7. Video Scripts

The rising popularity of video, thanks to broadband distribution, has led to an increasing demand for scripts among corporate clients. Typically, a client might want to shoot a short video that will go on their website, be distributed internally via an intranet, or be shown at events such as sales conferences. The kinds of scriptwriting assignments you could be called upon to produce might range from voiceovers for simple animated presentations to full scripts for expensive productions. Some tips for handling this kind of work include:

• Be aware of timing. Do not go much over 100 words of speech per minute. Most corporate videos are only about three or four minutes long at most (as anything longer costs too much and causes viewers to drift off), so you are looking at about 400 words at most. You will find it quite challenging to get everything you want to say into that word count. So aim for a miracle of direct, concise communication and cut out anything that sounds vaguely technical or waffly.
• In the same vein, make sure the language you use is as simple, direct and colloquial as possible. Remember your audience cannot go back and read a line again if they don’t get it first time, so make sure they get it first time. Use short words and everyday language. Write as you would speak. Switch on the TV or radio news and listen to the way that newsreaders explain complex subjects, then try to do the same.
• Think in pictures. Even if you know the budget does not stretch to exotic locations or special effects, try to think of props, backdrops and ways to liven up your video so it does not end up as a talking head speaking to the camera. Similarly, if your video has to explain something very complex, like the offside rule in soccer for instance, then see if it is possible to do this visually rather than having to explain it in the narrative.
• Keep to a standard script format for your copy. Use a large, easily readable font such as 12-point Courier. Double-space your text. Break up the copy into lots of paragraphs.
• Re-read your text out loud when you have finished drafting it. The chances are you will find a whole bunch of phrases that are virtually impossible to say properly. Break them apart and re-work them until they sound right. Also watch out for missing words, words that might be difficult to pronounce and other possible traps for the speaker or narrator. Consider phonetic spelling for tricky or unfamiliar names.
• By all means, use stage directions, but do not overdo them. Turning the script into a video is someone else’s job – you just take care of making sure the words are right.

See as well my comments on speech writing (above) and TV advertising in Chapter 10, which the notes above also apply to.