YouTube script template
How Top Miniature Painting YouTubers make Their Videos (Steal This Template)
The script template top miniature painting YouTubers use across tutorials, time-lapses, and project logs. Built piece by piece, full example at the end.
How Top Miniature Painting YouTubers Make Their Videos (5 Templates You Can Steal)
Every miniature painting video that actually holds retention follows a structural template. Most channels on this niche wing it, which is why their retention graphs cliff at 90 seconds while the channels that follow these templates continue growing.
Below are five complete script templates, one for each major mini painting video format: tutorial, time-lapse, project log, review, and a general template that works when your video doesn't fit the other four. Each template is a full scripted opening through close. Steal the one that matches your next video, swap in your specifics, and you're almost done scripting.
Pick your video type
- Tutorial, you're teaching a specific technique (wet-blending, edge highlighting, NMM, OSL). Runtime 8-15 min. Viewer came to learn a skill.
- Time-lapse, full paint job compressed into voiceover-narrated footage. Runtime 10-20 min. Viewer came to watch the mini come to life.
- Project log, one episode in a serialized project (army painting, diorama build, commission). Runtime 12-25 min. Viewer came for the journey.
- Review, paint, brush, airbrush, primer, or other tool review. Runtime 6-12 min. Viewer came to decide whether to buy.
- General, a single-topic video that doesn't fit above (opinion piece, channel update, tips list). Runtime varies. Use when nothing else fits.
The script templates
Here are all five. Each is a full scripted opening through close. Scan them and pick the one that fits your style.
Template 1: Tutorial
For teaching a specific technique. The viewer wants a skill they can replicate.
::::script :::hook This is non-metallic gold. I'll teach you the three-layer recipe I use on every gold detail in my army. By the end of this video you'll be able to paint it on any mini. :::promise I'll cover the three paints you need, how to thin them, where to place the shadow, and the one step most beginners skip that makes the gold look flat. Works for tabletop or display quality. :::sceneshot Close-up on a shoulder pad pre-NMM. Sorcerer armor, bare edge highlighted. :::voiceover This is where we're starting. A clean edge highlight in Warplock Bronze. That's your base layer. If you can edge-highlight, you can do this. :::retention The step at minute 4 is the one that changes everything. If your gold ever looks like gold paint instead of gold metal, it's because of that step. :::recipe Layer 1: Warplock Bronze. Layer 2: Liberator Gold, thinned. Layer 3: Stormhost Silver, thinned, placed only at the top edge. That's the whole recipe. :::note Common mistake: people paint Stormhost over the whole top half. Keep it to the top 20% of each edge. Gold gets its shine from contrast, not coverage. :::payoff That's the finished shoulder pad. Compare it to where we started: flat bronze to reflective gold in three layers. :::closing Try it on a single shoulder pad before committing to a full mini. The pad takes 10 minutes; the mini takes two hours. Test first.
Template 2: Time-lapse
For a full paint job compressed into voiceover over sped-up footage. The viewer came to watch the transformation.
::::script :::hook This is a finished Ultramarines Captain. Six hours of painting compressed into the next 14 minutes. If you've been stuck on your first hero model, this one's for you. :::promise We'll cover the blue recipe, the gold NMM on the shoulder trim, the face without a specific skin-tone paint, and the weathering. By the end you'll have a scheme you can repeat across the whole army. :::sceneshot Cut to bare primed mini. Slow pan. Voiceover drops out for 3 seconds. :::voiceover This is what we're starting from. Zenithal primed, Grey Seer over Chaos Black. That undercoat is doing half the work on the blue. :::curiosityloop One thing to flag: there's a glaze step in minute 8 that changes the whole model. If the blue looks flat during base coat, keep watching. That's not the finished color. :::voiceover Macragge Blue thinned two parts water to one part paint. Two coats. I'm not being careful here. The edge highlights fix everything. :::retention Minute 8: Drakenhof Nightshade glaze, thinned heavily. Watch the shadows deepen in one pass. This is the moment I promised at the start. :::payoff Here's the finished Captain. Blue, gold, face, weathering. Every part of what I promised. :::closing If this is the first model in a new army for you, paint a single shoulder pad on a test model before committing to the whole scheme. Test first, commit later.
