Playbook · YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Threads and Medium
How to make talking head videos for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
Short answer
Deliver one point of view / update / opinion directly to camera in a 30-60 second vertical clip. Deliver 9:16 on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok and 1:1 on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Threads and Medium. Burn captions in on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok; the others take plain text.
Start from: phone selfie camera, eye-level tripod and lav mic.
The steps
- Write the script: One sentence per line. Aim for 12-18 lines for 60s.
- Record 2-3 takes: Cut to the strongest take - do not edit awkwardness in post.
- Apply safe-zone + burn captions: Subject high; captions below. (Burn-in)
- Export per platform: 9:16 across the board. (Content Pack)
What to produce: Talking head clip (9:16, 60 s); Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio).
Platform by platform
| Platform | Aspect | Length | Captions | Reframe from 16:9 | Safe zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | up to 60 s | Burned in | Yes | Apply before upload |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | up to 60 s | Burned in | Yes | Apply before upload |
| TikTok | 9:16 | up to 60 s | Burned in | Yes | Apply before upload |
| 1:1 | up to 60 s | Plain text | No | Not required | |
| X (Twitter) | 1:1 | up to 60 s | Plain text | No | Not required |
| Threads | 1:1 | up to 60 s | Plain text | No | Not required |
| Medium | 1:1 | up to 60 s | Plain text | No | Not required |
Talking head videos on YouTube Shorts
- Hook
- First 3 seconds decide Shorts retention - open on the strongest beat.
- Captions
- Burned-in captions; Shorts allow heavier caption styling.
- Deliver
- Talking head clip (9:16); Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Extra steps for YouTube Shorts
- Reframe for YouTube Shorts: 16:9 to 9:16 reframe; subject tracking. (Reframe)
- Apply platform safe-zone overlay: Use the YouTube Shorts safe-zone overlay so subjects stay visible. (Safe-zone)
YouTube Shorts export preset · YouTube Shorts safe-zone overlay
Talking head videos on Instagram Reels
- Hook
- Lead with motion; Reels favours strong visual hooks.
- Captions
- Burned-in lower-thirds; Reels tolerates heavy captions.
- Deliver
- Talking head clip (9:16); Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Extra steps for Instagram Reels
- Reframe for Instagram Reels: 16:9 to 9:16 reframe; subject tracking. (Reframe)
- Apply platform safe-zone overlay: Use the Instagram Reels safe-zone overlay so subjects stay visible. (Safe-zone)
Instagram Reels export preset · Instagram Reels safe-zone overlay
Talking head videos on TikTok
- Hook
- Lead with the surprising beat; TikTok rewards pattern interrupts.
- Captions
- Burned-in captions; place inside the platform safe-zone.
- Deliver
- Talking head clip (9:16); Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Extra steps for TikTok
Talking head videos on LinkedIn
- Hook
- Lead with the contrarian or non-obvious point; LinkedIn rewards dialogue.
- Captions
- Burned-in captions are essential; LinkedIn feeds are predominantly muted.
- Deliver
- Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Talking head videos on X (Twitter)
- Hook
- Lead with the take, not the topic; text-first voice.
- Captions
- Plain text or single-line captions; no banner overlays.
- Deliver
- Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Talking head videos on Threads
- Hook
- Lead with the take, not the topic; text-first voice.
- Captions
- Plain text or single-line captions; no banner overlays.
- Deliver
- Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Talking head videos on Medium
- Hook
- Lead with the strongest sentence in the script. Don't start with 'Hey guys'.
- Captions
- Full burned-in captions - talking head clips die on mute without them.
- Deliver
- Written version of the same point (no fixed ratio)
Pitfalls to avoid
- Eye contact lost (looking at notes)
- Lav mic picking up room noise
- Subject placed too low in frame
Turn one source into the clips
Koldflux turns one long video into ready-to-post vertical clips with captions.
Questions people ask
What aspect ratio should talking head videos use?
9:16 on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok and 1:1 on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Threads and Medium.
How long should talking head videos be?
YouTube Shorts: up to 60 s, Instagram Reels: up to 60 s, TikTok: up to 60 s, LinkedIn: up to 60 s, X (Twitter): up to 60 s, Threads: up to 60 s and Medium: up to 60 s.
Do talking head videos need burned-in captions?
YouTube Shorts: burned-in recommended, Instagram Reels: burned-in recommended, TikTok: burned-in recommended, LinkedIn: plain text is enough, X (Twitter): plain text is enough, Threads: plain text is enough and Medium: plain text is enough.
Related playbooks and guides
Sources
- LinkedIn B2B Institute, verified September 18, 2026.
- Wistia Learn creator playbook, verified September 18, 2026.