{"id":9281,"date":"2015-02-25T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-25T05:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voicebooking.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/25\/11-handy-tips-for-writing-truly-awesome-video-scripts\/"},"modified":"2024-01-22T15:37:11","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T13:37:11","slug":"explainer-video-scripts-writing-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.voicebooking.com\/en\/blog\/explainer-video-scripts-writing-tips","title":{"rendered":"11 handy tips for writing truly awesome video scripts"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent years you will have noticed the number of promotional videos and explanimations out there has increased enormously. Often, this sort of script isn\u2019t written by a copy-writer. Nothing wrong with that\u2026as long as you keep a few basic rules in mind. I<\/em>n today\u2019s blog we\u2019re giving you a useful little toolkit of 11 tricks that give your video script wings and let your message fly.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0<\/strong>Be a little lazy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The novice scriptwriter has difficulty with deadlines. Often that\u2019s awkward for those around us but, if you want to tell a good story, it can be a real bonus. Why? Because the longer you put off the writing the longer the tale has to ripen in your mind.<\/p>\n

So, when the time comes to sit and write the voice-over text you no longer have to think too hard about what you want to put down. Plus, with the deadline looming over your head, you\u2019ll write it quicker and are less likely to fall into the procrastination trap. (See point 2.)<\/p>\n

2. <\/strong>Stay alert to \u2018writers block\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s not beat around the bush \u2013 writing can sometimes be a shitty task. Just plodding along in Ariel body text, 11. Knuckle down. We are just talking about a script of around one and a half minutes. So, try a bullet point list of what you want to write down. Don\u2019t fuss with it just take three minutes and get it on the screen.<\/p>\n

At this stage style and structure are not important. Nor is language use. A rough draft is all you\u2019re after at this point; you can refine it later. Once you have this in hand you can really start to write. But we have even more tips on preventing a writers block<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Keep it short<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For an explainer video a minute and a half really<\/em> is long enough. Lengthy scripts that we receive often have way too much information in them. Keep your script short<\/a> and punchy; that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.<\/p>\n

4. Forget about winning the Nobel Prize for Literature<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A writer writes; a talker\u2026exactly. You don\u2019t need to be Hemingway. Think more like your favourite columnist; yeah, that witty one. One who could narrate a fishing contest and still make it gripping.<\/p>\n

The way a columnist approaches such a seemingly dull task is not that different from writing your explainer script. First, sketch a problem out in a way that stirs the curiosity.<\/p>\n

Think of it like presenting a beautifully wrapped gift. Now, slowly, unwrap it for your listener, layer by layer. But if you are up for a festival’s win, find more tips in our ebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Tell a story<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In most explainer videos a problem is given and logically by the end of the clip you are shown the solution to it. This can be really dry. However, if you wrap your facts up in a story you greatly increase the chance that the audience will be drawn in.<\/p>\n

This is Bart. Every day Bart is late for work. Yeah, his boss isn\u2019t so pleased about that. But\u2026since Bart started making use of the Espresso Drip, easily connected to his alarm clock via Bluetooth, he\u2019s been bouncing in daily on the stroke of nine; raring to go.<\/em><\/p>\n

After that, the listener will not only want to know more about how it works, but where they can get one.<\/p>\n

6. Keep it short<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yep, we can\u2019t emphasise that enough. Grabbing the attention of the listener is number one but to hold onto it is much harder. You might compare it to chatting someone up in a bar. A good voice over script has no more than eight words per sentence.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re making your sentences overly long there is a good chance that the listener gets lost along the way and gives up. Chop sentences into three if need be, to keep it punchy.<\/p>\n

7. Beware of clich\u00e9<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You know them, for sure: the salesmen that you can suddenly see through. They know a few tricks and repeat them over and over. What you very often hear in explainer videos are summaries.<\/p>\n

As financial service experts we specialise in blah blah blah. In order to reach this we blah blah and blah. We provide not only blah blah but\u2026blah.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yawn. Have you ever heard anyone talk like that in real life? Not quite. Tell it as you would if you were telling it for real.<\/p>\n

8. Does it flow?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

That said, this can sometimes make a voice-over actor\u2019s life hard. For example:<\/p>\n

In our webshop which incidentally has just been completely renewed, you can order your products in real time 24\/7 or manage your products and services where and when you want by logging in to our client portal with your own email address and a unique password which needs to consist of at least four numbers a capital letter and a punctuation mark.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can laugh but this text once landed on my desk. For fun, try reading it out loud. Hopeless.<\/p>\n

9. K.I.S.S<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Recently, one of our American voice-over actors remarked that we Dutchies write great scripts. She told me that in the U.S. explainer video scripts are often completely stuffy. Interesting but how come? Perhaps our limited English vocabulary means that we use language that is easy to understand and try to tell a story in as few words as possible. So, keep it simple, stupid.<\/p>\n

10. Try it out<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you\u2019ve got the voice over text finished it\u2019s time to review it. The best way to know if you\u2019ve got it just right is to read it out loud. Use your colleagues as a sounding board and afterwards ask questions.<\/p>\n

Can you tell me in two sentences what I was trying to get across? Were there spots in the text where I lost you? While you were listening did you have questions which remain unanswered? Was it interesting enough? After this, let the script rest for a couple of hours. You\u2019ll come back to it with fresh eyes and can dot the Is and cross the Ts. Success!<\/p>\n

10. Use fillers for more authenticity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The best voice overs in explainer videos sound natural. Sometimes, they give you the feeling that they work for the company themselves. How do they achieve that? They, uh, um\u2026they\u2026throw in the hiccups that occur in natural conversation.<\/p>\n

Which makes it sound as if they\u2019re almost making the story up on the spot. So, when the script is finished throw a few filler words in. Do be aware that only the best voice-over actors<\/a> can bring this off believably so choose them well.<\/p>\n

In closing, a few particularly good examples of Explainer Videos.<\/p>\n

Reading & Writing Foundation <\/strong>(producent in60seconds<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/h3>\n