Video scripts are an essential part of storytelling, serving as a blueprint to organize your message and present it as effectively as possible. Scripts provide much-needed structure in the pre-production stage, helping focus your thoughts and ensure your video has the proper tone and flow.
This post will cover everything you need to know about these trusty production aids. Read on for a primer on how to use video scripts, the different kinds that are out there, and how script templates can save you time and effort on your next video. Plus, get a free download of our very own tried and trusted video script template.
Using video script templates
If you’re a content creator or work in video production, creating templates for certain kinds of videos is a great way to save yourself valuable time. Good script templates work like a cheat code for starting your video off on the right foot.
In simplest terms, your script should help clearly convey your intended message, hit all of your key talking points, and create a logical structure for your video. Think of a script as a paint-by-numbers you can follow throughout the rest of your production process.
Benefits of using and creating templates
If you’re new to creating videos, or find the idea of creating a script from scratch intimidating, templates can help get you started with minimal hassle. Once you’ve used a template, you’re free to tweak or adjust it as you learn what works with your audience and what doesn’t. You should always take the performance of your videos (negative or positive) as an opportunity to learn what does or doesn’t work.
Types of video script templates
Video script templates can be as simple as a text note or document where you write out exactly what you’ll be saying. Or, you can get more detailed, adding columns to break up your script into acts and scenes. If you want to be really meticulous, you can even add columns to indicate what on-screen visuals will be seen where, notes for the on-camera host, or still images. That level of detail is a great point of reference for the video editing stage after production wraps.
Download your free video script template
To help you get started, we’re giving you a free video script template from our Ultimate Video Marketing Toolkit to help get your next project started. Just click the link and then click on the blue Make a copy button to access the template. It works for a variety of video types to help you quickly grab (and hold) your audience’s attention. To get access to other pre-production worksheets, templates, and so much more, check out the full Ultimate Video Marketing Toolkit.
Elements of a well-crafted script
Good scripts have several attributes in common no matter what your message is or who you’re trying to reach. If your script contains all of the elements below, it should make the production process go smoothly.
Pre-work
Creating a successful script starts with knowing your target audience, defining your main objectives, and establishing your video concept. All of those elements will help you determine exactly the type of video you need to create. For help refining your idea, you can tap into the creativity of fellow creators by researching similar video types or concepts. This can be a great source of inspiration, but whatever you do, don’t steal. Originality is cool, theft is not.
It’s also helpful at this stage to have a general idea how long you want your video to be so you can tailor your script length accordingly. Depending where you’re planning on posting your video, this decision may be pretty straightforward. For instance, if you’re creating videos for TikTok or Reels, they should be short – around a minute or less. But videos destined for YouTube or Vimeo can be pretty much as long as you want. Just know ahead of time that a longer video will require a longer script.
Having these key puzzle pieces in place from the start will make the rest of the process a lot easier. Once you have all of the above mapped out, compile everything into a condensed brief. This will serve as your source of truth for creating your script.
Intro
The best videos, and therefore the best scripts, grab audiences’ attention right from the start. You can use a strong opening hook to achieve this, such as a powerful quote, an open loop, a question, or an interesting, relevant statistic. We created a video all about effective hooks that we’ve seen in videos this year that you can watch below.
The first 2-8 seconds of a video are your critical window for capturing somebody’s attention. With short-form video types like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels, that window is even smaller. Without a strong intro, it won’t matter how great the rest of your video is. So be sure to put in the extra work to make sure the first few seconds of your video is amazing.
Body
Once you’ve hooked your audience you should quickly transition to establishing what your video is about. Clearly state the value your audience will gain by watching your video, then deliver on it quickly. This is the meat of your video, but what you cover here will obviously depend on the topic of your video. Make sure what you’re covering has a logical progression as you move through the script.
Conclusion
How you end your video can often make or break your overall goal. Be sure to solidify your message by providing a short summary, either using on-screen text as a visual or in your script. And don’t forget the all-important call to action: what do you want your audience to do next? If you want them to click a link or go to a specific URL, make it clear.
Tailoring scripts to different kinds of videos
It’s important to remember that what you include in your script will vary based on what kind of video you’re creating. The elements above make great general guidelines to follow, but it’s best to adapt them as your creative needs dictate. In the next section, we’ll dive into some more targeted tips for creating specific types of videos.
Examples of different types of video scripts
As we mentioned above, different types of videos call for different types of video scripts. A script for a holiday sale promotion will look way different than a tutorial video. Depending on what kind of content you’re creating, your scripts will (and should!) take on strikingly different characteristics.
Explainer videos
Explainer videos are a popular format for brands and companies, used to give audiences a quick overview of their product or service.
For these kinds of videos, it’s best to keep your language as simple as possible. Assume minimal prior knowledge, and avoid using technical language or jargon that’ll make people’s eyes glaze over. Many people are visual learners, so visual aids can make a great supporting element that will help get your point across.
As always, structure your video to hook your audience right from the beginning. Explain what your product or service is, talk about how it benefits them or addresses common pain points, and close with a clear call to action. The desired actions can include things like buying a product, booking a service, or getting a price quote.
Example: Dollar Shave Club
One great example of an explainer video that really nails these points is this spot from Dollar Shave Club. It wastes absolutely no time telling the viewer the point of the video: “What is Dollar Shave Club?” before delving into the benefits and concluding with a call to action. Its humorous approach keeps the audience engaged as the speaker leads us through a series of visual gags.
