Too late this year Priority26 words
“If you wanted a deck this summer and couldn't get on anybody's schedule, and you figure it's too late in the year — it's not. Here's why.”
Winter Build Shoot Script · Mitch Stowe
Winter build ads — 15 clips, one session
One message, fifteen clips: it’s not too late this year — winter is the best time to build, and your deck is done before spring. Same shirt and same spot throughout. Record them one at a time on your phone and we turn them into 60 ads for October through January.
📋 Read this first · 2 minutes
How to record this (you've got this)
You don't need to be a videographer or memorize anything. Every numbered line in this doc is its own short, separate clip — just work down the list and record them one at a time on your phone. Follow the four rules below and you'll nail it. When in doubt, do 2–3 takes and we'll pick the best.
🔊 Audio Most important
- This matters more than how the video looks. Bad audio is the #1 thing that kills a clip — clear audio is the #1 thing that saves it.
- Record somewhere quiet. No fans, AC, TV, traffic, or wind. Big empty rooms echo — a normal furnished room sounds better.
- Get the mic close. Best: a cheap clip-on lav mic (~$20) or your wired earbuds with the built-in mic. No mic? Keep the phone about an arm's length away, not across the room.
- Test before you commit. Record 10 seconds, play it back, make sure your voice is crisp — then record the rest.
📱 Shoot vertical
- Hold the phone upright (portrait), never sideways. If it's filmed horizontal we can't use it for Reels/Stories/TikTok.
- Frame yourself from mid-chest up, eyes in the upper third, a little space above your head.
- Keep it steady. Prop the phone against something or have someone hold it — no shaky, walking-and-talking handheld.
💡 Lighting
- Light on your face, not behind you. Face the window or the sun — never stand with a bright window/sky behind you (that turns you into a shadow).
- Outdoors: open shade or early-morning / late-afternoon light is gold. Avoid harsh midday sun that makes you squint and casts hard shadows.
- Indoors: face a window, add a lamp if it's dim. Even, natural light beats a dark “cinematic” look every time.
🎬 Record modular (this is what makes it easy)
- One line = one clip. Don't try to perform the whole ad in a single take. Say one numbered line, stop, record the next. We assemble them afterward.
- Stay consistent the whole session — same shirt, same spot, same framing — so any clip snaps together with any other. This is the secret to the 60-ad system.
- Mess up? No problem. Just re-record that one line. Give us 2–3 takes of each and we'll grab the best one.
- Talk to one person — imagine a neighbor across the fence, not “a camera.” Real and natural beats polished. Pauses are totally fine.
- Suggested order: work top to bottom — all 10 Hooks, then the 3 Bodies, then the 2 Closings.
What every one of these clips is doing: killing one belief — that it’s too late in the year to build a deck — and replacing it with a better one: start in winter, and when the first warm day hits, you’re out on a finished deck instead of on a waiting list. Same Mitch as always: honest, no pushy sales pitch, highest quality materials, truly fair price.
🎣 Hooks
Short · record all 10 · 26 words max eachEach one is a complete thought on its own. Say it, then stop — don’t run into the next sentence. Say these ones word-for-word: they’re the part we test.
1
2
The spring rush Priority24 words
“Every deck builder on the Wasatch Front gets slammed the first warm week of March. Start now, and by then, yours is already done.”
3
Half a summer Priority24 words
“Most people start their deck in spring and get half a summer on it. The ones who start in winter get the whole thing.”
4
We'd rather build in winter24 words
“Honestly? My crew would rather build your deck in January than July. No heat, the boards aren't moving, and nobody's rushing. Let me explain.”
5
Who you are, winter edition23 words
“Hi, I'm Mitch. I build decks along the Wasatch Front — all winter. The snow doesn't stop us, and it shouldn't stop you either.”
6
The myth26 words
“There's a myth around here that deck guys shut down for the winter. We don't. And once you hear why, you might want to start now.”
7
First warm Saturday Priority23 words
“Picture the first warm Saturday in April. Your neighbors are calling deck builders and getting told “June, maybe.” You're already sitting on yours.”
8
What I hear every October Priority26 words
“I hear it every October: “We won't get it in this year, so we'll wait till spring.” That's the exact wait that costs you the summer.”
9
Honest about the schedule24 words
“Our schedule fills months out — that's just the truth. Right now, winter's the soonest we can start your deck. Here's why that's good news.”
10
Your neighborhood24 words
“Lehi, Alpine, Draper — I've built decks on these streets in January with snow on the ground. If yours is next, don't wait for spring.”
Record this one three times, swapping the three town names for whichever three you want to pull from most (e.g. Highland, American Fork, Saratoga Springs). Same line otherwise.
🥩 Bodies — “The Meat”
record all 3 · 110 words max eachThese earn the call. Slow down — you have more room than you think. Know the beats and tell them like you’d tell a neighbor; exact wording matters less here than it does on the hooks.
