Write a video script in four steps. Decide the one thing the viewer should remember, write it as sentences you can say aloud, split it into shots, and read it against a stopwatch. A script is finished when a stranger could make the film from it.
Plan and write2 min readUpdated By the Video.app creative team
Video coming soonWatch: How to write a video script that can be produced
01Step 1: one message
Complete this sentence before you write anything: “After this film, the viewer should…”. If the sentence needs the word “and”, you have two films. Most weak scripts try to say everything the company does.
02Step 2: write for the ear
A script is spoken, not read. Use short sentences, one idea in each, and everyday words. Round numbers, because nobody remembers 4,862 from a voice. Read each line aloud and cut what you stumble on.
03Step 3: split it into shots
Use two columns: what is heard and what is seen. Each shot carries one idea. If the picture just repeats the voice, change one of them.
Shot
Voice
On screen
Sound
Length
1
The line, exactly as spoken
What the viewer sees
Music or effects
Seconds
2
04Step 4: time it
Read the whole script aloud with a stopwatch, at the pace you want in the film. The speed of speech differs by language and by voice, so a word count only gives a rough idea.
05Three mistakes that waste a film
Opening with the company instead of the viewer’s problem. Putting three messages in one film. Repeating the voice in on-screen text. Each makes the film longer and weaker.
Common questions
How long should a script be?
As long as the film you need, and no longer. Time it aloud instead of counting words.
Do I need a storyboard as well?
For any film with several scenes, yes. See the storyboard template guide.
Can AI write the script?
It can draft one, but a person has to check the facts, the tone and the length.