Product reviews
Product review videos give audiences an idea of how somebody “just like them” uses a product or service they’re thinking about buying.
Start out by saying what the product is, its features, the problem it solves, and establish credibility by explaining your personal experience with it. Conclude the video with a “yes” or “no” recommendation. Optionally, you can also recommend similar products suited for different needs or budgets.
Knowing your audience is especially important when creating product review videos. Take for example if you’re reviewing a piece of high-tech equipment used by industry professionals. Here you need to be as detailed and thorough as possible in explaining what it is and how it’s used to show your authority on the subject. On the other hand, if you’re reviewing something like a new water bottle, your approach can be more casual and opinion-oriented because the audience isn’t as niche.
Honesty and transparency is key for these kinds of videos, as most audiences can spot insincere shilling from a mile away.
Example: @wendyskinn airwrap review
A good example of a product review video is this YouTube Shorts airwrap review by @wendyskinn. Her video reviews two of the most popular airwrap hair stylers on the market. This makes a great hook, drawing in viewers who are familiar with both products.
She immediately jumps into demoing the products, using one on each side of her head to give the audience a visual. By keeping it short (under 60 seconds), she quickly hits her main points and keeps the audience’s attention.
Tutorial or how-to videos
How-to videos are a popular format for teaching audiences something new. These can be basic, like demonstrating how to use a yo-yo, or highly complex, like a tutorial for rebuilding a car engine.
The language that you use for your tutorial video will depend on your audience, similar to our example of different types of product reviews above. But it’s always a good rule of thumb to keep your script as straightforward as possible and opt for simpler language when you can.
The most effective explainer videos state right upfront what they’re going to be teaching the viewer. They also include detailed steps, making liberal use of visual aids to support them. On-screen text is useful here for reinforcing what you’re saying verbally, or adding additional notes/tips that you aren’t touching on in the voiceover.
Example: Storyblocks tutorial
A great example of the tutorial video genre is this Storyblocks how-to for adding an adjustment layer in Premiere Pro. In it, Kyle immediately states what the tutorial is for and shows the steps on screen. He then walks through each step using voiceover, text direction, and a screenshare of what he’s doing. This approach makes it as clear and easy to follow as possible, which should always be the goal of a good tutorial video.
AI video script generators
AI has become a trusted tool in video makers’ tool belts to help get the creative juices flowing, speed up production, and much more. Not surprisingly, there are products that use the technology to generate video scripts as well. How they work varies from tool to tool, but most only need a general description of what your video is about and its tone. From there, most AI programs can create a basic script.
AI is not without its controversies, however, especially among creative professionals. There are definite pros and cons to enlisting an artificial intelligence helper for creating your script.
Pros
- Can help you get started quickly
- Gives you a solid base to work from
- Can help you break through creative blocks
Cons
- Language often sounds cheesy or otherwise inauthentically human
- Will lack the level of knowledge and detail you have because it’s an artificial brain
- Requires manual tweaking and revision to get to a final, usable version
Examples of available tools
With that being said, AI script writing tools can be useful for certain creators. Due to how AI has been exploding in the last few years, there are a number of tools available that can generate a video script.
ChatGPT
Perhaps the best-known AI on the market currently, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that can perform a number of creative tasks using natural language processing. It can generate content from a prompt, answer user questions, and much more. To get the best results from ChatGPT, it’s essential to include as many details as you possibly can.
VEED.IO
VEED.IO is a free AI tool specifically designed to generate video scripts. Simply enter your topic in the field provided, select from a list of “vibes” such as casual, funny, or professional, and select your format.
Ahrefs
Similar to VEED.IO, Ahrefs is a free online tool made to instantly create AI scripts. All you have to do is enter a prompt, select a tone from a simple drop-down menu, choose your language and click “generate script.”
Synthesia
Synthesia is another easy-to-use AI-powered script generator that can give your project a head-start. Input your topic, tone, and even your objective for your script and Synthesia’s AI will take care of the rest.
Best practices for AI script generators
While this technology is a game-changer for creatives, you should spend some time refining anything they produce to ensure it’s right for your project. As we mentioned before, this is especially true with ChatGPT – the more detail and specificity you can give it, the better. Specifying the length of the video, the tone, language to use, and more will help you get the most out of this AI tool. But even then, you’ll still likely need to do manual edits in the end.
Always tweak any auto-generated script to better fit what matches your brand or online persona. This will help avoid any odd mismatches in tone, topic, or any other weirdness in the raw AI generated script. As a baseline, always be sure to read through your script out loud. If something sounds awkward or unnatural as you’re saying it, that’s a sure sign you need to revise your language.
When choosing your prompts to enter, use what you know about your audience to your advantage. This can be what they respond to well, what generates the most engagement, or simply what has worked in the past. After all, even the smartest AI can’t make up for your first-hand knowledge.
Final thoughts
Video scripts are great tools to help organize your ideas and thoughts in a way that lets you tell better and more impactful stories. It’s always important to remember that different video types call for different kinds of scripts, but their general structure is consistent.
For creators of any kind, using templates, whether AI- or human-generated, can provide a time-saving shortcut. Scripts and templates will help you create better videos faster, power through creative blocks, and see better finished results. And finally, don’t forget: if you do use AI-powered script making tools, be sure to go over everything carefully to ensure it has the right human touch. Your audience will always be able to tell the difference between your authentic voice and something that AI has created.
Want to get started on your next script fast? Download our free, ready-made script template (created by our own creative team, not AI) and start slicing and dicing it to make it your own.
