Text Message Animation

Turn a chat script into a scroll-stopping conversation video: bubbles appear one at a time, a typing indicator pulses before each reply, sounds pop on send, and the thread auto-scrolls to keep the newest message in frame. This is one of the highest-retention faceless short-form formats — a story told in iMessage/WhatsApp/SMS bubbles that the viewer reads like they're peeking at someone's phone.

When to use

• "Fake text" / chat-story videos for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts (9:16 vertical).
• Animating an iMessage, WhatsApp, or generic SMS conversation from a script.
• Reply/comment-reaction videos where a thread reveals a punchline message-by-message.
• Batch-producing many chat videos from one template + a messages array or CSV.

Two non-negotiable rules

1. One message reveals at a time, on a rhythm. The retention comes from the drip: a beat of typing, then a bubble pops in, then a pause to read. Never dump the whole thread at frame 0 — pace it like a real conversation (a typing indicator before received replies, a short read-gap after each bubble).
2. The chrome must read as the real app, instantly. Sent = right, blue (iMessage) or green (SMS) / WhatsApp-green; received = left, gray. Tail on the last bubble of a run, rounded ~18–22px, correct status bar and header. If a viewer can't tell which app it is in the first half-second, the illusion breaks.

The data model — script first, render second

Everything is one array of messages. Author the story as data; the renderer just plays it. This is what makes the format batchable: one template × N scripts → N videos.