Template 3: Project log
For one episode in a serialized project. Each episode has to stand alone AND reward viewers who've been following the series.
::::script :::hook Episode five. Ten Thousand Sons models down, fifty to go. Today the Scarab Occult Terminators start, and the unit leader is the hardest freehand in the whole army. :::promise By the end of this episode, five Terminators will be base-coated and glazed, and the leader will be fully finished. I'll also show the new blue recipe I switched to after the Rubric Marines came out too bright. :::recap Quick recap for anyone new: I'm painting a 2,000-point Thousand Sons army in 30 days. Last episode finished the Rubric Marines. Progress is on track. :::curiosityloop The freehand on the leader's chest is where I almost gave up. I'll show the version that went wrong before I show the one that worked. :::storybeat I changed the blue glaze between episode 3 and 4 because the first batch looked too saturated under my studio lights. This is the new recipe. The difference side-by-side is obvious. :::voiceover Base coat: Incubi Darkness thinned. Glaze: Drakenhof Nightshade plus Liquid Talent two-to-one. Two passes. :::retention The freehand attempt that failed. I was pressing too hard, paint pooled in the center, ruined the symmetry. Here's what it looked like. :::payoff And here's the second attempt. Thinner paint, lighter touch, steady hand. Clean this time. :::note Progress check: 25 of 60 models finished. Next episode: the Magnus conversion I've been putting off since episode one. :::closing Next episode drops Thursday. If you want to see whether I can pull off Magnus, subscribe.
Template 4: Review
For reviewing a paint, brush, airbrush, primer, or other tool. The viewer came to decide whether to buy.
::::script :::hook I've used this airbrush for six months and 40 models. It's a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution. It's not my favorite airbrush, but it's the one I recommend to beginners. :::promise I'll cover what it does well, what it doesn't, what it costs vs. competitors, and who should actually buy it. No affiliate rant, just six months of honest use. :::sceneshot The airbrush on the desk beside competitors: Iwata Eclipse, Badger Patriot, GSI Creos. Labeled. :::voiceover Price: around 220 euros depending on retailer. That's roughly the same as the Iwata Eclipse and 50 euros more than the Badger. :::note What it does well: the nozzle cleanup is the easiest of the three I've used. Paint flow is consistent. The trigger has a precise travel feel once you break it in. :::note What it doesn't do well: the needle is delicate. Mine bent in month two. Replacement parts are expensive and hard to find outside of Europe. :::storybeat I was ready to write this off after the needle bent. But six months in, the cleanup savings and the flow consistency made it worth keeping. Your mileage may vary. :::retention The specific test that convinced me: priming a full unit of ten models in one session without a single clog. I'd been getting clogs every third model on the Badger. :::payoff Verdict: recommended for beginners who'll spend time on maintenance. Not recommended for heavy production painters or anyone without easy access to replacement parts. :::closing If you want to see the other airbrushes tested the same way, they're in the playlist linked below. One review per month, same test conditions across all of them.
Template 5: General
For when your video doesn't fit the other four cleanly. Works for opinion pieces, channel updates, lists, hybrid formats, or one-offs.
