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Xíu mại
A 9:16 storyboard, 86 seconds of edit time. Scene lengths are cuts, not the minutes the pot actually needs. Music mood: Soft acoustic guitar, warm room tone, no lyrics.
Scene 1 · hook · 4s
Hook
Shot. Open tight on the finished Xíu mại, then pull back just enough to see the plate. Ivory linen, warm window light, no faces, no logos, no text burned into the picture.
Voiceover. Xíu mại. Small pork meatballs in a light tomato sauce, soft enough to break with a spoon. Here is the whole thing, one move at a time.
On screen. Xíu mại
Scene 2 · title · 4s
Open on the finished dish
Shot. Slow push-in on the finished Xíu mại, ivory linen, a gold spoon just out of focus. No faces. No logos.
Voiceover. Xíu mại. Small pork meatballs in a light tomato sauce, soft enough to break with a spoon.
On screen. Xíu mại
Scene 3 · ingredients · 6s
Mise en place
Shot. Overhead flat lay. Hands set down small bowls in a quiet rhythm. Labels stay out of frame.
Voiceover. Set out ground pork, 90% lean, shallot, fish sauce, cornstarch, black pepper. Measure before the pan is hot.
On screen. Mise en place
Scene 4 · equipment · 5s
Equipment
Shot. A slow pan across the tools on the counter, then back to the bowl. No brand logos.
Voiceover. You need Scale, Bowl, Wide skillet with a lid, Spoon.
On screen. Scale · Bowl · Wide skillet with a lid
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiavn-xiu-mai-vn-xiu-mai-5
Step 1
step · vietnam
Scene 5 · step · 7s
Step 1
Shot. Xíu mại: pork paste in a bowl. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no watermark, fine-dining magazine photograph. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Mix 1 min in real time.
Voiceover. Mix 400 g ground pork, 30 g minced shallot, 12 g fish sauce, 8 g cornstarch, 1 g black pepper, and 15 g sliced scallion with your hand for 45 seconds, until the paste is tacky. Stop there. More mixing makes the balls tough.
On screen. Mix 400 g ground pork, 30 g minced… · Mix 1 min
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiavn-xiu-mai-vn-xiu-mai-6
Step 2
step · vietnam
Scene 6 · step · 7s
Step 2
Shot. Xíu mại: sixteen small raw meatballs. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no watermark, fine-dining magazine photograph. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Roll 5 min in real time.
Voiceover. Roll the paste into 16 balls, about 25 g each. Wet your hands if they stick. Set them on a plate. They should look soft, not packed hard.
On screen. Roll the paste into 16 balls, about… · Roll 5 min
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiavn-xiu-mai-vn-xiu-mai-7
Step 3
step · vietnam
Scene 7 · step · 7s
Step 3
Shot. Xíu mại: tomato just simmering. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no watermark, fine-dining magazine photograph. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Simmer tomato 3 min in real time.
Voiceover. Put 200 g chopped tomato, 80 g water, and 6 g sugar in a wide skillet. Bring to a simmer at about 95°C / 203°F, about 3 minutes, until the tomato slumps.
On screen. Put 200 g chopped tomato, 80 g… · Simmer tomato 3 min
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiavn-xiu-mai-vn-xiu-mai-8
Step 4
step · vietnam
Scene 8 · step · 7s
Step 4
Shot. Xíu mại: meatballs simmering in tomato. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no watermark, fine-dining magazine photograph. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Simmer 12 min in real time.
Voiceover. Nestle the balls into the sauce in one layer. Cover. Simmer 12 minutes, until a cut ball is tan all the way through and the juice runs clear, not pink. The center should reach 74°C / 165°F.
On screen. Nestle the balls into the sauce in… · Simmer 12 min
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiavn-xiu-mai-vn-xiu-mai-9
Step 5
step · vietnam
Scene 9 · step · 7s
Step 5
Shot. Xíu mại: glossy meatballs in a light sauce. Natural window light, ivory linen, handmade ceramic, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no watermark, fine-dining magazine photograph. Show the action, then a jump cut through the wait. Do not film the full Reduce 2 min in real time.
Voiceover. Uncover. Simmer 2 minutes so the sauce thickens enough to coat a ball. If it is dry, add 2 tablespoons of water. Serve the balls with the sauce, in a bowl or inside a split loaf.
On screen. Uncover. Simmer 2 minutes so the… · Reduce 2 min
Scene 10 · doneness · 6s
How you know it is done
Shot. Close on the center of the food. A skewer, tap, or spoon shows the cue. Hold long enough to see it.
Voiceover. A cut meatball is tan in the center, 74°C / 165°F, and the sauce clings instead of pooling like water.
On screen. Doneness
Scene 11 · mistakes · 7s
If it goes wrong
Shot. Split screen is unnecessary. Show the finished, correct texture, then a hand points at the cue.
Voiceover. The balls are tough. The pork was overmixed or the simmer boiled hard. Mix briefly and keep the pot at a quiet bubble. The centers are pink. Give them 3 more minutes under the lid and cut one again.
On screen. Common fixes
Scene 12 · storage · 5s
Cooling and storage
Shot. The dish cools on a rack, then a container is closed. No refrigerator brand in frame.
Voiceover. Cool, then refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered pan with a spoon of water until steaming, about 5 minutes.
On screen. Storage
Scene 13 · nutrition · 5s
Nutrition lower third
Shot. Hold on a single serving. A quiet lower third fades in. No medical claims on screen.
Voiceover. One serving is about 227 calories, with 20.1 grams of protein. Pai marks it Moderate.
On screen. 227 kcal · 20.1 g protein · Moderate
Scene 14 · plate · 5s
Plate and close
Shot. Spoon or tongs place the last garnish. Pull back to the full plate. End on steam or a still surface.
Voiceover. Serve 4 portions. Eat while it is at its best.
On screen. Xíu mại
Scene 15 · cta · 4s
Close
Shot. Hold the finished plate. A quiet end card can fade in after the picture. Do not cover the food with a logo.
Voiceover. Cook Xíu mại from the Pai recipe. The amounts, the heat, and the moment to stop are written under each step.
On screen. Cook it from the recipe
Machine-readable script for a later video tool. Scene durations are edit lengths, not cooking times. Long simmers and bakes are jump cuts. Order: hook, title, mise, equipment, one scene per numbered step (shot, on-screen text, voiceover, duration), doneness, fixes, storage, nutrition, plate, and the closing CTA. Keep the shot list and on-screen facts tied to this recipe.