A video script is the preparation that determines what is said and shown in a video, in what order, and for how long. It doesn't need to be a literary text – for corporate videos an outline with notes for individual shots is enough, along with a precisely written introduction and conclusion, the parts where mistakes are most often made. A good script starts with a reason for the viewer to keep watching, continues with one main message, and ends with a specific next step. Trying to say everything in a video is the most common mistake and results in long, unwatchable output. Preparation also pays off economically: filming without a script takes longer, produces unusable material and drives up the cost of editing, which then has to compensate for missing shots.
See also: Hook in the first seconds, Video budget and production, Viewer retention.
