Depending on the type of video project your working on, you may not need a full feature-length script, but you should have at least an organizational outline to not just help you plan, but also to help communicate to others what your goals for the project are. This can come in handy if you need to get permission to use a location, find others to join your film crew, or recruit talent. Here are a few resources to help.
This is a summary of a full article found on hubspot's blog, which has helpful examples
This is a short written statement that gets to the core of what you project is about and should answer the following questions:
What is the goal for your video?
Who is the audience for your video?
What is the topic of your video?
What are the key takeaways?
What call to action do you have for your audience?
Example:
The goal of this video project is to demonstrate to kids 10-15 years old that Spongebob is still one of the best animated shows they can watch. Specifically. it will highlight the magical friendship between Spongebob and Squidward as one of the best in cartoon television by highlighting 5 examples of their friendship from the show. The video will compare their friendship to at least three other contemporary cartoon friendships. By the end of the video, the audience should want to start watching Spongebob.
Use your brief as a skeleton to create an outline for your video.
Try to answer other questions with your outline. If you brief answers what your video topic is, then try to answer why that topic matters to your audience
If you are trying to make an informational video, remember that there are three main sections to consider when writing your outline
The hook: how do you grab your audience's attention right away?
The meat/body: This is where content useful to your audience is shared
Call to action: What do you want your viewer to do with their new knowlege?
Unless you are making a narrative video, it is a good idea to quickly introduce yourself, or what you represent in the beginning of your video. Try to answer:
Who are you?
Why are you excited about this video?
Why should your audience listen to you/ What are your credentials?
Write you script section by section
Make it thorough, but brief. This isn't a play you are writing đŸ˜…
Keep it functional: guide your talent and crew towards your vision
Write conversationally.
Write for the audience and the platform.
Script every single word.
B-roll refers to secondary shots, which take place while the main action or person continues to speak off-screen
Call out any B-roll you might need to take in your script as you write it.
People have shorter attention spans now a days, so its important to make sure that the pay off watching your video is worth the time invested by your audience. If you want a short video, make sure your script is short too. EDITING IS EVERYTHING!!!!
Do a verbal run through, or table reading of your script. The more familiar with your script you are, the more natural you or your talent will be in front of the camera. Practice before you bring your crew/help onto set and you will be more productive and efficient with everyone's time.
When it comes time to film, or even as you practice, consider using a teleprompter, like they do on the news, award shows, speaking engagements. There are lots of ways you can turn your laptop or phone/tablet into a teleprompter for free! Try These:
Browser Based: WhiteHatCrew Teleprompter
IOS: Teleprompter
Android: Simple Teleprompter