Create a polished Reel

Creator Kit v2 is the fastest path from an idea to a finished vertical video. It owns the responsive layout, safe areas, question hierarchy, answer cards, timer, reveal, creator footer, and end card. You provide the content and choose how restrained or energetic it should feel.

This chapter gives one dependable production recipe. Start here, then use the Creator reference and examples when you need every option.

The production recipe

For Shorts or TikTok, change both safe-area declarations to safe=shorts or safe=tiktok. The same source can also be reframed for 4:5, square, or 16:9; the Creator regions reflow automatically. Use --canvas 4:5, --canvas square, or --canvas 16:9 at preview/record time so the file stays unchanged. The Reactive stories chapter shows the full workflow and the responsive manual-layout pattern.

1. Write for a phone, not a slide

A strong first Reel usually has:

• one question or promise that fits in one or two lines;
• one visual idea—an equation, diagram, image, chart, or simulation;
• three or four short answer choices;
• one accent colour and one motion personality;
• a brief explanation and a single call to action.

Prefer direct wording. Move supporting context into explain; do not make the viewer read a paragraph before the timer starts. Use LaTeX for mathematical notation so formulas stay crisp and compact.

Gold pattern: let one equation evolve

For a solution Reel, do not stack five complete formulas or cut to a blank screen between steps. Declare one equation and rewrite it in place:

equation(work, (cx, 520), `x^2+2x=3`, 54);
rewrite(work, `x^2+2x+1=4`, 0.85, smooth);
wait(0.8);
rewrite(work, `(x+1)^2=4`, 0.85, smooth);

The viewer’s eye can follow the terms that move while unchanged symbols stay put. Manic matches rendered LaTeX by reading order, mathematical layout role, and nested math-style depth; an exponent therefore cannot become a denominator or a different level of an exponent tower merely because both use the same digit. When a fraction, radical, or grouping changes the structure of one side, that side cleanly leaves and reforms while the compatible side remains. Simple replacements such as 2 → 3 are staged as leave-then-enter, avoiding a temporary 23; pure additions can appear immediately. You still supply and own every correct step. For phone video, use one meaningful rewrite per narration beat, keep the equation in the media safe region, pause after the important result, and place any related plot or diagram motion beside the rewrite in par.

2. Let the format own layout

canvas("9:16");
template("black"); // optional: black is the DSL default

creator(me, "@anish2good name=Proof_Daily tagline=Think_then_prove \
yt=zarigatongy x=@anish2good web=8gwifi.org/manic \
accent=cyan secondary=magenta footer=signature cta=Save_and_share safe=reels");

quiz(q, "Your short question",
     "studio layout=media-first density=comfortable motion=calm safe=reels accent=cyan");

Use layout=media-first when the visual is part of the question, stack for up to four text-led answers, grid for four to six compact answers, and auto when you want manic to decide. Pass the visual to figure(id) instead of tuning its coordinates for each aspect ratio.

Temporarily add safezone(guide,"reels") while previewing a new design. It is a visible diagnostic overlay, so remove it before the final record. The safe=reels layout setting should remain.

3. Give reading, thinking, and payoff separate beats

The default run(q,10) is a good first draft. For a repeatable series, declare the exact beat:

timing(q, "calm ask=1.1 options=1 think=5.5 reveal=0.75 hold=2.15 stagger=0.06");
timerstyle(q, "look=ring position=below direction=drain color=cyan finish=pulse");
run(q);

A useful starting range is 1–1.5 seconds for the hook, 4–6 seconds to think, 0.6–0.9 seconds for the reveal, and 1.5–2.5 seconds to hold the explanation. Adjust for the actual reading load; the right pace is the one that remains clear on a phone.

timing owns choreography and timerstyle owns appearance. Change the ring to bar, segments, ticks, number, pulse, or none without moving a single beat. With explicit phases, always use run(q)—adding run(q,dur) would create a second competing duration.

Design shortcut: keep the default ring for most educational Reels. Use a bar for a longer process, segments for staged challenges, ticks for technical work, and pulse only for genuinely urgent moments.

4. Build a recognisable close

Call socials(profile) before the main animation so the selected footer is present throughout. endcard(profile) creates a hidden final lockup; fade the content, then reveal it for about one second or more.

