Book Review: Video Script Writing: How to Writer Better Scripts for Your Video

I have been a fan of Jonathan Halls’s work. I have picked up a number of his books. I was interested in the message of this book as an instructional technologist. Video Script Writing: How to Writer Better Scripts for Your Video (Q & E Series) (Volume 1) shared tips for putting together better scripts for your videos. Halls stressed that videos should be produced with a script rather than ad lib. By using a script, you will produce a better video.

Video Script Writing is 72 pages long. In addition to the introduction, it focused on four major parts:

• Media communication basics
• Video psychology
• Video scripts
• The practice of writing video scripts

For some reason, in my mind, I was thinking of something more magical. In fact, this strategy is just very straightforward work. In Video Script Writing, Halls provided a strategy for creating video scripts.

Halls focused on a workflow called rapid media technique. Central to this technique is the storyboard. He emphasized that you must create the storyboard before you write the script. You want to nail down your visuals before you write what you are going to say about them.

When creating the rapid media technique, Halls approached it from how the brain works. There is a sensory register which brings in information. The sensory register sends it through the working memory which can only handle a small number of items at one time. Finally, the information gets it to go into long-term memory. If the information you are presenting does not trigger one of these memories, it is discarded. So, you want to make sure that you are using the brain in the most efficient way possible to get your message across. Halls went into quite a bit of detail on this concept.

He then outlined the different layers that are involved in creating a video. There are many layers. These layers include:

• Picture layer
• Visual effects layer
• Animation layer
• Text graphics layer
• Graphics layer
• Spoken word layer
• Music layer
• Sound effects layer

Each of these layers must work with the other layers. Halls noted that the picture layer is the foundational layer. Everything else is built on that. You don’t want to create a boring video by having layers explain the obvious. Which means you don’t want to have the spoken word layer explain what somebody can see in the picture layer. Or you can use the music layer to add emotion. You wouldn’t explain this emotion in another layer.

In the third section, Halls began by explaining why one would want to write a script. He went on to explain how to write a script. As I already noted, each layer must be kept in mind. That is why one uses a storyboard. The script, in the end, supports the picture layer. Halls showed his format for laying out a script.

In the final section, he provided an example of writing a script along with the storyboard. One of the points of emphasis is to eliminate redundant words and write in as few words as possible.  When you’re writing, it’s essential that you write in a conversational tone. Additionally, Halls emphasized writing simple sentences in an active voice. Finally, he focused on the use of words and how to select the right words for your script.

For a very small book, Video Script Writing was packed full of useful information. If you are creating videos, I would definitely recommend that you look at this book. This is a book that will be on my reference shelf to remind me of things that I need to be doing better as I create videos.

Additional Reading

• Book Review: Rapid Media Development for Trainers: Creating Videos, Podcasts, and Presentations on a Budget
• #ATD2015 Session: How to Make Video for Learning That’s Fabulous, Fast, and Affordable
• #ATD2018: How to Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes in Instructional Videos
• #ATD2018: 9 Types of Video to Enhance Learning in Your Organization
• Book Review: Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
• Optimizing Your Videos and Screencasts for YouTube

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