Workflow step 7. A format is the container the audience receives, what the platform actually serves. It is not the structure (how the message is built, step 6, 02 Skills/Structures.md) and it is not the reason for the post (that's the intent).
Every piece is one structure + one format (the rule lives in 02 Skills/Structures.md). They're independent: a breakdown can ship as a video or a carousel; a take can ship as a talking-head or a quote image.
The formats
| Format | What the audience receives |
|---|---|
| Video | A moving-image piece (the default for reach and connection). See production methods below. |
| Slides | A multi-panel piece to swipe through (the "carousel"). Built to be saved. |
| Image | A single still: a quote card, a diagram, a cover. Lowest lift. |
| Text | A written post (mainly LinkedIn), no visual asset. |
Production method (a sub-choice, only inside Video)
Video has one more decision: how it's shot and assembled. This only exists under Video, never for slides, image, or text.
| Method | What it is | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Talking head | Me to camera, one setup. The default when connection is the point. | medium |
| Screen recording | The screen is the star, me reacting over it. Default for Behind the Screen. | medium |
| Voiceover + b-roll | My voice over footage. No face needed. | medium-light |
| Audio + b-roll + text | Licensed/trending audio, footage, on-screen text. No voice, no face. The lightest video. | light |
Shot changes and angle cuts are an editing device inside any of these, not a method of their own (see Editing-Guidelines-and-Process.md). Series files name their default method; downgrade to a lighter one rather than skip a week.
Common pieces, decoded
Each familiar piece is a structure + format pairing:
| Old label | Structure | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Hot take | Take | Video (talking head) or Image (quote) |
| How do I…? | Explainer | Video or Slides (the "how do I" is a hook, not a structure) |
| Saveable carousel | Breakdown or Explainer | Slides |
| Best-advice card | Take | Image |
| Mental-model diagram | Explainer | Image (diagram) |
Cross-references
- Step 6, the structure it carries:
02 Skills/Structures.md. - The full workflow:
02 Skills/Content-Pipeline.md. - Filming and editing:
02 Skills/Weekend-Batch-Production-System.md,02 Skills/Editing-Guidelines-and-Process.md.