It doesn’t matter if your content is a YouTube short, an Instagram Reel, or a TikTok. You’re still telling a story. A video script serves as the foundation for that story and allows you, the creator, to play around and get a real sense of where you want to go before hitting “record.” Here’s everything you need to know.
A video script is, in many ways, no different than a script for a feature film or television show: It’s a written blueprint for the visual story you want to tell.
Now, in terms of format, a video script might be a little different. Some will include shot lists off to the side. And instead of a traditional, fluid screenplay, a video script can be more of a grid with rows featuring dialogue, music cues, etc.
The short answer: It’ll make your life easier. But here are a few other important reasons.
Staying on message: Whether you’re creating brand content, comedic shorts, or social messages, having a script allows you to stay focused on what you want to say. If you’re new to content creation, having a guideline keeps you from going off topic and down tangential rabbit holes.
Time-saving: You are going to save so much time in both production and postproduction with a written video script. You’ll already have a sense of the kinds of shots you’ll want when it’s time to pick up the camera. And then, when you sit down and edit, the script becomes your guide.
Consistency: As you continue to grow your library and/or brand, having a script will enable you to remain consistent with each new episode or post. It’s no different than a traditional television series.
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1. Identify your message: What are you trying to say with your online content? It’s a simple question, but one that often gets overlooked. If you don’t know what you’re trying to say, then your audience won’t have a reason to care. Give them a reason to stick with you.
2. Research your audience: Who are you trying to attract? By no means should you completely cater to other people. However, it is important to understand and identify the type of viewers you want. Once you get a sense of your targets, you can write aspects of your desired audiences’ tastes into your scripts.
3. Research similar content/scripts: Pay close attention to content like yours and how those creators approach their stories. You might not be able to directly find their scripts online, but it’s possible to find transcripts (or transcribe them yourself). Study how they word their dialogue and build their pacing.
4. Create conflict: At the end of the day, online content is still storytelling, and all compelling stories need conflict. There has to be a problem that your characters face and overcome, even if the “character” is you.
5. Make an outline: Just because online content is shorter than a feature film or TV show doesn’t mean you should ignore writing an outline. Outlines—like the script in general—will only help you in the long run. It’s this phase where you identify problems in your content. If you can fix them in the outline, then scripting will go much more smoothly.
6. Include snappy dialogue: As is true in other forms of script writing, interesting dialogue will keep your audiences engaged. Avoid long, monotonous monologues in your scripts. Witty dialogue will keep your audience on their toes—and may even provide a nice collection of memorable one-liners.
Obviously, you want to show off your creativity when making online content. But, like all art, there are formulas that have proven successful time and again. If anything, these will help you get started.
Problem-solving: This is perhaps the most common blueprint, especially for branded content or advertisements. It’s very simple: Quickly present a problem, inflame or agitate the issue, and then introduce the solution.
Consider ads for medicine. Whether it’s over-the-counter pain relievers or more concentrated medical conditions, these videos will always introduce the problem (headaches, back aches, weight issues, etc.), stoke your fears, then give you the medicine for that illness.
Hook with a three-act structure: The three-act structure is an age-old storytelling tradition that can still work for short-form content. Simply put, your story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Start with a status quo, establish a big change to that status quo, walk the viewer through the obstacles presented by that change, and then end by explaining how the experience altered the status quo for good.
You’ll find this most clearly in YouTube videos and podcasts detailing history or true crime, but the formula holds true even for simple talking-to-the-camera TikToks.
A fantasy come true: This is another formula that works well for branded content, especially for services or specific products. The video begins in a fantasy world in which someone is living a better life than the one you currently have. It emphasizes that you don’t have what this person has or live in the world the other person has. But don’t worry, because if you obtain the product or service, you can achieve that fantasy.
For example, many influencers promote high-yield side hustles as an ostensible way to achieve financial freedom: Imagine how much more exciting your life would be if you were able to quit your 9-to-5 and live on the beaches of Ibiza like me! All you need to do is sign up for my six-week course and you can have this, too.
In medias res: If you’re aiming to hook viewers right off the bat, in medias res is the way to go. Essentially, you show them the most enticing or exciting part of your story, then backtrack to show how we got there. Great examples of this are the shorts created by filmmaker and 3D animator Zack D., which chronicle shocking historical events and always start with a sensational, must-know-more summary. (For example, “In 1992, Pepsi ran a contest in the Philippines that ended up killing five people.”) Your hook can also be visual; food content creators like Salt Hank often begin by presenting a delicious-looking finished product, then rounding back to show how it was made.