Free · for short-video creators

10 viral formulas for short explainer videos

The patterns behind explainers people watch to the end and send to friends. Pick a formula, put an everyday object in it, and you have a topic.

01A myth about your habit

Something the viewer does every day for the wrong reason. The reveal changes what they do tomorrow.

“Warming up your car in winter doesn't do what you think.”

02A treasure inside a cheap thing

A precious metal, a rare material or a clever part hidden in something that costs a few dollars.

“There's gold in your phone charger.”

03Why it feels like that

A sensation everyone knows but nobody can explain — explained in one mechanism.

“Why your ears pop on a plane.”

04A hidden function

A part of a familiar object with a purpose nobody noticed.

“That hole in your padlock isn't for the key.”

05A body glitch

A strange thing your body does, and the surprisingly simple reason.

“Why your leg falls asleep.”

06A mega number

An everyday thing at an absurd scale — made tangible with a comparison.

“Your fridge moves this much heat every day.”

07“Is X harmful?”

A common worry with a clear, sourced answer. Only with official sources — trust is the product here.

“Is it bad to charge your phone overnight?”

08Cool technology

A surprising machine that solves a familiar problem in a way nobody expects.

“The crystal that lights your stove without a battery.”

09What if…

A physical what-if with an everyday object, followed to its honest conclusion.

“What if your seatbelt didn't lock?”

10Why this rule exists

A rule, law or standard with a surprising reason behind it.

“Why planes dim the lights for landing.”

How to tell a topic will spread

The object is in everyone's hands.
There's a common belief to flip.
The answer changes what people do tomorrow.
There's someone to send it to.
Inside there's a mechanism you can show, not just tell.

Turn a formula into a finished reel

HowItReels has these formulas built in. Type a topic, approve the script, and about an hour later you have a cut-away explainer reel with voice, captions and a cover. Runs on your own Claude.

See HowItReels — $29 founding