Next to writing dialogue, writing action lines (or stage directions) is one of the toughest parts of writing your brand video.
The reason it is so challenging is because all action descriptions are meant to be is, well, just that: Active descriptions of what we see on screen.
Just like its best to eschew flowery dialogue, your action lines need to be clean, simple and clear.
There’s no room for clever wordplay, literary flourishes, overly detailed descriptions of setting and characters, or descriptions of your characters’ internal thoughts and feelings.
Why?
1. Because more often than not they simply get in the way of your brand video
2. Elaborate descriptions take up a lot of page space
3. Clever wordplay can’t be photographed
Trim ALL Fat
The most effective brand video writing is tight and stripped down as far as possible. But that doesn’t mean it can be boring. Robert McKee likens scriptwriting to poetry. Every word has to count.
To do this, your writing needs to clearly tell us what is seen on screen.
For maximum clarity, skip the enhancements and embellishments. Use short sentences – with one idea (one action, one piece of description, etc.) per sentence.
Make sure your paragraphs and short and punchy. Utilize white space to make the script an easy read.
By incorporating short sentences and brief paragraphs, your brand video script will have the same energy and pace that you want your brand video to have.