [Recipe & Cut Blueprint](/layers/recreation) for scene prompts and deeper cut direction. Use [Scene prompts](/scriptwriters/recreation-prompts) when you need tool-by-tool instructions.

For the script itself, hand the skeleton to your writing workflow:

```text theme={null}
I analyzed a reference video and want to write my own version for [MY PRODUCT/SERVICE].

From the teardown:
- Hook: [hook text] - type: [hook type], strength [1-10]
- Emotional arc: [arc]
- Pacing: [pacing value]
- Beat sheet: [beat labels with timestamps]
- Content pattern: [content_patterns value]
- Dominant shot types: [shot mix from Blueprint]

My product/service: [describe yours in 2 sentences]
My audience: [who you are writing for - their job, pain, and goal]
Desired CTA: [what they should do at the end]

Write a 60-second script that:
1. Uses the same emotional arc adapted to my audience
2. Opens with a hook of the same type, about my subject
3. Follows the beat sheet but substitutes my product/story
4. Ends with a clear CTA

Format: VO lines with [VISUAL NOTE] cues for each scene.
```

The prompt asks for the pattern, not the source content.

## Worked example - B2B SaaS ad

**Reference:** 68-second LinkedIn ad for a project management tool.

### From the layers

* **Blueprint:** 22 distinct scenes in 68 seconds. Dominant angles: tight talking-head, product screen recording, text cards.
* **Hook:** Identity signal lands by second 3; type `big-claim`, strength 8/10.
* **Script analysis:** Emotional arc `pain -> relief`; first third shows the broken state, the rest shows the better state.
* **Beat sheet:** Frustration -> what-if pivot -> product demo -> social proof -> CTA.

### The adapted brief

```text theme={null}
[SCENE 1 - tight talking head, frustrated]
"Your team has the tools. You have the budget. So why does every project still feel like it is held together with Slack messages and spreadsheets?"

[SCENE 2 - cut to product screen]
"This is what it looks like when everything is in one place."

[SCENE 3 - social proof card]
"Teams using [PRODUCT] cut status update meetings by half."

[SCENE 4 - CTA]
"Start your trial. The setup takes four minutes."
```

Same skeleton. Same arc. Different story.

## Common questions

| Question                                             | Answer                                                                                        |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| How long does analysis take?                         | Most short videos finish in about 60-90 seconds. Longer videos and batch jobs take more time. |
| What sources work?                                   | YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram, and direct file upload.                                        |
| Can I analyze several videos at once?                | Queue and batch workflows are Power/Team features.                                            |
| What is the difference between Blueprint and Script? | Blueprint is visual structure. Script analysis is narrative structure.                        |
| Can I send the report into another workflow?         | Yes. Export the recipe, Cut Blueprints, and report context you need.                          |