# Old way, new way

Story / Hook / Textual hooks (what to say). Checked 2026-11-13.

Two states side by side let the viewer place themselves in the worse one.

- Use when: Tools and methods that replace a habit.
- Phrase: the old way: three days in an edit suite. The new way: one take and a reference reel
- Page: https://directorchair.ai/hook/contrast-hook
- JSON: https://directorchair.ai/api/hook/contrast-hook.json

## Watch out

- Position against the old way or the whole category, not a named competitor; a split screen is the standard execution. (practitioner; Director Chair field notes on hooks and ideas (Motion's hook guide and 2026 creative benchmark, vendor data))

## Prompts

### Any chat model

```
Write five opening lines for a short video about [your product], for [your audience]. Use the old way, new way pattern: two states side by side let the viewer place themselves in the worse one. Position against the old way or the whole category, not a named competitor; a split screen is the standard execution. Example: the old way: three days in an edit suite. The new way: one take and a reference reel. Plain spoken language, no hashtags, no emoji. Tell me which one you would post first and why, in one line.
```

## Goes well with

- Before and after in one frame: https://directorchair.ai/hook/high-contrast-hook
- Belief shattering: https://directorchair.ai/hook/belief-shattering
- Match cut: https://directorchair.ai/transition/match-cut

## Source

Own words from Director Chair field notes on hooks and ideas

Text CC BY 4.0, Director Chair (directorchair.ai). Reference clips and their card texts belong to their makers.