The Channel
Social-first video concept generation.
"Social isn't a channel. It's a behaviour. Content that works on social works differently than content that works elsewhere."
The Core Insight
The Channel takes a creative territory and generates platform-specific video concepts for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and LinkedIn. Native thinking for native platforms, not repurposing.
Why Social-First Matters
Most social content starts somewhere else: TV spots cut to 15 seconds, print ads reformatted as statics. This fails because it's designed for passive viewing and forced into active-scroll environments.
Platform Behaviours
| Platform | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| TikTok | Discovery-driven. Sound-on. Trend participation. Authenticity over polish. |
| Instagram Reels | Interest-based. Aesthetic matters. Mix of sound-on/off. |
| YouTube Shorts | Search context. Slightly longer attention. Long-form crossover. |
| Professional. Sound-off dominant. Authority and insight valued. |
How It Works
Step 1 - Creative Brief: Brand name, creative territory, communication objective, and optional additional context (campaign specifics, constraints, seasonal moments).
Check Recent Social Ads (Optional)
Before generating concepts, you can search for competitors' recent Facebook & Instagram advertising. The Channel analyses current campaign themes, messaging patterns, and creative approaches-this data feeds directly into concept generation to ensure your concepts differentiate from what's already running.
What it finds: Active advertising campaigns, messaging themes, budget patterns, platform preferences, creative formats (video/static/carousel), and audience targeting insights.
Why it matters: Knowing what Boeing, Samsung, Apple, and others are currently running prevents you from accidentally generating concepts that mirror existing campaigns.
Communication Objectives
| Objective | Best For |
|---|---|
| Awareness | Brand discovery, reach |
| Engagement | Community building, shares |
| Conversion | Direct response, action |
Step 2 - Format Selection
Choose how your concepts will be produced:
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| AI Animated | Runway, Pika, Kling-style AI video generation |
| Motion Graphics | After Effects, animated typography, kinetic text |
| Live Action | Filmed content, UGC-style, talking head |
| Mixed Format | Combination of AI, motion, and live elements |
Duration options: 5s, 15s, 30s, 60s, or Series (3-5 parts)
Platform selection: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, or Multi-platform. Each platform has different recommended aspect ratios and behaviours which influence concept generation.
Step 3 - Creative Direction Sliders
Five sliders shape the creative direction of your concepts:
| Slider | Range | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Serious ↔ Comedic | Controls humour level and emotional register |
| Reality | Familiar ↔ Surreal | How grounded or fantastical the concepts feel |
| Era | Retro ↔ Contemporary | Visual and cultural references |
| Energy | Subtle ↔ Chaotic | Pace, intensity, and visual complexity |
| Production | Lo-fi ↔ Polished | Production value and finish quality |
Moving sliders produces noticeably different concepts from the same territory. A "Serious + Retro + Subtle" combination yields very different results than "Comedic + Contemporary + Chaotic".
Executional Considerations (Optional)
This field lets you add strategic guardrails that sliders can't control:
- Brand constraints: "Must avoid 3310 nostalgia trap" or "Cannot reference competitors directly"
- Target audience specifics: "Target is 25-45 Pragmatic Upgraders, not tech enthusiasts"
- Tone guidance: "Quiet confidence, not loud claims" or "Honest and refreshing, calling out industry practices"
- What to avoid: "No technical jargon" or "Not about old people phones"
- Campaign context: "Seasonal summer launch" or "Response to competitor campaign"
The sliders control how concepts feel (serious/comedic, familiar/surreal). Executional considerations control what concepts can and cannot say.
Concept Output
Each run generates 3 distinct video concepts. Navigate between them using the concept carousel (1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3).
Action Buttons
- ⟳ REGENERATE ALL: Generate 3 completely new concepts with the same inputs
- ✦ VARY THIS: Create variations of the current concept (keeps the same core idea, different execution)
- 💾 SAVE: Save concepts to your library for later reference
- 📤 EXPORT: Download as PowerPoint or Word document
What Each Concept Includes
Concept Name: Memorable creative title
The Hook: First 1-3 seconds that stop the scroll
The Channel: What unexpected elements collide to create interest
Synopsis: 2-3 sentence elevator pitch
Scene Breakdown: Shot-by-shot sequence with timing
Visual Treatment: Style, lighting, mood, references
Audio Direction: Music, sound design, VO notes
Format Fit: Why this works for the selected platform
Production Notes: Execution considerations and requirements
AI Prompt (Midjourney/DALL-E): Ready-to-use prompt for generating key visuals
Client Pitch: One sentence sell for presenting the concept
The Midjourney/DALL-E Prompt
Each concept includes a production-ready AI image prompt. This lets you quickly visualise the concept for internal reviews or client presentations. The prompt is tailored to the visual treatment and can be used directly in Midjourney, DALL-E, or similar tools.
"The best social content doesn't feel like advertising. It feels like content worth sharing."
Tips for Best Results
- Be specific with territory: "Phones that keep their promises" generates better concepts than "reliability" or "durability"
- Use Check Recent Social Ads: Search competitors first to avoid accidentally mirroring existing campaigns
- Experiment with sliders: Run the same brief with different slider positions to explore the creative range
- Add executional considerations: Use this field for strategic guardrails like "avoid nostalgia trap" or "target is not tech enthusiasts"
- Match platform to objective: TikTok for awareness, LinkedIn for authority, Reels for aesthetic brands
- Try different formats: AI Animated for fantastical concepts, Live Action for authentic UGC-style content
- Use VARY THIS: If you like a concept but want different executions, use Vary This instead of regenerating all concepts
- Use the AI prompts: Generate visuals in Midjourney/DALL-E to make concepts tangible before production
Exporting Concepts
The Channel provides two professional export formats. Click the EXPORT button and choose which sections to include:
Export Options
- Include workspace logo (if uploaded)
- Brief summary (brand, territory, format, platform)
- All concepts (or just the currently selected one)
- Scene breakdowns (shot-by-shot timing)
- AI Prompts (Midjourney/DALL-E prompts for visual references)
PowerPoint Export (PPTX)
- Professional presentation with title slide + concept slides
- Each concept beautifully laid out with Hook, Spark, Synopsis
- Visual Treatment, Audio Direction, Format Fit, Production Notes included
- Scene breakdown visible on each slide
- Clean design with dark theme, ready to drop into client presentations
- Final slide shows Creative Direction sliders and Executional Considerations
Word Document Export (DOCX)
- Detailed document with all concept information
- Professional formatting for editing and sharing
- Includes brief summary, all concept details, and creative direction
- Ideal for internal documentation and client deliverables
How to export: Click the EXPORT button, select which sections to include, then choose EXPORT PPTX or EXPORT DOCX. Both formats are pitch-ready.