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scriptscraft

Write for the ear, not the page

Short sentences, one idea each, and numbers said out loud: how to write a script that sounds like you when it is read from a teleprompter.

The Facecast team, AVS Media
· 2 min read

Text written for the page and text written for the ear are different animals. A sentence that reads well can be a tongue-twister when you say it, and a paragraph that looks tidy can leave a listener behind by the second clause. Scripts for a teleprompter are written for the ear.

One idea per sentence#

If a sentence has two ideas, split it. Short sentences give you room to breathe, and they let the viewer catch up. When you read your script out loud and run out of air, you have found a sentence that is too long.

Say numbers the way you would say them#

Write "about two hundred" instead of "~200", and "twenty twenty-six" if that is how you say it. Write the thing you will say, not the thing that looks neat. Dates, prices and names are worth saying out loud once before the take.

Use the three layers#

Facecast reads a script as topics, bullets or full text. The format is simple: a line starting with # is a topic, a line starting with - is a point to talk through, and every other line is full text. A script written with all three layers gives you a choice on the day.

One part of a script
# The price
- three plans, no free tier
- plans count the takes you keep
Pro is nine euros a month and keeps two hundred takes.

Read as topics you see "The price". Read as bullets you see the two points. Read in full you see the sentence.

Leave room#

Put a blank line between paragraphs, because a blank line ends a paragraph and gives your eyes a place to rest. Do not fill every second with words. A pause after an important line works better than another sentence.

Cut the first sentence#

Most scripts begin with a sentence that clears the throat, such as "Hi, in this video I want to talk about". Cut it and start with the thing. The viewer already knows they are in a video.

Count the length#

Words divided by pace is minutes. A script of 700 words at the default 140 words per minute runs about five minutes. If you wanted three, you have too many words, and the answer is to cut, not to speak faster.

For the exact format, see Write a script.

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