ONE IDEA TEN SCENES SIXTY SECONDS OPEN STICKMAN TEACHING VIDEO PLAYBOOK A free, generic prompt system for turning any lesson into a simple 55-60 second stickman animation. Simple visuals. Direct narration. One teachable idea per video. Built for educators, creators, coaches, trainers, and anyone who wants to explain something clearly without needing a studio. Open resource - share, remix, adapt, and make it useful. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 2 START HERE What this playbook is This PDF is a practical system for creating short educational stickman videos. It is topic-neutral: you can use it for language learning, science, math, psychology, productivity, business training, software tutorials, health education, classroom content, or internal company training. The core promise Take one useful idea, make it emotionally easy to enter, explain it through a simple visual story, and end with one action the viewer can remember. The format is built around a 55-60 second video divided into 10 scenes. Each scene lasts about 6 seconds and contains one simple visual beat, one small motion, and one short voiceover line. What this helps you create Short explainers, micro-lessons, motivational clips, concept breakdowns, study tips, training videos, and beginner-friendly educational shorts. What this avoids Overloaded scripts, complicated backgrounds, too many characters, long lectures, unclear visuals, and narration that sounds like a school project. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 3 NAVIGATION Table of contents 1. Who this is for 2. The 59-second teaching formula 3. Why stickman videos work 4. The 10-scene structure 5. Topic selection and learner pain 6. Script rules for direct narration 7. Visual rules for consistent stickman scenes 8. Motion and animation rules 9. Voiceover and ElevenLabs v3 style direction 10. Master prompt for any topic 11. Batch generation prompt 12. Source-video analysis prompt 13. Production checklist 14. Complete example video packs 15. Reusable libraries and open sharing note Best way to use it Read pages 4-15 once. Then copy the master prompt, fill in your topic, and generate one video. After that, use the batch prompt to make a whole series. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 4 AUDIENCE 1. Who this is for This system is made for people who need to teach clearly without building complex animations from scratch. Educators Turn one lesson point into a short visual explanation students can watch before class, after class, or inside a learning platform. Creators Build repeatable Shorts, Reels, or TikToks without needing a different visual style every time. Coaches and trainers Explain habits, mindset, communication, leadership, health, productivity, or onboarding ideas in a warm and simple way. Teams and open-source projects Create documentation videos, feature explainers, tutorials, and educational clips that are easy to translate and reuse. The style is intentionally simple. A stickman is not a limitation; it is a teaching advantage. The viewer does not get distracted by faces, clothing, locations, or cinematic detail. The idea becomes the star. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 5 CORE FORMAT 2. The 59-second teaching formula One video = one lesson Do not explain everything. Land one idea so clearly that the viewer can repeat it after the video ends. Time Function Purpose 0-6s Hook Name the viewer's pain, confusion, or question. 6-12s Emotional mirror Make the viewer feel seen instead of stupid. 12-18s Simplify Remove the big scary version and show the tiny version. 18-30s Rule or model Give one clear principle, metaphor, or pattern. 30-42s Examples Show two or three tiny examples that prove the idea. 42-54s Relief Turn panic into a next step. 54-60s Takeaway End with one memorable action sentence. The emotional structure matters as much as the explanation. Viewers stay when they recognize themselves, feel the topic becoming smaller, and sense that they can actually do something. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 6 LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY 3. Why stickman videos work Stickman visuals work because they lower cognitive load. The viewer does not need to decode complex art. The character becomes a blank learner-self: confused, curious, relieved, and finally confident. Principle How it helps How to apply it Low visual noise The learner focuses on the idea, not the background. Use white backgrounds, one character, and one prop per scene. Emotional projection The viewer sees their own confusion in the stickman. Use expressive eyes, eyebrows, head tilt, and small gestures. Repeatable format A familiar style lets you publish faster. Keep the same base character and only change props. Micro-learning One minute is enough for one pattern, not a full course. Cut every extra explanation that does not serve the takeaway. Visual metaphor Abstract ideas become objects. Use cards, arrows, timers, boxes, paths, clouds, keys, ladders, and maps. Creator rule Do not make the animation impressive. Make the idea land. