Where I place pattern interrupts (the 0-7-15 rule)

Where I place pattern interrupts (the 0-7-15 rule)

Let me tell you about a talking-head script that felt flat despite a strong hook. The problem wasn't the open, it was the empty middle. So I built a placement playbook. Step one: mark the timeline at 0, 7, and 15 seconds. Step two: guarantee a visual or tonal break at each mark. Step three: make at least one of them physical, not just a cut.

Before: one zoom-in at 0:03, then nothing for 20 seconds. Retention sagged from 60% to 29% by 0:15.
After: cut at 7, I stood up and walked at 15. "And this is the part nobody tells you."

The result: 0:15 retention rose to 51%, full-watch rate doubled to 22%.

The principle: interrupts aren't decoration. Schedule them at 0, 7, 15 or attention dies in the gaps.