Part of my MA in Creative Writing involved studying writing for stage, radio, and screen.
While I don’t write fictional scripts anymore, I do write scripts for businesses looking to explain what they do or sell their services.
I use what I learned during my MA to inform my scriptwriting and help those scripts really shine.
So, what did I learn? Here are some business video script tips inspired by my Creative Writing MA:
Remember the visuals
Do you remember, back in 2011, The Artist won best script at the Oscars and everyone was really confused because IT HAS NO DIALOGUE?
Well, that doesn’t mean someone didn’t write it.
Someone still had to come up with the concept for the film and explain what happens on screen so that the actor, director, and rest of the crew can show it in the best way possible – without explaining any of that to the audience in dialogue.
Which is actually really hard to do.
When you clearly describe what you want to see on screen in your script, your animator and your voice over artist will be able to see and hear what your video should look and sound like before they do anything other than read the script.
Meaning the process is smoother for you, your team, your scriptwriter, and your animator. Fewer headaches all round ????
And your video will be more effective because everything works in harmony.
Keep speech specific
In real life, when we speak, we use a lot of words like ‘er’ and ‘um’. These filler words are natural and there’s nothing wrong with them – they can sometimes be a sign of conscientiousness.
BUT great writing sounds like real speech.
Without actually mimicking it.
So that’s why, when you write a script, you want it to be specific. No filler. No fancy words. Just dialogue.
I really tried to write an example of purple prose in a script for this post, but my brain hates it so much it just didn’t happen. I literally can’t think that way ????
So instead, if you want to find out what purple prose is and why it’s a bad idea, check out Reedsy’s guide to purple prose.
There is definitely a place for more detail in scripts as these can provide more personality. But, as Reedsy’s guide shows, purple prose and detail are two different things.
Consider these two examples:
We prioritise easy to use software that even your nan could use.
And:
We prioritise software that anyone can use. It’s so simple even your nan could use it while knitting her new dragon-shaped tea cosy.
Two messages, two very different styles.
The second has a lot more colour and personality. It’s fun, and you can clearly see what sort of visual would work for the video.
However, it’s a lot more words. So if your video is short on time, and you don’t want your voice over to sound like it’s taken from an episode of Gilmore Girls, it’s that detail that needs to go first. (But you could still use it in the description to show what you want on screen.)
Don’t get carried away with background noise
This isn’t directly related to the writing itself, but more to do with the direction. I’m including it anyway because it’s super important.
Put. The. Background. Music. Away.
This is not a Hollywood film.
It’s an advert or an explainer video.
And that background music is going to be really distracting from your key point.
Especially if it’s almost as loud as your voice over.
Films and TV shows have entire sound departments to get the balance just right. The right sound creates tension, romance, atmosphere.
(When done right, but that’s a discussion for another day.)
I have never, ever seen a business video where the background music is necessary.
And if it’s edited in-house with someone who has no knowledge of sound design, there’s a significant chance that it’s too loud.
In most cases, it’s also royalty free music that any other business could use and therefore doesn’t differentiate you from your competitors.
It makes you sound exactly like them instead.
Background music is also distracting for neurodivergent folks. It creates additional stimulus in the video, so then our brains can’t focus so well on the actual content of the video.
Meaning you risk losing audience members who are hard of hearing, have ADHD, autism, auditory processing disorders…you get the point. Background music is ableist. Please put it away.
Make sure everything flows
When done right, a video flows.
The visuals, the audio, the editing style – they all compliment each other to create something that seems effortless. A bit like Audrey Hepburn in a Little Black Dress.
A lot of work actually went into the creation of that outfit, but you don’t notice it. Everything goes together.
The dress and its accessories pop just as much as Audrey’s beauty – no one part outshines any other.
That’s how your video should be. Like Audrey Hepburn, staring into the window of Tiffany’s.
Embrace simplicity
A great video script must sound natural; like the voice over artist is chatting to the audience over coffee. This puts the audience at ease and makes them more likely to stick around.
To achieve that, you need to embrace simplicity. The simplicity of effective dialogue; of cutting unnecessary visuals or background music; of ensuring everything flows together to create a holistic image.
If you’d like help creating a script for your next business video, get in touch today and let’s talk scriptwriting.