The reaction creates a question. The screen recording must answer it. Build the demo first so the opening promises something the product actually does.
Choose one action, not the whole onboarding
A short video cannot explain every tab in your app. Pick the moment when the user gets a result: a saved collection, a sorted list, a completed booking or an exported file. Start the recording close to that action, with any setup already done.
A reaction clip is most useful when it points toward that moment. A broad smile can suit a satisfying result. A confused face can introduce a familiar problem. A huge expression can overpower a small interface improvement, so watch the whole sequence before deciding.
Three storyboards to start from
These are editable concepts, not filmed customer stories. Replace every screen action with a feature that exists in your own product. The suggested durations are a way to sketch the edit before opening your editor.
| Concept | Opening | Product evidence | Closing shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find it again | 0–2s: curious reaction; “Where did I save that?” | 2–8s: search for a real saved item | 8–10s: open the result |
| Clear the mess | 0–2s: puzzled look at a cluttered task | 2–8s: apply one useful sort or grouping | 8–11s: hold the cleaned-up view |
| One small shortcut | 0–2s: understated surprise; “There’s a shorter way” | 2–7s: perform the shortcut at readable speed | 7–10s: show the completed action |
Hand your editor three clean takes
Record the starting screen with enough items to make the search meaningful, then the search itself, then the result opening. Keep a continuous take as a reference even if the final edit uses close-ups. This prevents an attractive cut from accidentally skipping the step that explains the feature.
Give the editor the exact search phrase and the item it should find. Note which text must remain readable, where the tap happens and what counts as the finished state. Capture notifications-free footage using sample data. Keep the source recording separate from any captioned export so you can make another version later.
- Starting state: the place where the item is saved.
- Action: the actual query and returned result.
- Payoff: the item open, with its useful detail visible.
- Handoff: the caption, chosen reaction filename and destination link.
Make the interface legible on a phone
A full desktop window often turns into tiny text inside a vertical video. Frame the relevant panel rather than squeezing the entire browser into the canvas. Keep the control, the interaction and the resulting state visible; a crop that hides one of those loses the explanation.
Record with sample data and remove notifications, account details and unrelated browser tabs. After export, watch at phone size without pausing. If you need to lean in to read the result, simplify the shot before adding more captions.
- Reset the app so the demonstration starts in a clear state.
- Move once, then let the result settle.
- Trim loading delays without hiding steps that matter.
- Give the final state enough time to be understood.
Use the person as an opening, not an invented customer
Do not write a caption that attributes a personal product experience to someone who was filmed separately. “Here is the shortcut” can introduce a demonstration. “This app saved me five hours” turns a generic face into a testimonial and requires real supporting evidence.
A screen-first version is worth trying too. If a reaction does not improve the explanation, leave it out. The aim is a coherent product video, not fitting a face into every edit.
Match the closing instruction to the feature
A viewer who just watched a saved-item search has a specific expectation. Send them to a destination that explains that feature or lets them try it. Keep the final instruction readable and give it a clear moment after the result. Do not compete with the product reveal by introducing a second feature in the last second.
For your next version, keep the demo fixed and try a different first line or expression. Write down what changed. If you also change the query, the crop and the ending, it becomes difficult to tell which part made the explanation clearer.
Watch the sequence
The reaction introduces the idea; the screen recording shows the action. This is an editing demonstration, not a customer result.
Hover or tap to play. The final edit starts with the reaction, then cuts to the demo.
Questions & answers
Do you film my app being used?
No. The library supplies existing human-shot footage. Record your own app or commission a product-specific shoot.
Should the reaction stay on screen during the demo?
Only if it leaves the interface readable. A clean cut into the demo is often easier to follow than a small screen under a large face.
Find the opening for your next edit.
See the public samples, then unlock the library when you’re ready to work with the originals.
Explore the library