How to write a video script

Why write before you film

People who improvise say more than they need to. The video runs long, the topic shows up late and editing turns into a rescue mission. With a script you film less, make fewer mistakes and already know what to show in each second. Even a 15 second video gets better with three written lines.

The two-column format

Separate what's heard from what's seen. It's the simplest way to avoid ending up with someone standing still and talking for 40 seconds.

Spoken	Visuals and on-screen text
"Your resume gets tossed in a few seconds for this reason."	Close-up of the printed resume. Text: WHY NOBODY CALLS YOU BACK
"You wrote what you did. The recruiter wants what changed."	Cut to the sentence crossed out on the page

Five ready-made templates

All the examples are fictional. Swap in your own real case.

1. Tutorial

Use it to teach a task. Structure: problem, promised result, steps, proof, ask.

0 to 3 s: "Your plant is dying from too much water, and you can't even tell."
3 to 6 s: "Do this test before you water it again."
6 to 20 s: "Stick your finger an inch into the soil. If it comes out damp, wait. If it comes out dry, water until it runs out the drainage hole. Then empty the saucer."
20 to 25 s: show the new leaf two weeks later.
25 to 28 s: "Send this to the friend who kills every plant."

2. List

Use it for content people save. Say the number in the hook and keep the promise. Leave the strongest item for last.

Hook: "Three clauses to read before you sign a lease."
Item 1: "Early termination: check exactly what leaving early will cost you."
Item 2: "Who pays to fix what was already broken."
Item 3: "Rent increases: how much and when. This is the one that starts the most fights."
Ask: "Save this before you tour your next apartment."

3. Story

Use it for behind the scenes and real cases. Start at the moment of tension and skip the backstory. Structure: conflict, attempt, turning point, lesson.

Hook: "The client called at 11 p.m. to say the party was canceled."
Attempt: "I already had 200 cupcakes in the fridge."
Turning point: "I posted a photo and offered them in boxes of 12 to the neighborhood."
Lesson: "I sold out in 2 days, and today the box of 12 is my regular product."
Ask: "Tell me in the comments about your worst order."

4. Opinion

Use it to disagree with something common. It needs a concrete reason, or it turns into empty controversy. Structure: common belief, your position, reason, example, question.

Hook: "Everyone says to post every day. I stopped, and my profile got better."
Reason: "I started spending the time of three videos on the script of one."
Example: show the screen with your latest videos (with real numbers).
Question: "Do you post out of routine, or because you have something to say?"

5. Sales

Use it to offer a product or service. Structure: pain, consequence, solution, proof, how to buy. The product only comes in after the pain.

Hook: "Do you answer the same quote request 20 times a week?"
Consequence: "Meanwhile, the customer who's ready to buy is left waiting."
Solution: "I build a saved-reply template that answers the 5 most common questions."
Proof: show the real conversation, with permission and no personal data.
How to buy: "Comment TEMPLATE and I'll explain how it works."

How much text fits in each length

Speaking speed varies from person to person, so skip the ready-made tables. Measure it once: read a 100 word paragraph at your normal filming pace and time it. With that number you know how many words fit in 30, 60 or 90 seconds, and you write to length from the start.

Write for the ear

• One idea per sentence. If it needs two commas, split it.
• Use the words your customers use, with no jargon.
• Pick the example over the concept. "A spreadsheet with 3 columns" holds attention better than "financial organization".
• Cut the warm-up: "today I want to talk about", "before we start", "so, okay".
• Read it out loud. If you stumble, so will your viewer.

Scripting a long YouTube video

The logic is the same, with more blocks. Open with the promise and a taste of the best part. Say in one sentence what the viewer will walk away with. Split the middle into chapters, each with its own opening hook. Put a twist or a strong example near the middle. End by pointing to another video instead of a slow goodbye.

Blank template to copy

Who it's for: ...
What the viewer walks away with: ...
Hook (12 words or fewer): ...
On-screen text at second 0: ...
Payoff in bullet points: 1. ... 2. ... 3. ...
Proof or real example: ...
Ask (just one): ...
Shots I need to film: ...

Common mistakes

• Writing the hook first and finding out later that the video can't deliver it.
• Writing pretty essay prose that sounds fake when spoken.
• Reading off a screen with your eyes darting side to side. Memorize the idea of each block.
• Asking for three things at the end.
• Copying another profile's script word for word.