::::script :::hook There are three things I've stopped doing in my painting workflow that saved me about four hours a week. None of them are what you'd expect. :::promise Three specific changes, in order of how much time they saved. The third one is the one I resisted for two years before trying. :::problem If you've been painting for more than six months, you've probably built habits that made sense at the start but are now slowing you down. I had three of them without realizing. :::solution Change one: I stopped cleaning my palette between color changes. I use a wet palette now and just add new paint to the wet surface. Saved 30 minutes per session. :::storybeat I resisted the wet palette for two years because every tutorial I watched used a ceramic one. The tutorial I finally watched that changed my mind was from a commission painter doing 40 models a month. Her argument: if ceramic were faster, she'd use it. :::retention Change three is the one I still feel guilty about. I stopped priming spray-on, went to airbrush-only. Purists will disagree. Here's why I don't care. :::solution I used to prime outside in three sessions per week. Airbrush primer indoors: two minutes per mini, zero weather delays. Sacrifices the grain texture some purists prefer. I've stopped caring. :::payoff Three changes. Thirty minutes on palette, one hour on priming, two and a half hours on what I'll cover next time. Total: about four hours a week back. :::closing If you've been painting for years and feel stuck at the same pace, pick one of these and try it for two weeks. Don't try all three at once; you won't know which one moved the needle.
Why most miniature painting videos fail on retention and what you should avoid
The templates above if implemented correctly will fix most problems that kill retention in this niche. But understanding the root cause of retention drops is what makes the templates defensible against "just winging it." and help you be sure you never fall into this retention loss trap ever again.
The prep dead zone. You start with priming or unboxing. Viewers came to see actual painting. By the time you get there, most of them are gone. Fix: front-load the finished result in the hook.
Flat undifferentiated voiceover. You recorded narration in one take at one energy level covering six hours of painting. There's no variation between "setting up a glaze" and "the highlight that makes the whole mini work." Fix: three energy zones (covered in the main body section below).
No beat structure. Most mini painting videos are shapeless. They proceed chronologically through whatever the painter did. Chronological is not structural. Fix: the templates above.
No visual stakes. The viewer doesn't know what the finished mini will look like, so they don't know what to anticipate. Fix: show the payoff in the hook, tease specific moments with curiosity loops.
The parts, explained
Below is a breakdown of each part that appears in the templates. Three variations per part with prose explaining when to use each. Pick the variation that matches your video's tone and situation.
Part 1: The hook (first 10 seconds)
The single highest-impact part of the script. Get it wrong and the rest doesn't matter. The rule across all templates: show the finished result in the first shot. Never tease, never hide.
Three hook variations to pick from:
Hook variation A: The beginner-friendly welcome
::::script :::hook This is a finished Ultramarines Captain. Six hours of painting compressed into the next 14 minutes. If you've been stuck on your first hero model, this one's for you.
Use when your audience is mostly beginners or when the mini is a starter-army choice (Space Marines, Stormcast, etc.). The welcome framing ("if you've been stuck...") filters in newer painters and out veterans who aren't your audience. Lower-stakes tone, more inclusive.
Hook variation B: The specialist credibility open
::::script :::hook I've used this airbrush for six months and 40 models. It's a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution. It's not my favorite airbrush, but it's the one I recommend to beginners.
Use when your authority on the topic is the reason viewers should watch. Works for reviews, comparisons, or any video where your experience is the value. The specific numbers ("six months, 40 models") front-load credibility. Most reviews waste the first 30 seconds building up to a verdict; this hook puts the verdict in the first sentence.
Hook variation C: The contrarian tension open
::::script :::hook There are three things I've stopped doing in my painting workflow that saved me about four hours a week. None of them are what you'd expect.
Use for opinion pieces, hot takes, or videos with a distinctive POV. The "you wouldn't expect" beat creates tension that pulls viewers in. Only works if the video actually delivers surprising content. Use it for a generic tips video and you'll lose trust by minute 2.
Common mistake across all hook variations: starting with "hey guys, welcome back to the channel." Viewers have heard that opening thousands of times and their brain compresses it into "content is about to start, I can check my phone for 10 seconds." Your hook is burned before it lands. Skip the welcome, lead with the payoff.
Part 2: The promise (next 15-20 seconds)
You've earned the viewer's first 10 seconds. Now tell them specifically what they'll get. Specific promises convert scanners into committers. Vague promises don't.
