There are three ways to approach the scripting of a video: 

1. The “planned” approach

When you use this method you get your remit, brainstorm an idea or concept and script the entire thing. Using the script you create a shot-list. You then go on to site and shoot the entire list. Afterwards, your editing process is based on the original script. 

This is a very ordered way of creating a video. The advantages of this method are that your shoot is very neat and defined. You have a list that you follow to the letter; no time is wasted. You script gives you a template that guides both the shoot and the post-production processes. 

The disadvantages of this method are that you could end up with a very rigid, staid video that feels “scripted” and lacks spontaneity and life. 

This method involved coming up with a concept and then immediately going onsite and shooting all the material that relates to your concept for the video. Afterwards, you look at all the footage and from there find inspiration for structuring your concept. Based on the visuals you write a script and then edit the final product together.

The advantage of using this method is that you get a very visual video (which is, after all, what the medium is best at). Often things that would never have occurred to you while scripting a video in isolation will come up onsite, and thus can be included to add a particular charm and uniqueness. 

But the major disadvantage of this method is that the shooting can be time-consuming and helter-skelter. You might have hours of footage, after having spent several days onsite, and end up with gaps and overlaps. A lack of a sense of continuity in the footage might mean relying heavily on voice-over or music to artificially create a sense of cohesion; editing could also be a real nightmare, even with a script.

3. The “combination” approach

This is obviously the best approach; it focuses on the advantages of the above two approaches while minimising the disadvantages. You brainstorm a concept and write a script based on it. From this you create a shot-list. But once onsite, the shot-list does not completely dictate the shoot. Though you do get all the shots on the list, room is made for shooting other things or scenes onsite. Once all the footage is captured, the script is reviewed based on the new shots and edited accordingly. From the new version of the script, the video can be edited and a final product put together.

Though this method is not as stream-lined as the first, it allows for the script to relate strongly to the visual elements of the video. It also brings in the spontaneous and organic, letting the site and concept tell the story, instead of forcing a pre-written story on to the site. The concept remains malleable but is directed by the cohesion of the first draft script; the structure gives the piece continuity but allows for extras or changes.  This method gives the piece a freshness that makes it surprising but provides enough structure to drive it forward in a cohered way.

In Part 2 of “Scripting a Video” we will look at how to ensure that your video addresses the needs of your audience. Before even getting to the concept-brainstorming, a list of goals needs to be clearly defined. These include believability, purpose and what action you want from the intended audience to name a few. 

Do you have any other methods of scripting a video that works for you? Do you think that the “combination” approach adds the most value? Have your say! Leave a comment below.

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