# How to edit the first three seconds of a video ad

> Edit the first three seconds of a video ad: put the hook at second zero, cut the intro, add text and motion, then test two openings. Steps and a worked example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-10
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-edit-a-video-ad-hook

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To edit a video ad hook, put your strongest line or picture at second zero and cut everything before it. Then add a caption and a small move in the first three seconds, and test two openings of the same ad.

## Steps

1. Watch the raw clip and pick the [hook](/glossary/ad-hook): a claim, a problem shot or a result.
2. Move it to second zero. Cut the logo, the "hi everyone" and the slow start.
3. Put the hook line on screen as a caption in the first frame. Keep it out of the bottom 35% of a Reels or Stories frame, where the app's buttons sit.
4. Add a move inside the three seconds: a cut, a punch-in or a shake. A still frame gives the thumb time to scroll.
5. Make a second version with a different opening. Keep the rest of the ad the same. See [how to make video ad variations](/guides/how-to-make-video-ad-variations).
6. Run both and compare [hook rate](/glossary/hook-rate).

We make Marxx. In [Marxx's AI video editor](/features/ai-video-editor) you can ask the built-in assistant to cut by transcript and remove silences and filler words, and add punch-in motion presets by hand. Marxx chat is on Match, $29 a month at launch prices (checked 3 Nov 2026).

## Four openings to test

| Opening | On screen at 0:00 | Example line we wrote |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | A leaking bottle soaks a laptop | "My old bottle leaked in my bag, twice." |
| Price | INR 1,299 in large type over the bottle | "A steel bottle for INR 1,299. Watch the lid." |
| Proof | The bottle held upside down and shaken | "Shake test. Not one drop." |
| Question | The founder looks at the camera | "Why does your bottle leak?" |

The lines are example copy we wrote. For more, see [50 ad hook examples](/templates/ad-hook-examples) and [how to write ad hooks](/guides/how-to-write-ad-hooks).

## A worked example

Hook rate is 3-second plays divided by impressions, times 100. Say version A starts with a logo. It gets 20,000 impressions and 5,200 three-second plays.

- Version A: 5,200 / 20,000 x 100 = 26%

Version B is the same ad, but it opens on the leak shot. It gets 20,000 impressions and 7,000 plays.

- Version B: 7,000 / 20,000 x 100 = 35%

Only the first three seconds changed, so the 9-point gap is the hook.

## FAQ

### What makes a good hook?

It gives the viewer a reason to stay in the first three seconds. A clear problem, a price or a proof shot all work. Test them against each other.

### Should the logo come first?

No. Put the logo at the end or small in a corner, so the first frames do the work.

### How many openings should I test?

Start with two. Change only the first three seconds, so a gap in hook rate comes from the opening.

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