Around 3.37 billion internet users consumed video content in the last year. This shows the popularity and demand for video content. It can be used for more than one purpose, such as marketing, communication, and even storytelling.
Disclosure: This is a guest post and the author’s views here do not necessarily reflect those of the blog owner.
Regardless of the nature of the video, here are some tips for writing an engaging script for it. So, if you also want to utilize video content and reap its benefits, then stick with us.
Importance of writing a script beforehand
Many people have a misconception that the best way to narrate a video is to say whatever they want as it is rolling. This may work in some cases, but more commonly, a script is almost an essential part of video creation.
The narrators of videos can benefit from a script in the following ways:
- They would know what to say next, so the flow of the video remains undisturbed.
- They understand the motive and intent of the video and speak accordingly.
- The probability of mistakes is reduced, and the need for retakes is also decreased.
These are some of the main benefits of a pre-prepared video script.
Tips for writing engaging video scripts
We created a list of techniques to help you up your script-writing game. Let’s dive right in.
1. Identify the type of video and audience
Before writing a script, you have to know the nature of the video and the audience that is going to view it. Once get a grasp of this information, you can adjust the tone accordingly. Here are some types of videos that usually need scripting:
- Informational Videos
- Marketing Videos
- Tutorial Videos
- Entertainment Videos
There are other types too, but these are some of the more common ones. After knowing the type of video, you have to research the target audience (demographics and interests, etc.).
Let’s suppose you have to write a script for a marketing video that targets young adults. For such a video, you should utilize a semi-formal tone that conveys your message professionally but in a light and friendly way.
2. Write the script according to the length of the video
The length of the script always depends upon the length of the video. The scriptwriter is always told about how long the video would be and that will give the writer an idea of how many words can be there in the script.
An optimal size would be one in which the narrator says everything comfortably within the time limit. For an American English-Speaking individual, the average rate is around 150 words per minute. However, you should keep your work count at around 130-140 for more comfortable narration.
- In other words, if a video is 4 minutes long, your script should consist of 600 words maximum. (150 x 4 = 600)
3. Give your script a proper format with regular breaks
A continuous stream of words is not going to work for a video script. Instead, you should try breaking it down into smaller sections with stops and breaks.
One way to add these breaks is to analyze the video and determine the areas where it would be appropriate to stop talking.
For example, if an explanatory animation is playing, the narrator can simply say:
“Check out this animation to understand the concept.”
After that, he can stay quiet for a while. You have to find such points and write accordingly.
4. Identify and remove errors
This step can either be done during the writing process or after the first draft of the script is ready. The second approach is a bit more practical. After writing a video script, look for the following elements:
- Is the script easily speakable and understandable?
- Is the word choice appropriate?
- Are there any grammatical mistakes?
The first error can be removed by verbally pronouncing the script verbally. However, for the second and third flaws, you will have to find the mistakes by deeply analyzing the text. But that seems like a really tough task.
That’s why scriptwriters now prefer to use online tools to do it for them. These tools can scan your whole script, find errors in it, and fix them with just a few clicks.
5. Refine your script by revising
As a final step, you have to review your script to see if there is any tendency for improvement. For example, if any better words can be added or if the sentence structures can be made clearer.
While refining the script, you can modify the tone by altering the word selection. Maintaining the tone throughout the script seems a bit hard but again you can get help from the paraphrasing tool online. This tool can reword and rephrase the script to give you a better version of the script in the desired tone. The word selection will also be improved in the output.
You should grab every chance to make such improvements so that a high-quality video script is made. You might also get some improved ideas to portray something during this process. Such revisions can result in exceptional script upgrades.
Conclusion
We hope that you get an idea of how important a well-written script is for a video. We have also shared tips for creating such a script so that you can make stunning videos. All these tips apply to almost all video types, so you don’t have to be concerned about that.