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 7 SCENE-BY-SCENE MAP 4. The 10-scene structure Scene Beat What to show 1 Pain hook Show the problem before explaining it. 2 Overwhelm Make the confusion visible with messy props or symbols. 3 Pause Stop the panic and reduce the scope. 4 Tiny rule Introduce the one useful idea. 5 Example 1 Show the simplest example. 6 Example 2 Show the idea again with one change. 7 Pattern Make the rule visible as a diagram, card, or arrow. 8 Repair Show the viewer how to use it when stuck. 9 Confidence Show the learner succeeding at one small action. 10 Takeaway End with a memorable line and simple visual. This map is deliberately repetitive. Repetition is the point. Once you master the pattern, you can produce a full series without reinventing structure each time. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 8 TOPIC DESIGN 5. Choose topics by learner pain A good topic is not just a subject. A good topic is a specific moment where the learner gets stuck. Weak topic Stronger topic Why it works better Time management Why starting for two minutes beats waiting for motivation It gives one action, not a vague category. Grammar Why one word keeps moving in your sentence It turns a big subject into one pain point. Photosynthesis How plants quietly make their own food It starts with curiosity and a visual metaphor. Percentages Percent means out of 100 It gives one anchor the learner can remember. Public speaking Your first sentence does not need to be perfect It reduces fear and starts behavior. Topic formula I want to help [learner] stop feeling [pain] by understanding [one simple idea] and doing [one small action]. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 9 OPENINGS THAT FEEL HUMAN 6. Hook library The best hook does not announce the lesson. It names the learner's experience. Hook type Template Example Pain mirror You try to [action], but [problem] keeps happening. You try to focus, but your brain keeps opening new tabs. Tiny enemy The problem is not [big thing]. It is [small hidden thing]. The problem is not math. It is that the symbol looks scarier than the idea. Relief promise This gets easier when you stop doing [wrong move]. This gets easier when you stop memorizing lonely words. Identity shift You are not bad at [topic]. You are missing [pattern]. You are not bad at writing. You are missing a smaller first step. Visual metaphor Think of [idea] like [simple object]. Think of a mistake like a map pin, not a final grade. Avoid Do not start with: 'Today we are going to learn...' unless the target audience truly needs a formal lesson tone. For short videos, enter through the viewer's problem. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 10 VOICEOVER 7. Script rules for direct narration The voiceover should talk to the viewer, not about the stickman. The stickman acts out the learner's inner experience, but the audio speaks directly to the person watching. Do this 'You see the problem, and your brain wants to quit.' 'Start with one clean example.' 'Ask one simple question.' Avoid this 'Our stickman opens a book.' 'The character is confused.' 'He learns the rule.' A strong 60-second script usually has 10 sentences. Each sentence should be easy to say aloud, visual enough to animate, and short enough to land in about 6 seconds. l Use second person: you, your, when you, if you feel stuck. l Use simple verbs: start, find, circle, try, move, repeat. l Use short examples, not long explanations. l Use one memorable line near the end. l Cut any sentence that cannot be visualized. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 11 IMAGE PROMPTS 8. Visual rules for stickman scenes The golden visual rule One scene, one action, one prop, one emotional state. Element Rule Example Character Same stickman design throughout. Simple black stickman, round head, clean lines, expressive face. Background Plain white or minimal. A desk, a board, a clock, a card - nothing else. Props At least one prop per scene. Book, laptop, timer, pencil, phone, chart, sticky note, cup, trash bin. Emotion Use face and posture. Confused eyes, raised eyebrow, calm smile, focused head tilt. Composition Keep it readable in 16:9. One character on the left, object or board on the right. If an image prompt requires a complicated scene, the teaching idea is probably too big for one minute. Reduce the idea before generating the visuals. