– Try to have a brief written first, and keep referencing back to this to check the script will meet the requirements.

– 125 words equate to approximately 1 minute of voiceover. Work out how many words you have to play with compared to the duration of your agreed video (duration can be extended later if needed). Scroll down for our word counter app.

– Working in a cloud platform like Google Docs is recommended for collaboration and automatic saving and versioning

– Often it can be daunting to start writing a script, but we recommend that you just start writing (without worrying too much about the word count), trying to convey what you want to get across, and then later begin to cut it down and get feedback from others.

– Often it’s effective to do a ‘problem / solution’ angle, where you first explain a problem that is present, and then you share how your campaign or organisation is helping provide a solution.

– For a typical ‘explainer’ (an animation that explains something) try to keep to a word count of 250-375 words or roughly 2-3 minutes.

– You might like to use an attention grabbing opening sentence that is relevant to the topic

– Character narratives (eg. This is Andy, he is a church leader…etc) can be effective. However, don’t use it for the sake of it. If you are presenting a more theological overview for example, it might not be appropriate to use a character narrative.

– People remember stories much better than other ways of presenting similar information. Try to inject real-life stories if appropriate.

– It’s ok for a writer to work alone to hash out a draft, but as soon as possible, try to involve wider team members. The other team will have fresh eyes.

– Try not to get too attached to sections of the script. Be open to change.

– Writing for an animation or video is very different from writing an article or a blog that will be directly read on-screen or on paper—because the words are (usually) not visible, but are spoken by a voiceover. Try speaking the script out loud to check how it sounds, as well as how easy it is to read. You might want to record yourself reading it and listen back to that.

– When refining a final script, ensure that the grammar, punctuation and spelling are correct, as this script is exactly what the animation team will be inputting as subtitles on the video.

– Refrain from using brackets () in your writing, as these can be difficult to convey in a voiceover, and can sometimes cause confusion.

– Write in a way that would be accessible to a wider range of audiences (not just an expert audience you may have in mind) without jargon or acronyms. This allows for better understanding and longevity in the video.

– Avoid saying things like ‘last year’ but instead say ‘in 2022’. This prevents the video from becoming outdated.

– Avoid phrases that are only used in some countries; for example ‘raining cats and dogs’, as these will not translate well into other languages. Instead you could use ‘raining heavily’.

– Try to add a call to action at the end that is something like ‘To find out more, click the link in the description’.

– If you are using statistics or claims, include any citations or references in brackets next to each claim.

– It is recommended to work with Chat GPT to help you along.