Writing for Video

If you want to know about writing for capital-T-V-television, go to the "Small Screen" section of my Writing for Film page. But before you go -- since most video and film scripts specify video and audio, you're strongly urged to look at the Writing for Audio page. Your narrators and actors will thank you! Now, on to the business of writing for video in general.

Introduction. Let's be honest: video is a derivative medium. The idea of moving images within a two-dimensional rectangular frame began with film. Eisenstein and others explored the concept of "writing visually" long before television was invented. "Three-D" animation? Also invented by filmmakers. So what is there to know about writing for television specifically? The answers lie in production methods, program structures, and applications. I could write a book (hmm, there's an idea!) but for now, here's a capsule summary.

Production Methods. The original "TV" script was used only in a studio, and one of its purposes was to help a director work his/her way through a live, multi-camera switched production. It was convenient to split the page into two columns, unlike the full-page screenplay format used in movies. In some quarters it was called the "A/V format" (Audio/Video), which is a little confusing, since the video is more often to the left of the audio on the page.

Recent versions of all major word processors will probably handle two-column scripts fine in WYSIWYG mode, and I advise most people to go that route. For a variety of reasons (slow computer, personal taste, whatever) you might prefer AVScripter, an older but well-done DOS-based shareware program that you can download here (82K, Zip format). ( This very slightly updated file includes instructions for Win95/98. Please Note: If you already have this program, and already use it under Windows, you don't need to download this file!)

Program Structure. In Hollywood, script formats are relatively formalized, and specific to the delivery method. The major types are feature screenplay, episodic TV, and sitcom. * For now, the point to recognize is that program structure makes a difference in more than just the appearance of the script. For example, the "act breaks" in a commercial TV show -- which are dictated by the need for commercial time -- also affect the way the writer has to pace the story. Meanwhile, for other types of programs that run without such arbitrary interruptions, pacing may be handled quite differently. Again, you can find more about writing in these entertainment formats by visiting the Writing for Film page and following links from there.

Applications. For a variety of reasons, video is gradually becoming the dominant origination medium for non-fiction programming. This is somewhat true for broadcast news and documentary, and almost universally true in educational and business media. As for script format, my personal opinion is that video dramatizations that will be shot "film-style" (single camera, etc.) should be written in screenplay format, simply because it concentrates the writer's attention on story, scene and character -- not camera angles and editing. Character motivation, plot development, and dialogue are identical, whether the image originates electronically or chemically.

I do not feel there is any such thing as a "corporate dramatic style" of writing. What there is, is "regular" drama that has been modified by the imposition of non-dramatic informational goals. The delivery of that information often impedes the delivery of plot and character development, or results in dialogue for which disbelief is impossible to suspend. The corporate writer's job is simply to recognize and avoid those moments when non-dramatic content makes a scene too awkward for an audience to buy into.

Drama in the service of commerce will probably never be as compelling as the drama in the service of art. But it is possible to "blend" business information content and other communication goals into an otherwise normal dramatic story. A brief sample scene is offered from a script designed to "serve two masters" in this way.