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 12 MINIMAL MOVEMENT 9. Motion and animation rules The animation should feel alive, not busy. Tiny motion is enough: a head tilt, a hand pointing, a sticky note moving, a timer hand shifting, a checkmark appearing. Animate Do not animate Reason Arms pointing or writing Full-body running unless necessary Small motion is easier to control and repeat. Head tilts and nods Complex camera moves The emotion stays readable. Facial expression changes Multiple characters moving at once The viewer tracks one idea. Simple prop movement Busy backgrounds Props can carry the concept. Motion sentence template Stickman slowly [small action]. Head [tiny movement]. Prop [tiny movement]. Body remains mostly still. Emotion: [emotion]. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 13 AUDIO 10. Voiceover and ElevenLabs v3 style direction For audio tools that support style tags, use tags lightly. The performance should sound like a calm human guide, not an overacted trailer. Moment Suggested tag Purpose Opening pain [gentle tension] Acknowledge the problem without sounding dramatic. Rule introduction [clear teacher voice] Make the key idea land. Realization [small realization] Signal that the concept is becoming easier. Motivation [encouraging] Help the learner feel capable. Final line [confident final line] End with a practical takeaway. Use punctuation and line breaks for rhythm. Use short paragraphs. Do not overload the script with tags; the words should still do the main work. [calm, direct] You do not need to understand everything at once. [clear teacher voice] Start with one small pattern. [encouraging] Repeat it until it feels normal. [confident final line] Small patterns become real confidence. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 14 COPY-PASTE SYSTEM 11. Master prompt for any teaching topic This is the main prompt. Use it when you want an AI assistant to generate a complete 55-60 second stickman video pack for any subject. How to use Replace the bracketed fields with your topic, audience, learning goal, tone, and platform. Then paste the prompt into your AI tool. For easier copying, the full master prompt is also provided as a separate text file with this PDF. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 15 PART 1 Master prompt ROLE You are a professional educational YouTube content creator, learning designer, and visual storytelling expert specializing in simple stickman animations. TASK Create a complete 55-60 second educational stickman video for the topic below: TOPIC: [insert topic] AUDIENCE: [insert learner type, age, level, or context] LEARNING GOAL: [what the learner should understand or do after watching] TONE: [calm, funny, motivational, serious, friendly, dramatic, etc.] PLATFORM: [YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, internal training, classroom, etc.] CORE STRATEGY Before generating the video, think through the teaching design: 1. What pain, confusion, mistake, or question does the learner already have? 2. What is the one idea this video must land? 3. What can be removed so the video stays simple? 4. What visual metaphor can make the idea easy to remember? 5. What small action should the learner take at the end? VIDEO RULES - Total duration: 55-60 seconds. - Divide the video into exactly 10 scenes of about 6 seconds each. - Keep one main teaching idea per video. - Use direct-to-viewer narration. Do not say: "our stickman" or "the character" in the voiceover. - The stickman is the visual body of the learner's experience, but the narration speaks directly to the viewer. - Keep all language beginner-friendly, clear, and natural. - Keep visuals minimal: white or very simple background, simple props, no complex environments. - Same stickman character throughout the full video. - Only pose, expression, and props change between scenes. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 16 PART 2 Master prompt OUTPUT FORMAT PART 0: Topic Design Provide: - Short video title - One-sentence learner promise - Main confusion or pain point - Main rule, lesson, or takeaway - Suggested thumbnail text, maximum 4 words - Suggested video description, maximum 2 sentences PART 1: Image Prompts Step 1 - Stickman Base Design Prompt Create one base prompt that defines the consistent character style. The prompt must include: - Overall vibe - Character style - Consistent features - White or minimal background style - 16:9 aspect ratio Format: Stickman Base Prompt: "Simple black stickman with a round head, clean smooth lines, minimalist style, expressive face, consistent proportions, modern flat illustration, minimal white background, soft emotional tone matching the story, 16:9 aspect ratio." Step 2 - Scene Image Prompts Write 10 image prompts, one paragraph per