Video Production Script Writing
By Internet Video Gal in Storytelling, Video Production Tips
The script is the heart of your video production. So what makes a good video script?
Concise, conversational and easy-to-read.
Video script writing is the exact opposite from technical writing or academic writing. Those forms of writing use complex sentences, ten-dollar words and are usually very wordy. That is NOT what you want with a video script.
First, keep in mind that a video script is to be read aloud. Viewers will HEAR it rather than READ it. Therein lies the major difference. It’s called writing for the ear instead of writing for the eye.
On a practical level, it is also writing for your narrator. No narrator, not even the really good ones, sound good stumbling through endless tongue twisters. Convoluted, run-on sentences are not only a nightmare to read; they are also hard for the audience to understand.
So forget everything you learned from those stodgy English teachers. (My best friend is an English teacher; that is not a criticism.) It’s ok for video scripts to be full of sentence fragments because that is how people actually talk. If it makes sense when heard, then that is what you want.
The single best way to evaluate a video script is to read it aloud. Have someone listen to you if possible and see how well they understand what you are saying. Do not worry about using short, choppy sentences if that is what SOUNDS good. Inflection, tone of voice and pacing will have a lot to do with how well the script is understood and those things do not come through on paper.
Back when I taught TV production, I told my high school students to write scripts by pretending they were speaking to a friend. If you wanted to tell a friend this story, what would you say? Write that down. Then, go back and modify it. Make it sound more professional. Make sure your needed details are there but cut out the fat. Make sure the meat is prominent. Make sure the words you have chosen are descriptive, colorful, yet easily pronounced and understood.
Click here for sample video scripts you can copy.
Video script writing is a style unto itself. Remember too that whatever video you use also conveys meaning. Ideally, the video and the spoken narration work together in order to communicate. So if your narrator says, “Political leaders spoke to the public,” and you show a hot air balloon deflating, then you have added considerable meaning without relying on words. That little trick is one of the things that makes video production so much fun! Make sure and click that link above to go to another post on script writing that gives several examples you can copy and use yourself.
Thanks for reading Video Production Tips.
Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal
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7 Comment(s)
By Rich Day on | Reply
I liked your suggestion that you write the script as though you were talking to a friend.
When we talk with a friend, we do talk in short sentences, parts of sentences and few of us would know how to punctuate the communication if it were written down.
I just might have been guilty of writing script that sounds a bit stuffy…well, I admit it, I certainly have done that.
I feel so much better now that I got that off my chest. I won’t do it again…
By Lorraine Grula on | Reply
Glad if you feel better Richard!
I guess we are all guilty of sounding “stuffy” when writing a script. I think we like to sound smart. Personally, I think it’s better to sound personable. “YO DUDE” does a better job of that than, “Good evening, sir” don’t cha think?
And REAL conversation is so ungrammatical it would make any English teacher faint.
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By clifford Gikunda on | Reply
Well i really accept that a script is like talking to afriend or rather story telling ,however, in this case there is a thought on accompaniment in pictures. I have a hard time every time though when i work on scientific productions and have very many interviewees
By Internet Video Gal on | Reply
Hi Clifford.
Here’s a tip. Take a little bit of video of everyone you interview. Ask them what activities they normally would be doing if you were not there. Decide which is the most visually interesting and videotape that. Get lots of variety of angles of their activity. Then you can write your script in such a way that the video is explained a bit so it makes sense for the viewer that is what they are seeing.
Once you get the hang of it, coming up with ideas for video to illustrate your story gets easier. Taking video of people doing activities that are related to the subject matter of your story is a safe bet and always works.
You say you interview scientists. Scientific laboratories are actually extremely visual. Test tubes, beakers and bottles of chemicals make some interesting shots. I always asked what equipment they have that moves or makes noise. Moving noisy things do well on video. That usually got me the centrifuge.
If there is absolutely no other video to shoot, take video of the person you interview walking down the hallway or down a sidewalk.
I hope that helps you. Good luck. Thanks for visiting!
Lorraine
By clifford on | Reply
Lorraine
Good to hear from you, i think what you said was very crucial and took my time to visualise in it, i always do the B roll shots or cutaways as we call them here and have some of my works in U tube, i am working on many more, i get sleepless nights i will say. Could you be having an idea on anyone who could be interested in agricultural innovations & more in africa. How farmers are coping with effects of climate change, how some food crops fix nitrogen, adaptive ways of keeping poultry, transfer of genetic resources. I would kindly appreciate any suggestions
By Internet Video Gal on | Reply
Hi Clifford.
I am so glad to hear from you again.
B roll and cutaways are indeed the terms we use here too.
Just always remember that any video of the people in your story doing just about any activity can be used effectively. People working, playing, eating, talking sitting around doing nothing, whatever activity you can videotape can work as visuals for your video.
I personally am extremely interested in how African farmers work and deal with issues like climate change. But then again, no doubt overall, the audience for that would be less than videos of people splitting their pants, which is sad really but let’s not dwell on that!
To get a better audience for your videos, or to try and sell or distribute your videos, I suggest contacting other groups concerned with those issues. Such as:
Charity groups working to help feed people.
Academic institutions that deal with agriculture or international issues.
Agricultural Associations that help unite and educate farmers
Climate change advocacy groups.
Any group working to help the continent of Africa.
Environmental groups.
Tourism agencies.
Contact all of these groups and tell them what you have to offer. Even if they can not help you or are not interested, always ask, “Do you know anyone else I might contact?” If you ask everyone you speak with to recommend someone else, you will son have long lists of people who are interested.
Good luck Clifford. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Why don’t you post some links to your videos here? I would like to see them.
Thanks!
Lorraine Grula
By vitcon on Jul 6, 2010 | Reply
pls give me some examples