Should I copy a video word for word?

No. Copy the shape and not the script. Same shots, same order, same pace, but your own words and your own product. A page of copied scripts looks like every other page.

Which format should I film first?

The talking head. It needs nothing but you, a window and a phone, and it is the one most briefs ask for. Film that, then try a green screen, then try a skit.

Can I make these without the product?

Yes. These cuts are for your own page and they are not going out as ads. Use something you own, a free trial, or a screen recording of the website. What a brand wants to see is that you can hold the shape.

UGC video formats: the ones brands ask for, and how to copy one

Sep 13, 20267 min read

Almost every UGC brief names a format. Three of them cover most of the work: talking head, green screen and skit. Here is what each one is, real examples of all three to watch, and the drill for rebuilding one shot for shot so you have something to put on your page.

Key takeaways

A brief names a format, not just a topic. Your job is to match the shape.
Three formats cover most of the work: talking head, green screen and skit.
Copy a real example shot for shot. It is the fastest way to learn a format.
No product? Film with what you own. The cut is for your page, not for the brand.
Three finished cuts on one link beat any message about what you could make.

What a UGC format is

A brief gives you two things. The topic is what to talk about. The format is the shape of the video.

Two videos about the same app can be two different jobs. One is you talking to camera. One is a small acted scene. The words change. The shots change. The edit changes.

So read the format first. It sets how you film, not just what you say. Get it wrong and the brand asks for a re cut, or does not ask you again.

The three you will be asked for

Each one does a different job for the brand. That is why they pick one.

Format	What it is	Why a brand picks it
Talking head	You, to camera, saying it in your own words	It reads as a real person. Best for trust
Green screen	You in front of a screenshot, a post or a page	It shows proof while you talk over it
Skit	A short acted scene, often with you as two people	It gets watched to the end. Best for cold traffic

Talking head

One take. You in frame, saying the thing. No set and no props.

The whole job is the first two seconds and your eyes. Look at the lens, not at your own face on the screen.

Film it facing a window. Stand close to the phone. Say it like you would say it to a friend.

Green screen

You stand in front of something on screen. A page, a post, a review or a screenshot.

The thing behind you is the proof. You are the voice over it. Point at it while you talk.

Two kinds get briefed. One you can build yourself out of a screenshot. One is built on art the brand sends you.

Skit

A tiny scene. You often play both people. The joke is usually the problem.

It runs on timing. The cut between the two people has to be tight or the whole thing dies.

This one is the hardest of the three and the easiest to watch. Brands pay well for it.

The other formats worth knowing

These come up less often. A brief will name one sooner or later, so learn the words now.

If your lane is apps and tools, the screen record is the one you will live in. There is a whole guide to tech UGC.

Format	What it is
Voice over	Your hands, the product or a screen, with you talking over the top. No face on camera.
Screen record	The app or the site on screen while you narrate it. Common for tech and tools.
Unboxing	The parcel, opened on camera. First look, first touch, first reaction.
Review	You have used it for a while. The honest verdict, the good bits and the bad ones.
Testimonial	Short, to camera, one result. It reads like a quote with a face on it.
Before and after	The state before, then the state after. The cut between them is the whole video.
Get ready with me	You do your normal routine and the product turns up inside it.
Day in the life	A run of clips through one day, with the product in a few of them.
Reaction	You watch another video and react to it, with that video on screen beside you.
Street interview	You ask strangers one question and cut the answers together.
Tutorial	Steps. Do this, then this, then this. Good for anything with a setup.
Point of view	A scene shot as if it is happening to you, with a caption setting it up.
Listicle	Three things, counted on screen. Quick to film and easy to watch.
ASMR	Sound and texture lead the cut. Close, slow and quiet.

How to copy one, shot for shot

Pick one video above. Build it again with your own words and your own product.

You are not copying the script. You are copying the shape.

01
Watch it five times
Once for the feel. Then four times counting things. Cuts, captions, camera moves, where the hands are.
02
Write the beats
One line per shot. What is on screen and how long it stays there. Most cuts last two or three seconds.
03
Film your version
Same shots, same order, your words. Shoot more takes than you think you need.
04
Match the pace
Cut yours as fast as theirs. Add captions the same way. Export it upright.
05
Play them side by side
Watch both, one after the other. The gap you hear is your list of fixes. Then fix it.

You will not have the product. Film it anyway.

Most of these you do not own and cannot buy. That is not a reason to skip one.

This cut is for your page. It is not going out as an ad. So use what you have. Use a free trial. Record the site on your screen.

If the brand is an app, record an app. If it is a drink, use a drink you own. The point is to show that you can hold a shape.

Put them on a link, or you do not get read

Three finished cuts do nothing on your camera roll. They need one link that plays.

A brand opens that link on a phone, between two other tabs. No login. No download. No folder that asks for access first.

We give every creator a free page at ugcflows.com with their own name on the end of it. No card, and it is not a trial. Claim yours.

What goes on it and what to leave off is in the portfolio guide. If you are starting from nothing, read how to become a UGC creator first.

The honest bit

This is the same pack a brand sends on day one. It is not a test we made up.

So if you cannot rebuild one of these, the deal will not go well. Most campaign managers pass on people who need help at this stage.

The good news is that copying is a skill and it gets quick. Your third one takes an hour.

Questions people ask

How many UGC video formats are there?: There is no fixed list. Briefs name about fifteen shapes, and three of them cover most of the work: talking head, green screen and skit. Learn those three first and pick the rest up as they come up.
Should I copy a video word for word?: No. Copy the shape and not the script. Same shots, same order, same pace, but your own words and your own product. A page of copied scripts looks like every other page.
Which format should I film first?: The talking head. It needs nothing but you, a window and a phone, and it is the one most briefs ask for. Film that, then try a green screen, then try a skit.
Can I make these without the product?: Yes. These cuts are for your own page and they are not going out as ads. Use something you own, a free trial, or a screen recording of the website. What a brand wants to see is that you can hold the shape.

All posts

How we know

These are the reference links our own campaign managers send a creator on the day a brand books them. The formats below are the ones our briefs name. The copy drill is the same one we use to work out whether somebody is ready for a deal.

UGC Flows · published Sep 13, 2026 · last reviewed Sep 13, 2026

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