Confessions of A Scriptwriter-Why I'm The Key To A Successful Video Production
An essential key player in producing a video is the scriptwriter. In producing a video for you or your company, it’s very likely that you would need someone like me. I do more than just string words to form a sentence. You may think that sitting in front of a computer all day is not really hard work and you would be wrong.
Let me take you through the steps. A good video starts with a good concept, a concept courtesy of yours truly. It takes a lot of effort thinking of the best way to present the message you would like to put across. In coming up with a proposal for a client, I am sometimes asked to present not just one, but sometimes three different concepts for the client. That’s some serious creative juice right there!
Tips to Boost Your Productivity
Sometimes, a client will already have a concept in mind and it’s my job to translate their vision into a shooting script. Writing a script, now that can be intense. It’s more than just putting words and sentences together and making sure the grammar and content is right. Although scriptwriting entails using the basic principles of good writing, it asks so much more from the scriptwriter.
Motivating a Writer to Reach Excellence
You always have to keep in mind that you’re writing an audio-visual script. Aside from good words and grammatically-correct sentences, you need to think about the visuals that will be paired with it. Don’t think that just because Lora in Marketing writes excellent sales letters you can ask her to write a script for your video presentation. Because the medium is different, one must write accordingly.
So let’s get back to the script. A good script is able to say everything that needs to be said in the time allotted. Your video cannot drag on for too long because, unless it’s a Tarantino movie, people won’t stay long to watch it to the very end. As a scriptwriter, I don’t want to test the patience of my audience. Even if the client gave me a ton of information and asked me to include everything in the video presentation, I can’t go beyond the video running time recommended by the producer.
Oftentimes, I use a rough outline, which guides me in creating a concise, coherent and logical script. In writing a promotional video for instance, the script has to be engaging, informative, and very, very catchy. Something that will grab the viewer’s attention and convince them to make a purchase right away – all in under three minutes.
It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. And that somebody’s me.
