# Screen first, then the face

Story / Hook / Camera-angle hooks. Checked 2026-11-13.

The viewer sees what caused the reaction, then feels it with the person.

- Use when: Reviews, comments, data, press mentions.
- Phrase: over-the-shoulder on the laptop showing the review, then cut to her face from the front as she reacts
- Page: https://directorchair.ai/hook/screen-then-face
- JSON: https://directorchair.ai/api/hook/screen-then-face.json

## Watch out

- Script the set-up, never the emotion. (practitioner; The Director Chair script structure notes)
- Use real screenshots; generated screens carry invented text. (measured; House rule)

## Prompts

### Seedance 2.5

```
Scene: [your subject] in [your setting]. Over-the-shoulder on the laptop showing the review, then cut to the subject's face from the front as the subject reacts.
Shot 1 (0:00 to 0:05): one continuous shot
```

### Seedance 2.0

```
Scene: [your subject] in [your setting]. Over-the-shoulder on the laptop showing the review, then cut to the subject's face from the front as the subject reacts.
Shot 1: one continuous shot
```

### Kling 3.0

```
[your subject]. Over-the-shoulder on the laptop showing the review, then cut to the subject's face from the front as the subject reacts. The scene is [your setting].
```

### Veo 3.1

```
[your subject] in [your setting]. Over-the-shoulder on the laptop showing the review, then cut to the subject's face from the front as the subject reacts. Framing and subject stay as in the start image.
```

## Goes well with

- Reaction: https://directorchair.ai/hook/reaction-hook
- Over-the-shoulder shot: https://directorchair.ai/shot/over-the-shoulder-shot
- Reaction: https://directorchair.ai/format/format-reaction
- Reactions arrive late: https://directorchair.ai/expression/late-reactions

## Source

Own words from the Director Chair hook framework (our 2026 synthesis of @marco.thecreative's TikTok series, OpusClip's hook formulas, a Brandefy article, Meta retention research and a Gemini research report) and the Director Chair script structure notes

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