Be Awesome On Camera! (Scripted vs. Unscripted Videos)

Do you get nervous on camera? Does it take too long to get your point across? Writing a script may be the answer.

The following is a transcript of "YouTube Success: Should You Write A Script?"  You can watch the video on my YouTube Channel.

Hi it's Tom Kartelias from Precision Post. I know the thought of writing a script for YouTube videos seems counterintuitive. Especially since YouTube videos, in general, are supposed to be people sharing their knowledge candidly and also showing off their true personality. However, writing a script has definite advantages and disadvantages. I've got my creative hat on and I'm going to give you my perspective right now.

As I've said before, the length of a YouTube video it is critical. If it’s too long people will look at it and decide not to even click on it. If you ad-lib without a script, what happens is you tend to ramble on when you're trying to make your points and that actually increases the length of your video. However, if you write a script you get to craft every single word. It's the best way to present great content in a short amount of time.

Some people getting very nervous when they're staring into a lens. I mean let's face it, none of us are professional actors. So writing a script can take the pressure off on shoot day. You know exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Now, many of you are aware of something called a teleprompter. A teleprompter lets you stare into the lens and read your script word for word. This is exactly what TV journalists use when they read the 6 o'clock news. However, there are a  couple of problems with using a teleprompter. If you've never done it before, it can tend to look and sound a little fake. Another thing about a teleprompter is that it adds to your budget. You're going to need extra equipment and an extra person to operate it.

For my clients who like to write a script, what I like to do is identify maybe two or three segments where I know that they need to be on camera. These are usually two or three sentence segments. I'll have them memorize it before they get to set. The rest of the script they can read directly off of the paper. That's usually about 80% of the script. Since they are reading it and they are off camera, what I do is I show full-screen b-roll, graphics, and stock photography. This way when people watch the video it's broken up. They’re not always looking at you staring into the camera. They have something else to look at and it makes the video more varied.

The major downside to writing a script is that you have to write a script, and this takes time. Now, you can hire someone to write the script for you or help you write it. However you are still going to have to take the time to read that script and revise it. Now, I'm not against writing a script, especially since I love to write scripts and I also get paid to write scripts. But deciding if you need a script should be based on three things. Number one, the audience you are trying to reach. Number two, the type of content you're producing. And number three, your comfort level on camera.

To learn more about Precision Post please visit my website. To keep up with video marketing success tips, subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Thanks for watching.