Scripting Vs. Not Scripting - What Really Works

The Visual Lounge

Script or no script – which side are you on when creating videos?

It’s one of the top debates in the video creation world, and there’s no clear-cut answer. After some recent experiments where we tossed out the script, we weigh up the pros and cons of scripting your videos in this episode.

Joining the debate are TechSmith’s Ryan Knott, Marketing Content Strategist, and Andy Owen, Video Producer, to share their thoughts on whether scripts are necessary and the best times to use one.

As a video producer, Andy shares his experience of editing videos without a script, and Ryan explains why sitting in on recordings as a writer can help you reshape your scripts to sound more natural. While Andy and Ryan are firmly team script, they explain that it depends on the type of video you want to make, how much time you want to spend on it, and why you should always consider your viewer when deciding.

Key Moments:

• 00:00 – 02:18 Introduction
• 02:18 – 03:41 Ryan and Andy describe their roles in making videos for TechSmith
• 03:41 – 05:10 Why Ryan and Andy started experimenting with the no-script approach
• 05:10 – 06:55 The benefits of having a writer in the recording studio
• 06:55 – 09:30 Andy describes the transition from working with scripts to working without
• 09:30 – 10:25 How scripting helps to keep you on track
• 10:25 – 14:35 Striking a balance between having a script vs. no script
• 14:35 – 18:56 Why saving time by not writing a script could take longer overall
• 18:56 – 20:40 The challenges of editing unscripted videos
• 20:40 – 28:30 Scripted videos vs. unscripted – Andy and Ryan share their votes and advice
• 28:30 – 29:19 Outro

Key Links:

• YouTube Reaction Videos Made Easy with Camtasia Rev
• Learn more about Camtasia