How to Write a Script: Putting Words to Work in Your Videos (page 3)
How to Write a Script: Make it Easy
A typewriter or even a note pad will work fine as a scripting medium, but if have your druthers, invest in some software. Most word processors now have excellent drawing and table-making capabilities to accommodate single- or multiple-column scripting formats. Many even have built-in templates that work great for any of the formats shown here.
Another option is a low-cost desktop publishing program, but this may have some limitations in text manipulation and spell checking. Don't spend a lot of money on high-end publishing programs; not only would it be massive overkill, but you would spend weeks or months learning how to perform even basic operations.
As a final note: remember to have fun with scripting. If you don't enjoy your initial writing experiences, try doing it a different way. With a little practice, you'll get more comfortable with the process--you'll even begin to look forward to this important step in the preproduction of your video.
And the results will show.
Glossary of Scriptwriting Terms
(These are just examples; if other versions work better for you, use them!)
- Close up (CU)
- A close view of an actor or object.
- Cut
- An instant transition from one scene to the next.
- Dialogue
- Phrases spoken among actors.
- Dissolve
- A transition in which one scene fades into another.
- Documentary
- An essay-style video that provides commentary on its subject matter.
- Establishing shot
- An opening, wide-angle view that shows the overall setting of a scene.
- Music Bed or Music Under
- Low-volume music that accompanies voice over or dialogue.
- Narrative
- Spoken information that sets up the mood or context of a scene.
- Needle-drop Sound
- Same as sound effects.
- Pan
- The left-to-right or right-to-left rotation of a stationary camera.
- Scene
- A video event which takes place in one location or accomplishes a single dramatic purpose.
- Script
- A piece of writing designed to guide actors and technical staff through the video production process.
- Setting
- The time and place in which a scene occurs.
- Shot
- A single, continuous run of recorded footage from a single camera.
- Sound Effects (SFX)
- Special sound enhancements to the audio track which do not occur in the live recording.
- Talent
- The people who appear on the screen or in the narrative voice-over of your production.
- Tilt
- The up-and-down rotation of a stationary camera.
- Truck
- The sideways movement of a camera, usually accomplished with a dolly.
- Voice Over (VO)
- Voice heard without the speaker appearing on screen.
- Wide Angle
- A shot that makes the main subject a small part of a larger setting.
- Zoom In
- To move the camera's viewpoint from a wide-angle to a close-up shot.
- Zoom Out
- To move the camera's viewpoint from a close-up to a wide-angle shot.
--S.W.P.