Keep the CTA singular: “Save this”, “Try the next one”, or “Follow for more”. A creator profile is reusable across a whole series, so brand decisions live in one line rather than every scene. Inside a profile spec, use underscores where a value needs spaces: name=Proof_Daily cta=Save_and_share.

The endcard deliberately uses an editorial action row rather than a fully neon-filled button: a quiet inset surface keeps the creator name and final idea dominant, while a small two-colour rail and arrow chip carry the accent palette. On a black template, reserve bright colour for those details and keep CTA copy short enough to read in one glance.

For a channel-link row without external assets, choose footer=social and set the platform values directly: yt=zarigatongy x=@anish2good web=8gwifi.org/manic. Manic draws matching normalized icons and keeps the text inside the responsive footer. Use two or three identities for the clearest phone-size close; a larger platform set automatically becomes icon-only.

Complete Reel

This example uses exact phases, LaTeX media, the Reels safe area, a restrained native timer, a signature footer, timeline markers, and a final end card:

// A production-ready Creator v2 Reel: safe layout, exact pacing, one focal
// equation, restrained motion, reusable branding, markers, and an end card.
title("Perfect Reel — Angle Ratio");
canvas("9:16");
template("mono");
watermark(manicMark, (w*0.895-100, h*0.075+24), "Made With Manic");

creator(me, "@anish2good name=Proof_Daily tagline=Think_then_prove yt=zarigatongy x=@anish2good web=8gwifi.org/manic accent=cyan secondary=magenta footer=signature cta=Save_and_share safe=reels");

quiz(q, "Triangle angles: 2:3:4. What is the largest?",
     "studio layout=media-first reveal=fade density=comfortable motion=calm safe=reels accent=cyan");
option(q, `$60^\circ$`);
option(q, `$80^\circ$`, correct);
option(q, `$90^\circ$`);
option(q, `$100^\circ$`);
explain(q, `The parts total $9$, so $x=20^\circ$ and $4x=80^\circ$.`, "Angle sum");

equation(prompt, (cx, 650), `2x+3x+4x=180^\circ`, 70);
color(prompt, cyan);
figure(prompt);
hidden(prompt);

// Exact 10.5-second quiz beat. The timer look can change independently.
timing(q, "calm ask=1.1 options=1 think=5.5 reveal=0.75 hold=2.15 stagger=0.06");
timerstyle(q, "look=ring position=below number=inside direction=drain size=medium thickness=1.1 color=cyan track=dim label=THINK font=mono finish=pulse");

socials(me);
endcard(me, "cta=Save_and_share");

mark("hook");
par {
  run(q);
  show(prompt, 0.5);
}

mark("endcard");
par {
  fade(q.parts, 0.45);
  fade(prompt, 0.45);
  fade(me.footer, 0.45);
}
show(me.endcard, 0.6);
wait(1.4);

Preview and export

manic check examples/perfect-reel.manic
manic check examples/perfect-reel.manic --canvas all
manic examples/perfect-reel.manic

# Inspect representative phone frames: hook, countdown, and answer hold.
manic examples/perfect-reel.manic --still 0.8
manic examples/perfect-reel.manic --still 6.0
manic examples/perfect-reel.manic --still 10.0

# Vertical render with only your Creator profile branding.
manic examples/perfect-reel.manic --record out --preset reel --no-brand

Omit --no-brand if you also want the Manic intro and watermark. Recording writes markers.json; use its mark(...) timestamps to align narration, music, or captions in an editor.

Final phone-size review

Before publishing, check:

• Does manic check your-file.manic --canvas all pass portrait, feed, square, and landscape? See Visual checks for fixes.
• Can the hook be understood during the first beat?
• Is every important word and the CTA inside the selected safe area?
• Is there one obvious focal point, with no competing motion?
• Are the choices short, distinct, and marked with exactly one correct answer?
• Does the timer contrast with its track without overpowering the content?
• Does the explanation remain visible long enough to read aloud?
• Does the final card ask for one action and hold long enough to register?
• Are logos, photos, fonts, narration, and music yours or licensed for use?

Once those pass, keep the same profile, motion, colour, and closing pattern across the series. Consistency will make the next Reel both faster to produce and easier to recognise.

Next: Turn one polished scene into a reactive story →

Reference: Explore every Creator control and format variant.