A
The spring rush, explained106 words · about 39 sec
“Here's what happens every year. March hits, the first warm weekend, and everybody looks out at the backyard and says, let's finally do the deck. So every builder on the Wasatch Front gets a huge wave of calls at the exact same time. Calendars fill up months out. You end up getting built in the middle of summer, and by the time it's done, the season's half gone. That's the wait I'm trying to talk you out of. Start in the winter and none of that touches you. When spring hits, your deck isn't under construction. It's finished. You're out on it the first nice day.”
This is your own pitch from our call, cleaned up. Say it the way you said it to me.
B
Why winter's actually better for the build Confirm first108 words · about 40 sec
“People assume we shut down when it snows. We don't — and honestly, winter's when I'd rather build. It's not a hundred degrees on the boards. Composite isn't expanding and contracting like crazy, so everything sits where we set it. My guys aren't racing the heat, and we're not squeezed between six other jobs, so your deck gets our full attention. Yes, there are days a storm shuts us down. We plan for that and tell you up front. What you get out of it is simple: highest quality materials, put in the right way the first time, and a finished deck waiting for you when the snow melts.”
C
How it actually goes108 words · about 40 sec
“Here's exactly how this goes, so there are no surprises. You reach out. We find a time that works around your schedule, not mine. We show up when we said we would — me, or the guy I trained myself. We walk your space, listen to what you're actually picturing, and take real measurements, not a guess. Then we try to get you a number on the spot, and walk you through what every line of it is for. No pushy sales pitch. If it's a fit, we get you a winter start date and one goal: done before spring. If it's not a fit, that's a fine answer.”
Same walkthrough as your other shoot doc, with one winter line added near the end. If you already recorded the other version, record this one too — it’s the version that pairs with these hooks.
⚠️ Mitch — check these before you record Body B
Four things Body B claims about building in winter
Every one has to be true on a normal winter job. Tick the ones that are, cross out any that aren’t, and we’ll reword. It’s a list, so dropping one just makes it shorter.
- You build straight through winter — footings, framing, decking — not just finish work. (If frozen ground changes how or when you dig footings, tell us and we’ll say it honestly.)
- Composite moves less in cold than in summer heat, and that’s a real install benefit you’d stand behind.
- Storm days pause the job and you tell the homeowner up front how that’s handled.
- A winter job genuinely gets more of your crew’s attention than a June job does.
Two more questions for Spencer, not for the camera: (1) Is there any real winter incentive — a price hold before spring material increases, a scheduling priority, anything? If yes, it becomes one sentence in Closing 1. If no, we don’t invent one. (2) Would you put a date on “done before spring” — e.g. booked by December 15, finished by April 1? That’s the strongest thing in this whole kit, but only if you’re willing to stand behind it in the contract.
📣 Closings
record both · 32 words max eachWarm and unhurried. You’re inviting someone over, not closing them.
1
The invitation31 words
“Click Learn More below and get a free deck estimate. We'll find a time that works for you, get you on the winter schedule, and I look forward to meeting you.”
2
The preview29 words
“Click Learn More, tell me about your backyard, and we'll show you your deck on your house before you spend a dollar — so it's built and ready before spring.”
🧩 How It Comes Together
Hook — 26 words max → about 10 seconds
Body — 110 words max → about 40 seconds
Closing — 32 words max → about 12 secondsLongest possible combination: 165 words ≈ 61.1 seconds. The ceiling is 90.
Body — 110 words max → about 40 seconds
Closing — 32 words max → about 12 secondsLongest possible combination: 165 words ≈ 61.1 seconds. The ceiling is 90.
- Every line above has been counted. Say them as written and everything fits with room to spare. The one thing that breaks it is adding. You do not need to rush — you need to not add.
- Where to shoot: outside, on a job, ideally with snow or bare trees in frame. The setting is half the argument — a guy in a hoodie on a deck in January proves the claim before he opens his mouth. Face the light; if it’s overcast, that’s perfect.
- Shoot order: all hooks back-to-back (same wardrobe and spot), then bodies, then closings.
- Naming:
FRE_WH03·FRE_WM01·FRE_WCTA01→FRE_FIN_WH03-WM01-WCTA01 - Test plan: hold Body C + Closing 1 constant and rotate the hooks first; lock the winners, then test the bodies. Runs October through January.
🎥 Footage worth grabbing
no talking neededSeparate from the 15 clips. Point the phone and hold steady 5–10 seconds. Vertical, always. For this kit, winter footage is the proof.
- Crew working with snow on the ground — the single most valuable shot for this campaign
- Framing going up in the cold — breath visible, gloves on, joists and beams
- Boards going down — hidden fasteners, picture-frame edge, a snowy yard behind
- A finished deck with snow around it — “ready and waiting”
- The same deck in spring if you have it — family out on it, first nice day
- Truck arriving, tailgate open, the iPad preview on site