{
 "slug": "frame-zero-is-the-thumbnail",
 "name": "Frame 0 is the thumbnail",
 "category": "hook",
 "group": "Visual hooks and animations",
 "media": [
  "video"
 ],
 "checked": "2026-11-13",
 "effect": "The first frame already says what the video is about, in the feed and on the profile grid.",
 "use_when": "Every video that will be judged by its cover.",
 "phrase": "the hook line in large type behind the speaker's head, readable on the very first frame",
 "pitfalls": [
  {
   "text": "Show only the first frame for two seconds and ask what it is about. No answer means the visual hook fails.",
   "evidence": "practitioner",
   "source": "Director Chair field notes on hooks and ideas"
  },
  {
   "text": "Eight of the nine measured reference edits start the first spoken word at 0.0 seconds.",
   "evidence": "measured",
   "source": "Director Chair measurements of published shorts (measured 22 and 23 Oct 2026)"
  }
 ],
 "per_model": [],
 "external_refs": [],
 "licensed": [],
 "site_names": [],
 "related": [
  "type-behind-head",
  "map-in-frame-zero",
  "text-first-hook",
  "two-second-frame-test"
 ],
 "rights": "own-work",
 "evidence": "practitioner",
 "source": {
  "url": null,
  "note": "Own words from Director Chair notes on Reel Kit (Justyn The AI Guy) and Director Chair field notes on hooks and ideas"
 },
 "body": "",
 "shown_with": null,
 "url": "https://directorchair.ai/hook/frame-zero-is-the-thumbnail",
 "markdown": "https://directorchair.ai/hook/frame-zero-is-the-thumbnail.md",
 "prompts": {
  "seedance-2.5": "Scene: [your subject] in [your setting]. The hook line in large type behind the speaker's head, readable on the very first frame.\nShot 1 (0:00 to 0:05): one continuous shot",
  "seedance-2.0": "Scene: [your subject] in [your setting]. The hook line in large type behind the speaker's head, readable on the very first frame.\nShot 1: one continuous shot",
  "kling-3": "[your subject]. The hook line in large type behind the speaker's head, readable on the very first frame. The scene is [your setting].",
  "veo-3.1": "[your subject] in [your setting]. The hook line in large type behind the speaker's head, readable on the very first frame. Framing and subject stay as in the start image."
 },
 "licence": {
  "code": "MIT",
  "text": "CC BY 4.0",
  "third_party": "Clips and card texts inside a \"licensed\" block belong to their makers and are shown with permission and credit."
 }
}