> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rewatch.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Explained story

> A short idea and a complete script with counter, cards and final choice, for the Explained story tool.

The format where a voice tells you what is happening to you, step by step. Two ways to start: an idea (the app writes everything and places the overlays itself), or a complete script that you control word for word.

## Templates to fill in

```text Your idea (template) theme={null}
You just [starting situation that changes everything]. [The deadline or the constraint].
You have [your starting resources] and [what you are missing].
```

```text Your idea (full script template) theme={null}
[COUNTER] [LABEL 1] [value] | [LABEL 2] [value] | [LABEL 3] [value]
[TITLE] [STEP 1] | [The promise, one word between *asterisks*]
Narrator: You just [starting situation].
Narrator: [The deadline or the threat].
[CARD] THE PROBLEM | [The problem, with a *number*]
Narrator: First problem: [the problem, said out loud].
Narrator: [What it costs, or what you are offered].
[STAMP] [VERDICT IN ONE WORD]
Narrator: [Your decision, in one sentence].
[COUNTER] [LABEL 1] [new value] | [LABEL 2] [new value] | [LABEL 3] [value]
[DARK CARD] [STEP 2] | [What goes *wrong*]
Narrator: [The consequence].
[CARD] RULE #1 | [The rule to remember]
Narrator: Rule number one: [the same rule, said out loud].
Narrator: [What you do thanks to it].
[RECAP] [STEP] · WHERE YOU STAND | [LABEL]: [value] | [LABEL]: [value]
Narrator: [The new problem, which pulls people back in].
[CHOICE] [OPTION 1] | [OPTION 2]
Narrator: You [option 1], or you [option 2]? One word in the comments.
```

## The idea alone

```text Your idea theme={null}
You inherit a ruined castle in the middle of rural Vermont. The lawyer gives you 6 months to make it profitable, otherwise it goes to auction.
You have $20,000 in savings and no idea how to go about it.
```

The app speaks to the hero as “you”, places a counter, cards and a final choice. With an idea, you can also impose a few elements and let the AI write the rest:

```text Your idea theme={null}
You inherit a ruined castle in the middle of rural Vermont. The lawyer gives you 6 months to make it profitable.
[COUNTER] BUDGET $20,000 | MONTHS 6 | VISITORS 0
[CARD]
[STAMP]
[CHOICE]
```

Empty markers ask for that type of overlay; the AI fills them in.

## The full script

Everything is said word for word and every element is displayed where you placed it. About 30 seconds: to reach 90 seconds, add more months on the same model.

```text Your idea (full script) theme={null}
[COUNTER] BUDGET $20,000 | MONTHS 6 | VISITORS 0
[TITLE] MONTH 1 | A castle, *zero* plans
Narrator: You just inherited a ruined castle.
Narrator: Six months to make it profitable. Otherwise, it gets sold.
[CARD] THE PROBLEM | The roof leaks in *14* rooms
Narrator: First problem: it rains in fourteen rooms.
Narrator: A roofer asks you for eighteen thousand dollars.
[STAMP] REJECTED
Narrator: You say no. You tarp everything yourself.
[COUNTER] BUDGET $19,200 | MONTHS 5 | VISITORS 0
[DARK CARD] MONTH 2 | Nobody *comes*
[GAUGE] MORALE 30%
Narrator: You open the doors. Nobody comes.
Narrator: Your castle doesn't even show up on the maps.
[CARD] RULE #1 | What isn't *online* doesn't exist
Narrator: Rule number one: what isn't online doesn't exist.
Narrator: You film the ruins at night, with a flashlight.
[COUNTER] BUDGET $19,200 | MONTHS 4 | VISITORS 3,400
[BANNER] VIRAL VIDEO | 2 million views
Narrator: Two million views. Three thousand visitors the first weekend.
[RECAP] MONTH 4 · WHERE YOU STAND | BUDGET: $19,200 | VISITORS: 3,400
Narrator: But one visitor falls through the floor.
[CHOICE] CLOSE | KEEP GOING
Narrator: Do you close to repair, or keep going? One word in the comments.
```

> [!NOTE]
>
> This script is pasted into the idea field: as soon as the app finds at least four lines, it keeps them as they are. The syntax of each marker is detailed in [On-screen overlays](https://docs.rewatch.studio/video/overlays.md).

## Why this model works

| Element | Role |
| - | - |
| First sentence | The stakes and the deadline before 3 seconds |
| `[COUNTER]` | A thread that climbs on screen, updated when a value changes |
| `[CARD] RULE #1` | A rule to remember, said like a rule |
| `[STAMP]`, `[BANNER]` | A visual hook every few seconds |
| `[RECAP]` | A progress check for whoever arrives midway |
| `[CHOICE]` | A reason to comment in one word |


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