How to Write & Present a Video Script on Camera (no memorising, no teleprompter)

If you’re getting started with video, one of the first questions to pop up is “well how do I actually deliver my message?”

DO I just speak off the cuff?
DO I read from a script?

How formal or casual does this process have to be?

Well, for How-to Style, educational videos, such as the kind I make, I want to show you my process, which I’ve pretty much perfected now that I’m 50 videos in…. (hip hip hoorah for 50!)

Let’s get started!

Hi Entrepreneurs! I’m Salma Jafri – I’m a Video Content Strategist, helping you grow your personal brand with video.

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How to Script and Present Videos on Camera

Let’s start with a full disclosure: I honestly thought I’d be great at video when I first started. I was confident, I had a strong message to deliver, my husband was manning the camera and supporting me. What could possibly go wrong?

Turns out I just didn’t know how to deliver content without memorising my lines. And I was no good at memorising, so I was really stuck.

I made the incorrect assumption that speaking to people and talking on stage (which I did in my job as a marketer and communications specialist) was all I needed to be a great presenter on video.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Video is such a different ball game. Being able to present confidently on video while still being personable and interesting is a skill I am slowly mastering. But before I got to this point, my first month in video-making was full of experiments, most of which ended in disaster.

My Video Scripting & Presenting Experiments

Let me tell you the ideas I tried in that first month (none of which made it to a live upload):

1. My first idea was born from my over-confidence: I’m just gonna wing it! *yeah what could possibly go wrong* Turns out that I froze, had no idea what to say, and was a rambling mess. I couldn’t make a decent video in over a month by just winging it.
2. My second idea was to use a teleprompter. So we made a DIY teleprompter using an iPad app, but there were SO many issues with that as well. I just couldn’t match the speed of the teleprompter with my own natural speech. I couldn’t read the text of the teleprompter (I need glasses but that’s another story). I got shifty-eye-syndrome from reading the text left-to-right on the teleprompter and it looked awkward and made for a bad viewer experience.
3. And that’s how I finally stumbled upon my third idea: I’d put some talking points on a whiteboard in front of me! But it turns out just having the points wasn’t enough to make the video a cohesive experience. My introduction was choppy and my call-to-action at the end was inconsistent.
4. Today, I use my Video Engagement Timeline (VET) formula to write all my scripts. I finally found a method that worked for my style of videos and my style of delivery. If you’re interested, you can see the video about how I structure and write my script according to the VET formula.

But in this video I want to focus on what happens once the script is written. How do I actually deliver my lines and present them in a way that feels natural for my audience, without having to memorise the entire script?

Ladies and Gents, I present to you my scripting and delivery secrets! (hah!)

My Current Scripting & Presentation Process

1. First, I “say” my script and write it in Evernote just like I said it
2. Then I I rehearse my intro. I always practice my first few lines.
3. Next, I practice the CTA and ending.
4. According to the VET, I then focus on a few points that help explain and emphasise the problem and also make me relatable.
5. I present the solution in easy steps, or resources or methods (anything bullet-listed).
6. I keep the script on my phone (syncs with Evernote on desktop) and a quick glance down is all I need to stay on track with my presentation
7. I always know what the next point will be when I look down at my notes but not the next to next point because that’s too far away. So i focus on the current and upcoming points to stay on track.

Benefits of Having a Repeatable Scripting Formula

1. All your videos will follow a structure, making it easier to make similar videos – a practice rewarded by YouTube and viewers
2. A repeatable process allows for faster execution of your videos so you can make more videos and batch process them
3. A scripting formula built familiarity in my videos with viewers knowing and expecting the typical structure I would follow (of course it’s nice to switch things up now and again, but a formula build consistency).

YOUR TURN

I’m going to share the exact script I wrote for this video so you can see and compare the script to the actual video. To see the script, join my free private, but free, Facebook Group for insider tips, resources, workshops, discussion and support
https://www.facebook.com/groups/personalbrandingwithvideo/

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