Your episode's ending
Pick the answer closest to what usually happens, not what you wish happened. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
1. Can you say, in one sentence, the question the ending leaves open?
2. Does the main character face a choice in the final moments?
3. Is there a visible object or line the ending turns on?
4. Would a viewer who missed the middle of the episode still feel the ending?
5. Does either answer to the question cost her something?
6. Is the next episode ready to answer it?
7. Is the final shot held long enough to land?
Think about the episode you're working on now, specifically its last 30 seconds. The quiz checks it against the things a cliffhanger needs: one clear question, a choice or a cost, and a reason the viewer cares what happens next.
Be strict with yourself. "It's a bit mysterious" is not the same as "the viewer has to know what she chooses."
Example: the same scene, two endings
Weaker: Eleanor posts the art-show entry form and smiles. Fade out.
Stronger: Eleanor holds the envelope over the post box. James's voice from earlier: "At your age?" Hold on her hand. Cut to black.
Same story, same cost to make. The second leaves a question the viewer has to have answered.
Questions people ask
Can every episode end on a cliffhanger?
It can, but it shouldn't always be the same kind. Alternate between choices, revelations and arrivals so the pattern doesn't feel mechanical.
What about the season finale?
Answer the season's main question, then open one new one in the final shot.
Keep going
Where should each turn land?
Find the episode for each major turn in an 8–10 episode season, plus total runtime.
How many Shorts does one season give you?
See how many Shorts a season gives you and how many weeks they'll cover.
How many hours does one episode take?
Add up shots, re-rolls, voice and edit time to see the real hours per episode.
