How to Write a Compelling Video Script

Writing an effective and attention grabbing script for your videos is an important step in getting your product noticed in a saturated environment.

At Dream Engine Melbourne, we can work with you in creating a script for for video or animation that really speaks to your audience.

Establish your scripting goals

Start by going over your goals for the video and what you are trying to achieve. By setting these goals before you start, you can use them as a reference point for your writing to ensure you’re not straying from your message.

There are several ways to approach scripts depending on what is required. Is a product demonstration required? Actors or real customers? Voiceover? The style of video will depend entirely on the product, and the script is where it all begins.

Write for logic and emotion

Promotional videos are at their most effective when the audience has an emotional connection with the product or video.

Has the product helped make life easier? It’s important to address the problem that this particular product solves, and if you can assign that problem to a character in your video you’re on the way to creating an emotional connection.

Even though most product videos are brief, as they should be, there is still time to build a connection with a character or personality. As with scriptwriting for fiction or drama, if you give your characters an obstacle to overcome, you have created a character with depth and that is where emotional connection stems from.

Keep your video short

With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, scripting a product video should be focused on getting your point across in the shortest amount of time possible.

With the rise of Instagram showing that brevity is a virtue, there’s no reason to overstay your welcome.

Studies have shown that you have approximately 20 seconds to grab a viewer’s attention before their mind starts wandering. That’s why it is imperative that you start strong with a hook or a question that will have the audience wanting to know more.

Starting with your product at the forefront protects against the audience tuning out, as even if they only watch the first 20 seconds, you’ve already gotten your message across.

Ask yourself what a viewer will find most interesting or intriguing about the product, then start with that.

Write in a visual way

If you have a lot of information to get across, thinking visually is the best way to keep it concise and engaging.

When writing a script for promotional purposes, it is common to forgo a standard dramatic script format and write your script as a split page, showing VISUALS on the left and AUDIO/DIALOGUE on the right.

Any voiceovers will be in the right hand column, and the accompanying visuals will be in the left hand column, whether that be graphs, B-roll, interviews or a scripted scene with actors.

And again, remember to keep it concise, the longer your video goes on, the less likely your audience will make it to the end.

This video was written with an aim to portray a realistic encounter between doctor and patient, so the dialogue must seem natural, yet concise.

 

Call to action

The simplest part of the process is the call to action. Why does the audience need this product, and what do they have to do to get it? Remind your audience of the product name, company name and where to get it. Leave the audience wanting to know more.

By appealing to emotion and logic, being concise and effective with your language and working closely with your clients, you can create attention grabbing and effective video for your product.

For professional video production from scripting to post-production, contact Dream Engine Melbourne today.