When hearing the phrase ‘video production’, images of flashy stages, vintage-style film reels and beret-wielding directors quickly spring to mind. But before anyone gets to yell ‘lights, camera, action!’ you need a plan in place. This is where script-writing comes in. Contrasted with the above, putting together a script can often feel like a complex and daunting task. Thankfully there are a few pointers you can keep in mind while writing to ensure a quality production time and time again, no matter the content.
Tailor your Script
Before you embark on your script-writing journey, think about the video you’re trying to create. It may be tempting to just jump right in, but taking a moment to identify the particulars frequently makes the difference between a mediocre video and a memorable one. Who is your audience? What is the goal of your video? What kind of atmosphere are you looking to create? Pace, tone, style and even word-selection go a long way in defining the character of your content. Outlining the meta-data for your video at the beginning of the scripting stage is a great way to take full control of your production.
Keep an Eye on the Clock
Brevity is the soul of wit. It’s also the key to conveying your ideas as effectively as possible. While it’s understandable that some scripts have more to tell than others, an overly-long video will leave your audience tired and uninterested. Also studies suggest that people consistently do better at recalling information located at the beginning and end of a message, whilst middle-content is frequently forgotten. Exploit this by steering away from elongated phrases or generally lengthy narratives. Simply put, a concise script means greater attention from your viewers and a video that people will remember.
Add a Personal Touch
With all the technical and creative aspects that go into creating a script, it can sometimes be difficult to remember you’re creating a product for people. Humanizing your video is a great way to gain your viewers’ trust and bridge the communicative gap. Make sure to use personal pronouns like we, you, us etc. You will find that turning your video into a conversation can frequently prove an ingenious shortcut towards producing something unforgettable.
Think about your Graphics
Sometimes the nature of your content might need you to cover vast sets of data or to simplify a difficult topic. You can avoid having unnecessary, drawn-out explanations in your script by letting illustrations do the work for you. Visual aids can be vastly more efficient in conveying a complex subject to your viewers. While producing your script, set place-holders or keep notes about where and how you might plan to use these potential graphics, and then write around them. Save 1000 words, use a picture instead.
Have Fun with it!
Whether you’re writing for television, marketing your business or creating the next upload for your YouTube channel, find a way to enjoy what you’re doing. Positivity makes for a world of difference, especially during the early stages of production. Approach the task like it’s a chore and that’s exactly how the audience is going to feel watching your video unfold. This is your vision, your story. Tell it!
