Haven Renovations

Shoot Script · v1

Marilu’s Shoot Script

Everything below is a short, separate clip filmed on a phone. One session, same shirt, same spot — we assemble them into dozens of different ads afterward. Nothing to memorize.

📱 9:16 Vertical 🎤 Talking head ⏱️ 18 clips · ~90 minutes 🧩 60 ads from one shoot

📋 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 whole 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: read the ⭐ Flagship Script first to feel the flow, then knock out the rest top to bottom — Hooks, Bodies, CTAs.

Marilu — the only three notes that really matter. 1. Talk to one person. One homeowner sitting across the table from you, not an audience. 2. Don't read it — say it. If a line feels stiff in your mouth, change the words and keep the meaning. The short opening lines should be word-for-word (we test those), but the longer ones are yours to tell like you'd tell a friend. 3. Let other people do the bragging. Never say Haven is great — say what a client said. That's what makes people believe it.

Before you start, picture Elinda and the day you told her she didn't need the $120,000 kitchen. Say the lines from that feeling.

⏱️ Short on time? If you only get 45 minutes, film these eight in this order and we can still launch: ⭐ Flagship · Body A · Body B · CTA 1 · H01 · H03 · H06 · H09 (Read A).

⭐ Flagship Script

~60–75 seconds · film this one first

This is a complete ad on its own — the strongest story Haven has. Take it slow, pause between paragraphs, and just tell it.

Film first

“The $120,000 She Didn’t Spend”

Elinda’s story · told straight to camera

A woman called me last year. Her house was built so she could age in it. Every contractor who walked through told her the same thing — gut the whole kitchen. One of them quoted her a hundred and twenty thousand dollars.

I walked it, and it just wasn't true. Her cabinets were good. One box was bad. One. So we rebuilt that one box, took down the little pony wall that was in her way, ran new granite through the whole kitchen, and put steel brackets under the overhang instead of legs so she could actually get her chair in. About a month, first cut to last.

She had granite left over, so we made her a fireplace surround out of it. She liked it enough that we did both of her bathrooms too.

And at the end she didn't say thank you. She said, 'I'm going to miss you guys.'

That's what I want for you. Let me come walk your kitchen. I'll tell you what you need — and what you don't. Tap the link below and let's talk.

🎣 Hooks3–5 seconds each · record all 10
These are the opening lines of an ad — the part that decides whether anyone keeps watching. Say these word-for-word, since we test them against each other and the wording has to match across every version. Every hook works with every one of the three bodies below, so you never have to think about which goes with which.
1
H01 · Disarming honesty
“If you're planning a kitchen remodel this year, I'm probably not the cheapest bid you'll get. Let me tell you why that's a good thing for you.”
2
H02 · Burned homeowner
“If a contractor ever tore your kitchen apart and then disappeared on you, I'm sorry. This one is for you.”
3
H03 · The fear
“Before you hand your kitchen over to anybody, hear this. The scary part of a seventy-thousand-dollar remodel isn't the price. It's the people you just let into your house.”
4
H04 · Myth-bust
“Everybody says you can't find an honest kitchen remodeler in Houston anymore. I've been proving that wrong since 2005.”
5
H05 · Contrarian on price
“Looking for the cheapest kitchen remodel in Houston? Please don't call me. And I say that kindly.”
6
H06 · Personal — who I am
“My name is Marilu. I've been remodeling Houston kitchens since 2005, and I started this company as a single mother of three. Let me tell you how I work.”
7
H07 · The question nobody asks
“Thinking about finally gutting that kitchen? Here's the question nobody thinks to ask. How do you know they'll still be showing up in week six?”
8
H08 · It's finally your turn
“You've waited years for this kitchen. The kids are grown, the money is finally there. If the only thing stopping you is not knowing who to trust, take a breath. I can help with that.”
9
H09 · Neighborhood callout — record this one 3 times
Same sentence, three different sets of names. This is how we make the ad feel local to each area. Just record it three times.
Read A 77433 & 77429 — Cypress
“Bridgeland, Towne Lake, Coles Crossing. If your kitchen is finally next on the list, don't call anybody until you hear this.”
Read B 77377 — Tomball
“Northpointe, Village Creek, Amira. If your kitchen is finally next on the list, don't call anybody until you hear this.”
Read C 77070 & 77095 — Champions / Copperfield
“Champions Forest, Copperfield, Lakewood Forest. If your kitchen is finally next on the list, don't call anybody until you hear this.”
10
H10 · Three bids, three numbers
“Three bids, three completely different numbers, and a horror story from every neighbor. Here's how to tell a real kitchen remodeler from a cheap one, before the walls are ever open.”

🥩 Bodies — “the meat”

20–30 seconds each · record all 3

This is the part that earns the phone call, so slow down here. Know the beats and tell them in your own words — you don't have to hit these exactly.

Body A — The Real Price (carries the price promise)

“A cheap bid isn't a price. It's a number to get in your door. Then the walls come open and it grows. I do it the other way. I walk your kitchen myself, I show you your options — including the ones that cost less — and I give you one number. That number doesn't move. The only thing that can change it is something hidden inside your walls. Rot. Water damage. Something the last guy did wrong. And if I find it, I stop. I take a picture, I show it to you, and you decide before we touch it. That's the only surprise you'll ever get from me — and you'll see it in a photograph first.”

Body B — Family Running the Job (the founder story)

“At a big remodeling company, a salesman sells you the job and then hands you off to a subcontractor he's never met. That's not how this works. I started Haven in 2005. I was a single mother with three kids and one rule — don't cut corners, and don't turn over anything that isn't excellent. Twenty years later I'm still the one who walks your kitchen. My sons work beside me. The woman who's going to be standing in your house is the same woman you're looking at right now. My clients tell me they could tell it was a family running the job, not a sales rep. That's the whole difference.”

