Before I let anyone submit to a Content Rewards campaign under my name, I run them through 3 clips first. Not to gatekeep — to save them from wasting weeks on stuff that never pops.

Clip 1: the hook test. First 1.5 seconds only. If I can't tell what's happening or why I should care without sound, it's cut. Most new clippers bury the hook 4-5 seconds in — by then the algorithm already decided to bury you back.

Clip 2: the silence test. Watch it muted. If it doesn't still make sense visually (captions, text overlays, framing), the edit isn't done. Sound-off retention is what separates clips that get pushed vs. clips that die at 20% watched.

Clip 3: the re-watch test. Would I watch this a second time? If the answer's no, the pacing or punchline needs work — usually it means the payoff is too early or too late.

Most people think clipping is just "cut the funny part and post it." It's not. It's a craft, and campaigns pay based on views, not effort — so the difference between a $40 clip and a $4,000 clip is almost always these three things.

Started teaching this formally because I kept re-explaining it in DMs. If you're new to clipping and want the full breakdown, I put it into a free course — link's on my profile.