Three promise variations:
Promise variation A: The recipe / bullet promise
::::script :::promise We'll cover the blue recipe, the gold NMM on the shoulder trim, the face without a specific skin-tone paint, and the weathering. By the end you'll have a scheme you can repeat across the whole army.
Use for time-lapses, tutorials, and anything where the video delivers multiple concrete outcomes. Naming the outcomes in a list signals the video is structured. Viewers scan the list, see the outcome they care about, and commit. This is the most common promise pattern on successful channels.
Promise variation B: The honest filter promise
::::script :::promise I'll cover what it does well, what it doesn't, what it costs vs. competitors, and who should actually buy it. No affiliate rant, just six months of honest use.
Use for reviews and comparison content where distrust of paid reviews is part of the niche. The "no affiliate rant" line is a trust signal: you're naming the viewer's default suspicion and positioning against it. Only use this if the review genuinely is honest, if you're running affiliate links without disclosure, the framing backfires.
Promise variation C: The skill-level qualifier promise
::::script :::promise I'll show you the three-layer NMM recipe I use for every gold detail. All you need is four paints and a steady hand. Works for beginners if you've edge-highlighted before.
Use for tutorials where skill level matters. The explicit qualifier ("if you've edge-highlighted before") filters out viewers who'll be frustrated by the technique and welcomes those who can actually do it. Filtered audiences produce better comments and higher completion rates than unfiltered ones.
Common mistake: over-promising. If you name four deliverables, you have to deliver four. Viewers remember. If minute 9 skips the face, the video lies to the viewer, and the algorithm (via retention drops at the promise mark) notices.
Part 3: The starting-point shot (10 seconds)
The most-skipped part of the template and one of the cheapest retention moves available. Show the viewer where the mini (or the topic) is starting from, so they have a baseline for the transformation.
Three variations:
Starting-point variation A: The bare mini reveal
::::script :::sceneshot Cut to bare primed mini. Slow pan across the unpainted surface. Voiceover drops out for 3 seconds.
Use for time-lapses and tutorials where the transformation of the mini is the content. The 3-second voiceover drop is the critical move here, most channels talk over this, which buries the visual. Let the shot breathe. Viewers register the starting point and the script feels more confident, not less.
Starting-point variation B: The comparison side-by-side
::::script :::sceneshot The airbrush on the desk beside competitors: Iwata Eclipse, Badger Patriot, GSI Creos. Labeled.
Use for reviews and comparison content. Seeing the subject of the review next to its competitors establishes context immediately. Viewers who scan past the hook but stop on the visual get the review's structure ("this vs. that") without any voiceover explanation.
Starting-point variation C: The recap-as-start
::::script :::recap Quick recap for anyone new: I'm painting a 2,000-point Thousand Sons army in 30 days. Last episode finished the Rubric Marines. Progress is on track.
Use for project log episodes where new viewers need context and returning viewers need a progress check. The recap works as a starting-point shot because the series IS the starting point for the episode's content. Keep it under 15 seconds, returning viewers will skip past it and new viewers don't need more than the series premise.
Common mistake: skipping this part entirely. Without a visible starting point, viewers don't know what the transformation is building toward. They watch passively instead of actively. Active watching is what produces retention.
Part 4: The curiosity loop (10-15 seconds)
The highest-impact retention beat in the whole script. Almost no mini painting channel uses it deliberately. The rule: name a specific later moment the viewer will want to see, tied to a specific visual event.
Three variations:
Curiosity variation A: The named moment tease
::::script :::curiosityloop One thing to flag: there's a glaze step in minute 8 that changes the whole model. If the blue looks flat during base coat, keep watching. That's not the finished color.
