Today years old
Handwritten sticky note slapped on screen, with an optional tag. Stages: “I was today years old when I learned you can cut an onion without crying.” The payoff is a reveal later in the video and the opener needs a reason to stay. Fits lines like “I was today years old when I learned airplane mode makes your phone charge faster.”.
Preview unavailable
Open my video with this hook: "Today years old" from the 24fps video editor library.
Preset JSON: https://24fps.dev/video-editor/hooks/today-years-old/preset.json (pass its "preset" to the engine).
Engine (MIT, no dependencies, ES module): https://24fps.dev/editor/engine.js. Download the engine next to your page (curl -O) rather than importing cross-origin, then import { mount } from "./engine.js" in a <script type="module"> served over http.
Wiring: root = a position:relative box at the video's size. media = { main }: main is a wrapper holding my video, filling the root. Then const fx = mount(root, { kind: "text", preset, media }) and call fx.render(seconds) every frame. The preset runs 4s from t = 0; offset t to place it later. It is seek-safe: drive it from the GSAP timeline in HyperFrames or call render(frame / fps) in Remotion. Before capturing frames, await (fx.ready ?? document.fonts.ready). Check it on my footage: if text is hidden behind the subject or doesn't read against my colours, nudge the layer positions or colours.
Replace the demo text with mine: set preset.layers[n].text (use \n for line breaks); if none given, write lines that fit my footage and tell me.
Hook formula: I was today years old when I learned [simple thing].
Field reference: https://24fps.dev/video-editor/llms.txt. Keep sizes as fractions of the frame height so it works at any resolution. Credit: 24fps.dev/video-editor- Formula
- I was today years old when I learned [simple thing].
- Example lines
- I was today years old when I learned you can cut an onion without crying. · I was today years old when I learned airplane mode makes your phone charge faster. · I was today years old when I learned you can fold a fitted sheet in four moves. · I was today years old when I learned the little arrow on a fuel gauge points to the pump side.
- Beats
- 0.0s Yellow note 'I was today years old when I learned this' pops in, tilted. → 0.5s Tag 'mind blown' pops on its corner. → 1.4s Handheld shot of the speaker holding the object; a small gasp sound lands with the note pop; the reveal follows at 2.5 s.
- Technique
- Curiosity gap hook: Open loop: imply a payoff and withhold it for a few seconds.
- Footage
- Man talking and gesturing, Pexels