scene. Every scene prompt must start with: "Use the same stickman character as before." Each scene prompt must clearly include: - Pose - Action - Facial expression - At least one prop - Clean minimal background - 16:9 aspect ratio Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 17 PART 3 Master prompt PART 2: Motion / Animation Prompts Write 10 short animation prompts, one for each scene. Rules: - Only animate arms, head, facial expression, or props. - Body position remains mostly static. - Movements are slow, natural, and minimal. - Mention emotion when relevant. PART 3: Voiceover Script Write exactly 10 short voiceover lines. Rules: - One line per scene. - Speak directly to the learner. - Do not narrate the stickman as a separate person. - Keep each line short enough for about 6 seconds. - Use natural spoken English. - Include simple examples when needed. - End with a practical takeaway. PART 4: ElevenLabs v3 Style Version Rewrite the 10 voiceover lines as one audio-ready block using simple style tags in square brackets. Use tags only when helpful, such as: [calm], [curious], [gentle tension], [clear teacher voice], [small realization], [encouraging], [confident final line] Use punctuation, line breaks, and short pauses for rhythm. Do not over-tag every sentence. PART 5: Production Checklist Provide a short checklist for the creator: - Main idea is clear. - Script speaks to the viewer. - Each scene has one prop. - Same stickman design is used. - Motion stays minimal. - Total voiceover fits 55-60 seconds. - Final line gives a clear takeaway. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 18 MAKE A SERIES 12. Batch generation prompt Use this when you want to create a group of videos around one broader subject area. It prevents every video from feeling like the same lesson with a different title. BATCH GENERATION PROMPT Create [number] separate 55-60 second stickman teaching videos for this topic area: [topic area] For each video: 1. Pick one specific learner pain point. 2. Create a short title. 3. Create exactly 10 voiceover lines. 4. Create the stickman base prompt. 5. Create 10 scene image prompts. 6. Create 10 motion prompts. 7. Create an ElevenLabs v3 audio-ready version. 8. Create thumbnail text. Important: - Each video must teach only one micro-idea. - Do not repeat the same hook. - Do not make the voiceover talk about the stickman. - Speak directly to the learner. - Keep examples simple. - Keep every video visually possible with simple props and white background. Batch rule A series works when each video solves a different learner pain. Do not create ten versions of the same explanation. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 19 TRANSFORM WITHOUT COPYING 13. Source-video analysis prompt You can learn from high-performing videos without copying them. Analyze the structure, emotional hook, pacing, and teaching move, then create a new original video for your own topic. SOURCE VIDEO ANALYSIS PROMPT Analyze the source video or transcript below, but do not copy its wording, jokes, sequence, or unique examples. Use it only to understand why the teaching worked. Analyze: 1. Hook: What pain or curiosity pulls the viewer in? 2. Learner emotion: What shame, fear, confusion, or hope is being addressed? 3. Teaching move: What is the main explanation pattern? 4. Compression: What was simplified or removed? 5. Examples: What type of examples made it clear? 6. Retention: What keeps the viewer watching until the end? 7. Payoff: What does the viewer feel they can do after watching? 8. Transfer: How can this structure become a new original stickman video on a different topic? Then create a new, original 55-60 second stickman video using the master prompt format. Ethical transformation rule Extract the teaching pattern, not the wording. Use your own examples, your own structure, and your own visual metaphors. Open Stickman Teaching Video Playbook Free prompt system for educational micro-videos Share, remix, adapt - keep it useful. Page 20 FROM IDEA TO UPLOAD 14. Production workflow Step Purpose What happens 1 Pick one pain point A confused moment beats a broad subject. 2 Write 10 audio lines Audio first keeps the video focused. 3 Create 10 image prompts Every visual supports one voiceover line. 4 Create motion prompts Only tiny, controlled movements. 5 Generate or draw visuals Keep the stickman consistent. 6 Record or generate voiceover Aim for clear, warm, direct speech. 7 Edit timing Each scene gets around 6 seconds. 8 Add captions Short videos need readable text. 9 Create thumbnail/title Use pain plus promise. 10 Review Cut anything that does not land the lesson. Timing tip Read the 10 voiceover lines out loud. If you cannot say them clearly in under 60 seconds, cut words before editing visuals.