Use for time-lapses where a specific later step is dramatically better than what's happening now. The timestamp ("minute 8") is what makes this work. Vague teases like "there's a cool part coming up" don't hold viewers because they've heard vague teases a thousand times. A specific timestamp signals the creator wrote the script and the moment is real.
Curiosity variation B: The warning / problem setup
::::script :::retention The step at minute 4 is the one that changes everything. If your gold ever looks like gold paint instead of gold metal, it's because of that step.
Use for tutorials. The framing ("if your [X] ever looks like [problem]") names a pain the viewer has experienced. They stay through the medium-energy middle of the video to get the solution. Works best when the pain is one painters actually feel and can articulate.
Curiosity variation C: The story-tension curiosity loop
::::script :::curiosityloop The freehand on the leader's chest is where I almost gave up. I'll show the version that went wrong before I show the one that worked.
Use for project logs and narrative videos where the creator's process has a story. Failure teases work especially well in this niche because painters recognize the emotional beat (you almost gave up, I've been there). The promise to show the failure is what earns the follow-through view.
Common mistake: making the curiosity loop too early or too late. Place it right after the promise, before any meaningful painting footage. Too early (before the hook lands) and it competes for attention. Too late (5 minutes in) and you've already lost the viewers who were going to bail.
Part 5: The main body (the three voiceover energy zones)
The single hardest craft challenge in this niche is writing voiceover that tracks with compressed painting footage. Six hours of brush work has to match twelve minutes of audio. The fix: three energy zones, matched to what's visible on screen. Three voiceover variations, one per zone:
Main-body variation A: The high-energy transformation beat
::::script :::voiceover Watch the cheek go from flat to dimensional in one stroke.
Use during moments the mini transforms visibly, base coat going on, first highlight layer, glaze over a shadow, the face becoming a face. Punchy, short sentences, present-tense. These are your retention beats. Aim for 20-30% of runtime across all high-energy beats combined.
Main-body variation B: The medium-energy informational beat
::::script :::voiceover Macragge Blue thinned two parts water to one part paint. Two coats. I'm not being careful here. The edge highlights fix everything.
Use during standard layering, base coats, edge highlights, routine technique. Informational voice, recipes, ratios, why-this-color, studio asides. This is where you educate without driving retention, because the high-energy zones earned the attention. 40-50% of runtime.
Main-body variation C: The low-energy silence
::::script :::voiceover (silence, 15-20 seconds, music only)
Use during glazing layers, drying time, fine detail where visible change is minimal. Silence respects the viewer and lets the brush work breathe. 20-30% of runtime. This is the most counterintuitive rule in the template and the one that separates professional-feeling videos from amateur ones. Creators who narrate every second of painting tire the audience out.
The matching rule: voiceover density should match visual change rate. If nothing is visibly changing for 20 seconds, don't talk for 20 seconds. If the mini transforms dramatically in 5 seconds, pack those 5 seconds with tight voiceover.
A practical move: script the voiceover first, then edit the footage to fit the voiceover's rhythm, not the other way around. Most mini painting channels edit footage first and record voiceover over the cut. That's backwards. The cut should serve the narrative.
I use Influencer Notes for this because the same app where I write and structure the voiceover stays open on a second monitor above my painting station while I film. I can glance at the script between strokes without losing my place, and my recipe notes live alongside the voiceover bullets. No switching apps with a wet brush in my hand. Whatever tool you use, the rule is the same: the script you wrote is the script you read while filming.
Part 6: The payoff close (30-45 seconds)
Most channels end weakly here ("thanks for watching, smash subscribe"), which tanks retention at the 95% mark. The close has three jobs: show the finished result, give one concrete next step, and pick one CTA. Three close variations:
Close variation A: The test-first prescription
::::script :::closing If this is the first model in a new army for you, paint a single shoulder pad on a test model before committing to the whole scheme. Test first, commit later.
Use when the video taught a scheme or technique the viewer might apply to a larger project. The prescription ("paint a shoulder pad first") gives them a low-commitment next action. Works for tutorials and time-lapses where the viewer has a clear project in mind.
