How to write a great explainer video script
The fairy tale of facts and stories
Once upon a time there was a Fact. This Fact was really important and could have been helpful to a lot of people. The problem was, no one was interested in it; no one listened to it and so the sad little Fact couldn’t deliver his message.
During this time, a pretty and shiny Story thought about her life. Sure, she was entertaining and people cheered when she appeared, but afterwards they quickly forgot about her and what she was all about.
A fairy watched all this misery: the stumbling of the sad little Fact and the feeling of meaninglessness of the beautiful, but poor, Story. So the fairy decided to bring them together.
The Fact shall give the Story substance – something that people can learn and think about. And the Story shall give the Fact a meaning – emotions that stick not only in people’s minds but in their hearts. This way, it shall be remembered. Fact and Story were so happy together that, from this day on, you just couldn’t tear them apart.
How this can help your message
This little “fairy tale” tells the story of two things that are a key element for a great explainer video script: facts and story. Only the combination of both can make the intended message stick inside the heads of the audience, even long after your video was watched.
To tell a story the audience is interested in, you need to know your target group. What do they like, what are they afraid of and most of all what are their challenges? Is your message able to solve a problem your target group has? Great! Tell the story of how it does and make the audience become the protagonist.
Quick example
You want to communicate a change program in your company, find out how your employees can benefit from it and put the focus of your video on these benefits. Furthermore, you want to make your employees the protagonists.
So your employee Paul recently heard about the new change program. What does it mean for him and his work and does anything change? Yes, things change, but for the better! Sure he has to commit to it, but this will bring a lot of advantages in the future. Paul is relieved and now that he knows what’s waiting for him, he’s even looking forward to it!
How the change program works are your facts. How your employee Paul feels about it and his worries are your story. If both things go together in your explainer video script your audience becomes emotionally invested because you speak directly to their inner thoughts.
(As a side note: Check out our beginner’s guide to emotional writing to learn more about creating emotions with words.)
You’ve got the base… now you need a structure
A good explainer video script works like a stage play – in a three-act structure. The first act is the exposition. Here you establish your characters and their current situation. By the end of this exposition a change comes into play. Your characters face a problem, hear of something new, experience a change or get to know a new product.
How to overcome or benefit from this “turning point” is your second act. The second part is at the same time the main part of your story. Explain how your protagonists benefit from your solution, how it will change their lives and what they can expect from it. This main part is the chance to describe your message or your product in the shiniest way for your audience.
After that comes the resolution. This is your third and last act. Your protagonists understood what happened to them, now have another point of view, or saw the benefits of your product and are happy. This is the good old “and they lived happily ever after” ending.
To write a great explainer video script one need to follow some rules. What sounds easy can be a challenge but we are here to help. For the most common topics, simpleshow has already created a storyline guide for you. Just check it out!