How to Structure a Video Script: A Simple Template

Structure a video script in three parts: the video's details (title, date and revision), five or ten minutes getting clear on what the video is for, then the script itself in two columns, what is said on one side and what is shown on the other. Give about 90% of your scripting time to the words.

This is the template Ridge Films uses for its own scripts, walked through in the video on this page.

What goes in a video script template?

Three sections, in this order:

1. Video information. The title, the date and the revision number, plus any other basics. This matters when the script has to pass other decision makers in the business, because everyone can see which version they are approving.
2. About this video. Your thinking, written down before any of the script. Spend five or ten minutes here.
3. Video scripting. The spoken words and the visuals that go with them, lined up side by side.

Where should you write your video scripts?

In a shared document. Ridge Films runs all of its scripts in Google Docs. When a project has several videos, each one gets its own template inside the same document, so several people can work on it without versions bouncing back and forth over email. Label each script clearly, so you can find it when you need to revisit it.

What should you decide before you write a word?

What the video is for. A few minutes spent on the "about this video" section saves a lot of rewriting later. A useful checklist is the same brief Chris Schwager recommends giving an AI tool: the objective of the video, who it is for, the tone, the key points it has to deliver, and where it will be published. If you do use AI to draft, learn how to keep AI scripts structured and on-brand.

How do you write the script itself?

Words first, visuals second:

1. Write what is said. In the script column, write every word that will be spoken. This is where about 90% of the time goes, because the message has to be clear before anything else.
2. Look for what can be shown instead. Once the words are settled, find the parts a picture can carry faster. A person's name, position and company can sit on screen as a super title while they talk. Instead of reading out every client you have worked with, show a quick logo sequence.
3. Keep the visuals simple. Write each visual as plainly as you can ("smiley, happy employee" is enough) and stick to the point.
4. Line them up. In Ridge Films' template the words run down the right-hand side and the visuals down the left. Put each visual beside the words it goes with, so anyone reading the script can see what is said and what is seen at the same moment.

If your scripts tend to run long, learn why less script makes a better video, and before you record, try the read-out-loud test on your next video script.

Why bother documenting a script this carefully?

Because a video you want to keep using for three to five years needs a record of what is in it. A documented script makes it easy to transcribe the video, revise a line when something changes, or brief someone else on what the video says. Scripts are one part of a wider plan for your videos. See why video matters for your business.

Video script questions we get asked

What are the parts of a video script?

Ridge Films' template has three: the video information (title, date and revision), an "about this video" section where you get clear on the purpose, and the script itself, with the spoken words and the visuals lined up side by side.

How much of a script should be words and how much visuals?

Ridge Films spends about 90% of its scripting time on the spoken words and the last 10% on what is shown. Getting the message clear first tells you which parts a visual can carry.

What is the best tool for writing video scripts?

A shared document such as Google Docs. Several people can work on the same script at once, every video in a project can sit in one document, and nobody has to send versions back and forth by email.

Why line up the visuals next to the words?

So anyone reading the script can see what is being said and what is being shown at the same moment. It also makes the script easier to revise later.

Want help writing your scripts?

Scripting is part of the coaching Ridge Films clients get when they record from their own Desktop Studio. To see how that would work for you, book a call.