Close variation B: The verdict-and-playlist close
::::script :::closing If you want to see the other airbrushes tested the same way, they're in the playlist linked below. One review per month, same test conditions across all of them.
Use for reviews and comparison content. The next-step here is the playlist, viewers who made it to the end are comparison-shopping, so pointing them to more comparisons is the right ask. Works because the CTA matches the viewer's actual decision state.
Close variation C: The one-thing-to-try close
::::script :::closing If you've been painting for years and feel stuck at the same pace, pick one of these and try it for two weeks. Don't try all three at once; you won't know which one moved the needle.
Use for list videos, opinion pieces, and tips content where the viewer has multiple options to pick from. The close narrows them to one decision ("pick one, try for two weeks") which is higher-conversion than "try them all" because it lowers the commitment cost.
Common mistake: summarizing what the video covered ("so today we covered blue, NMM, face, and weathering"). Summaries signal "the video is over" and viewers leave before the summary finishes. A landing thought or concrete next step keeps them engaged to the end of the end-screen window.
Common mistakes specific to mini painting videos
A few niche-specific traps the templates don't explicitly prevent.
Over-focus on micro-technique. Painters fall in love with explaining wet-blending at a granular level. Most viewers don't need it. They need to see the wet-blend produce a visible result. Describe the technique enough for replication, not enough to satisfy your own craft interest.
Failing to show scale. Miniature painting videos often look like "painting videos," not miniature painting videos. At some point every video should establish the mini's actual size: a coin next to the base, a fingertip in frame, the mini next to the paint pot. Scale is part of why this hobby is interesting.
Treating the reveal as a surprise. Old instinct says "don't spoil the finished mini." That's wrong for retention. The hook should show it. Viewers need a visual anchor for what they're watching transform.
Not tagging series episodes. For project logs specifically: episode number should be in the title, the thumbnail, and the first 10 seconds of the script. Viewers who want to binge a series won't find it if you don't signpost it.
FAQ
Do I need to script every word?
No. Script the hook, promise, curiosity loop, and close word-for-word, those are load-bearing. The main body can be a bulleted beat list: what you're painting, what you're saying in one line, whether it's a high/medium/low energy zone. Scripting every word of a 14-minute video produces voiceover that sounds recited.
How do I script when my hands are busy painting?
Two workflows. Either record voiceover separately after filming (cleanest, you can focus on delivery), or mount your script on a second monitor above your painting area where you can glance between strokes. Many creators do both: bullets visible while filming, full voiceover re-recorded after.
Do I need to show my face?
No. Faceless painting content performs extremely well in this niche. Viewers are here for the mini, not the painter. If you want a face-cam, use it sparingly, intros, reveals, reactions.
How long should my videos be?
Depends on format. Tutorials: 8-15 min. Time-lapses: 10-20 min. Project logs: 12-25 min. Reviews: 6-12 min. Going longer requires the content to earn it. Going shorter means you're compressing too much. When in doubt, match the content, then cut anything that doesn't serve the script.
Which template should I use for my first video?
The general template. It has the lowest structural constraints and lets you find your voice before committing to a format-specific approach. Once you've published three or four general-template videos, pick the format (tutorial, time-lapse, project log, review) that matches what you most want to make regularly, and switch to that template.
The short version
Five templates: tutorial, time-lapse, project log, review, general. Pick the one that matches your next video. Each one has the same six structural parts: hook, promise, starting point, curiosity loop, main body (in three energy zones), payoff close. Each part has three variations depending on your tone and situation.
Pick your next video. Open the matching template. Swap in your specifics. Record voiceover first, cut the footage to fit it. Apply the three variations to the parts that need them.
If retention improves and comments get longer, the templates are working. If not, the issue is usually the hook specifically or the visual stakes aren't clear enough. Fix those first. The painting was never the problem.