Reel formats
The seven ways Ikrames turns an idea, a clip, or a long video into a short-form reel — and when to use each.
Reels are short-form vertical (or horizontal) videos. Ikrames gives you several ways to make one, each starting from something different: a topic, a clip of you talking, a viral transcript, or a long video you want to cut down. Open Compose from the sidebar to see them as format cards, with two more (Idea and Clips) as chips below.
Every format shows a credit estimate before you commit, split into what you spend now to build the reel and what you'll spend later to render it.
The reel formats at a glance
| Format | You start from | Needs a persona? |
|---|---|---|
| Scripted B-roll | A topic | No |
| Talking-head | A short clip of you talking | No |
| Viral rebuild | A viral video's transcript | No |
| Persona reel | A topic (avatar delivers it) | Yes — default avatar + voice |
| Three-anchor | 3 anchor clips you pick | No |
| Idea → reel | An idea, planned into a reel | No |
| Clips | A long video or a link | No |
Scripted B-roll: a reel from just a topic
The fastest format. Type a topic and Ikrames writes a script in your brand voice, picks matching B-roll, and assembles the reel — no avatar or voice needed. You choose the aspect (vertical 9:16 or horizontal 16:9), a target length (15, 30, or 60 seconds), an optional B-roll category, and a sound-design level. This is the recommended first reel.
Talking-head: turn a speaking clip into a captioned reel
Upload a short clip of yourself talking (MP4, MOV, or WebM, within the on-screen length window). Ikrames transcribes it and burns in captions — no script generation, no B-roll, the original background stays. You can trim to a length window and pick a caption style before submitting.
Viral rebuild: reverse-engineer a video in your voice
Paste the transcript of a video that worked. Ikrames rebuilds its structure and pacing as a new scripted B-roll reel in your brand voice. The transcript is required; a topic is optional to steer it. Same aspect, length, category, and sound-design controls as Scripted B-roll.
Persona reels: your avatar delivers your script
Type a topic and Ikrames writes a script, speaks it in your voice with text-to-speech, and has your avatar deliver it across three "anchor" moments — then assembles the reel. You can also set music, a language, and sound design.
Note. Persona reels need a default avatar and a default voice on the brand. Until both are set, Compose shows a gate with links to fix it. Set a default avatar in your Library ▸ Avatars, a default voice in Library ▸ Voices, or configure both from Brand Settings ▸ Persona.
Three-anchor reels from clips you pick
On the Persona page, open pick anchors yourself (the "+" toggle) to build a reel from three existing anchor clips you choose for the start, middle, and end. Add a topic, aspect, caption preset, B-roll density, and category filter. Use this when you already have footage you want to anchor the reel on.
Idea → reel
The Idea chip on Compose turns a rough idea into a planned reel: Ikrames drafts a reel plan and script you can review and edit, then renders it. Good when you want to shape the concept before generating.
Clips: pull viral moments out of a long video
The Clips chip opens the clips studio (also at /clips — it isn't in the sidebar). Upload a long video or paste a link, and Ikrames finds the most clip-worthy moments, ranked by a viral score. Pick a clip length (auto, 30, 45, 60, or 90 seconds) and a caption language — original, or translated subtitles in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, or Portuguese. Render each clip, then download or publish it.
Choosing the avatar engine: Fabric or HeyGen
Persona reels render on Fabric by default. Switch to HeyGen to also place your avatar over a Scene backdrop. Optionally, connect your own HeyGen key in Brand Settings ▸ Integrations to render anchors on your own digital twin.
Editing and publishing a reel
Every format lands as a reel you can refine before it renders. Captions, transcript cuts, footage swaps, music, and export all live in the reel editor. When it's ready, send it toward publishing. New here? Walk through your first reel.