Body C — Like It Was My Own Kitchen (how the job actually runs)

“Here's what actually happens when we start. Your furniture goes into a pod before demo — not piled in your garage. Floors and appliances get covered. You get a roster with the name of every person who'll be in your home. Every day you get a message: here's what we did, here's what's next. When we're done, a professional cleaning crew comes through. And there's a one-year labor warranty on our work, plus every manufacturer warranty honored. One client told me it felt like I was doing my own kitchen. Another one hugged my crew on the last day and said, 'I'm going to miss you guys.'”

📣 Calls to action

5–10 seconds each · record both

Don't drop the last line. Both of these end by telling the viewer exactly what to do next, and that closing line is doing real work — say it warmly, but say it every time.

CTA 1 — Soft / honest walkthrough

“So here's all I'm asking. Let me come look at your kitchen. I'll walk it with you, I'll tell you honestly what it needs — and what it doesn't — and I'll give you a real number. No pressure, no charge. Worst case, you finally know what your project actually costs. Tap the link below and let's talk.”

CTA 2 — Direct / limited capacity

“We only take a few kitchens at a time. That's how the work stays right. If you want yours done right, tap below and book your free in-home consultation. I'll tell you what you need — and what you don't.”

📍 Where these ads run

confirmed by Estevan

The three reads of hook H09 come from this list. If there's a community missing that you do a lot of work in, tell us and we'll add it.

ZIP	Area	Neighborhoods
77433	Cypress (west)	Bridgeland · Towne Lake · Coles Crossing · Cypress Creek Lakes · Miramesa · Marvida · Dunham Pointe
77429	Cypress (core)	Longwood · Stone Gate · Blackhorse Ranch · Fairfield edge · Lakes of Rosehill
77377	Tomball	Northpointe · Village Creek · Lakes of Fairhaven · Amira · Rosehill
77095	Copperfield / NW Houston	Copperfield villages · Stone Gate south · Canyon Lakes
77070	Champions / Willowbrook	Champions Forest · Memorial Chase · Lakewood Forest

🧩 How it comes together

10 Hooks×3 Bodies×2 CTAs=60 Ads

Every hook works with every body. That's the whole trick — nothing has to be matched up, so 18 clips turn into 60 different ads.
Shoot order: flagship first, then all 10 hooks back-to-back, then the bodies, then the CTAs.
Consistency: identical wardrobe and setting all session, so any clip edits onto any other.
Backdrop: a finished Haven kitchen is ideal. A clean, warm room facing a window works too.
Second face (optional, 10 min): have Estevan or Andre also record H01, H02, H03, H07, H09 (Read A), H10 and CTA 2 — useful to test later. H04, H06, the flagship and Body B stay Marilu's.
Naming: HAV_H03 · HAV_H09a · HAV_M01 · HAV_CTA01 → HAV_FIN_H03-M01-CTA01
Test plan: hooks first (that's ~80% of performance), lock the top 2–3, then bodies against booked consults, then CTAs.

📝 Ad copy (post text)

pick one per ad

Option A — Family / trust

Primary: Most people don't lie awake over what a kitchen costs. They lie awake wondering who's actually going to be in their house for the next six weeks. Marilu started Haven in 2005 as a single mother of three, and twenty years later she's still the one who walks your kitchen — with her sons working beside her. 5.0 stars across 54 reviews. Come get an honest walkthrough and a real number. Free, no pressure.

Headline: The Houston Remodeler Who Still Shows Up Herself

Description: Free in-home consultation · 20 years · 5.0 ★ across 54 reviews

Button: LEARN_MORE

Option B — The real price

Primary: A cheap bid isn't a price — it's a number to get in your door, and it grows the second the walls come open. We do it the other way: one honest number, and it doesn't move. The only thing that can change it is something hidden inside your walls — and if we find it, you'll see a photo of it before we touch anything, and you decide. That's how Haven has stayed 5.0 stars across 54 reviews for 20 years in Cypress and Tomball.

Headline: One Honest Number — And It Doesn't Move

Description: Kitchen remodels in Cypress, Tomball & NW Houston · Free walkthrough

Button: LEARN_MORE

Option C — The Elinda story

Primary: Every contractor told her to gut the kitchen. One quoted $120,000. Marilu walked it and told her the truth: your cabinets are fine — one box is bad. So we rebuilt one box, opened up the pony wall, ran new granite, and finished in about a month. She had enough granite left over for a fireplace surround, and liked it enough that we did both bathrooms too. At the end she didn't say thank you. She said, "I'm going to miss you guys." That's the whole business. Let Marilu come walk your kitchen — she'll tell you what you need, and what you don't.

Headline: She Was Quoted $120,000. She Needed One Cabinet.

Description: Honest kitchen remodels · Cypress · Tomball · NW Houston

Button: LEARN_MORE

🚫 Language guardrails

The price promise is scoped — always. Never say “no surprise change orders” on its own. The exception Estevan gave us (structural problems found inside the walls) must be in the same breath every time, on camera and in ad text. Body A is written that way on purpose — the carve-out is what makes people believe the promise.

No guarantees of any kind. Nothing about guaranteed jobs, appointments, or refunds.
Never say “luxury,” “premium,” or “high-end.” The furniture pod, crew roster, daily updates and cleaning crew are proof you're trustworthy — describe them, don't label yourself.
No self-praise from Marilu. The 5.0 stars and 54 reviews belong in the written ad, not in her mouth. On camera, praise comes from clients: “one client told me…”
Don't name Katy or The Woodlands — outside the confirmed service map above.