Writing a script

After you’ve carefully logged your video, you’re ready to write the script. You need a script, or road map, for every video story you produce.

Introduction

On a Word doc, write the anchor introduction first. This is a sentence or two that a news anchor would read to introduce your story on television OR that would appear on a Media Milwaukee web page to set up your story. Example: Hundreds of UW-Milwaukee students filled the Union ballroom for the spring career fair. Eduardo Lopez reports.

Package script

Next, start creating your package script with the best sound bites and natural sound you have to work with. Place the transcribed sound bites and natural sound pops in a logical order on your Word doc. For TV news stories, sound bites are usually about 8-13 seconds long. For longer stories or documentaries, they can run longer.

After you’ve arranged all your best sound bites and natural sound on the Word doc, you’re ready to write narration – that’s the “voice over” you will record to tie the story together. Use narration 1) to add facts, info and detail about the story and 2) to transition from sound bite to sound bite.

Sometimes you’ll want to introduce an interviewee with a sentence. Example: Alana Jones has been working retail jobs ever since high school. Sometimes you can just use a graphic over the video to identify the interviewee. Example: Alana Jones/Store Manager. Remember, if you introduce an interviewee with a sentence or two, you need B-roll of that interviewee to “cover” your sentence of narration.

Avoid “echoes” in your narration. That means repeating the same words or phrases in the narration that are already in the sound bite. Read your narration out loud to be sure it sounds clear and conversational.

End your package with a sign-off: For Media Milwaukee, I’m Eduardo Lopez.