Scriptwriting

Explain to students that this is where their story comes together: writing a script is key to a successful project. It is what professional video journalists do and it is expected in a journalism class. This lesson breaks script-writing down into small, manageable steps so that you don’t have to be scared or intimidated.

It should also be creative and fun. The key is to transcribe your interviews, highlight the best soundbites and then arrange them to form a story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. All the while, you are thinking of your audience:

• How do you capture their attention?
• How do you keep them engaged?
• How do you make your audience a promise (you will learn, you will be entertained, you will be informed, you will feel emotions) and then keep it?
• What do you want your audience to feel at the end of your video?

Transcription is a word-for-word document of what was said in a conversation or interview. The Student Reporting Lab at Etiwanda High School in California produced this 2-minute video about transcription.

Student Reporting Labs recommends using the following sites for transcription:

• Otter: https://otter.ai/
• Trint: https://trint.com

Follow the instructions on the site - either upload the audio file from your phone or export an audio file (usually .wav) and upload.

NOTE: transcription sites are just the first step and always contain multiple mistakes. Students must correct the transcription by listening word-for-word and fixing the document. Challenge students find the most ridiculous mistake (for example, “purple people eaters” instead of “movie theaters”).

Watch the video while referring to the transcript and note any strong facial expressions, laughter or other emotions. Using emojis is a fun way of noting what the speaker is expressing to the audience. These notations will make it easier to edit because you will know what you want and where it is.

Once you have corrected your transcripts, it’s time to highlight the best parts. This can be done individually or as a group, digitally or on paper (highly suggested). Remember, you can use b-roll and other visuals to cover audio edits. This means that even if the soundbite is not complete, you might be able to use a part of it. This will become clear when you write your script.

If your students don’t have a script, use this one about Mighty Greens found in the lesson resources, a youth garden and entrepreneur cooperative in Washington, DC. Cut out the best sound bites and arrange them: beginning, middle, and end.

These are the questions you will ask yourself as you figure out the outline of your script:

1. What is the story? Say it out loud in one sentence (or Instagram caption)
2. What is the "gold"?
   1. What is the best footage?
   2. This can be a sound bite or amazing video element
3. Who is the best character?
4. Where is the best NAT sound?
5. What can you use in the beginning to catch your audience’s attention? (it might be your MOST COMPELLING soundbite or video)
6. Do you have the perfect closing shot or sound bite that summarizes the story or points to the future?
7. What’s missing? Do you need to reshoot more video?
8. How will you answer “Why should I care?”

Even with the best planning, what you have when you get back from shooting video is different than what you expected. If you are very lucky you got 80% of what you wanted and 20% that you never anticipated. The question is, do you have what you need to tell a great story or do you need another interview/ more b-roll?

Student Reporting Labs recommends that you print out your transcripts and cut up the soundbites with scissors so that you can arrange the beginning, middle, and end. Only when you can truly move soundbites around can you progress from the story you wanted…to the best story you can do with the video you recorded.

This section is also divided into stories produced by teams and stories produced by an individual.

Paper cut

After you’ve highlighted your best sound bites, cut them out. Make sure each bite notes the name of the person who is talking, and if possible the timecode.

Use a big piece of paper, or just organize your soundbites on a big surface according to Beginning, Middle, and End. Move the soundbites around and start to write connections between the sound bites. Do you need Voice Over (see below) for your story to make sense (most of the time you do)?

Digital cut

If you can’t cut your transcript with scissors, you can use a google doc or other format to move soundbites around.

Use a Jamboard to create a story arc

If working in a group, use video calls to discuss while editing together.

If you find yourself struggling to find your beginning, middle and end, try a Classic Story Arc. This is an example of using a little person to tell a big story. For example, you want to tell a story about pollution in your community’s water system. That is a big issue. Your video will use the story of a person (character) to illustrate the effects of bad water quality. The Classic Story Arc is:

1. Introduction to your character
2. What is the big issue? (Lead)
3. Background on the big issue
4. How is your character’s life impacted by this issue?
5. Who is on the other side of this issue?
6. How do the characters/systems interact with each other?
7. What is the perspective of the other side?
8. What are the risks for both sides? (this could be considered the climax - like the ultimate battle in a superhero movie)
9. What is the outcome? Compromise or solution?
10. What is the lasting image that the audience leaves with - hope for the future? Ways to think about the issue in different ways? A preview of what might happen next?

Voice Over = VO and it is the narrator of the story. Usually, it’s the reporter filling in details between soundbites. A few ways to think about VO:

• VO is connective tissue - it holds your story together
• VO is a way to fill in holes - did you want your subject to say something but they didn’t? Use VO to fill in the gap
• VO can move your story along and help get from one place to another

VO is best written by one person, one voice, one writing style. Try not to start your story with VO. It’s much better to hook your audience right in with a fantastic soundbite or compelling natural sound.

Once you have written Voice Over, ask yourself these questions about each line.

• Is this necessary?
• Can I use fewer words?
• Have I repeated what someone else in the story says? Better to use a good soundbite or part of one
• Is there any other way to do this with a piece of video or soundbite?
• Are my sentences as simple as possible? Can I make sentences shorter?
• When I read it out loud, does it sound natural, like someone speaking?

Students figuring out the VO to connect the soundbites

Now it’s time to put all your planning and thinking together and write a script. A script has two columns. You can use and make a copy of SRL's Script Template. What you see is on the left and what you hear is on the right. Write your VO in CAPs and your soundbites in lower case. (Note SOT refers to Sound On Tape, otherwise known as your soundbites)

Be ready to revise and welcome feedback to make your story stronger

Are you ready to share your script? Sharing your writing is scary because most people are nervous about being judged. This is part of the process. Share your script as a google doc and ask your reader for constructive feedback - what works and what doesn’t. What don’t they understand, what questions do they have after reading your script?

This is an example of an editor helping make the script better. Sometimes you have to cut a character out because they slow the story down. THIS IS A NATURAL PART OF THE PROCESS.

Writing a script is about making hard choices.

Scriptwriting gets easier the more you do it.

If this is your first time, share the hardest part and what you hope gets better.

If you have written scripts before, how did this set of resources and slides help?