Why we Never Use Scripts

Whenever we start a new project that involves a piece to camera, we find ourselves negotiating with the talent over how they can read their lines.  It can be a challenge to make an agreement, especially when they’re nervous about speaking in front of a camera.  “Can’t we use a teleprompter?” has to be the most common question I’ve heard in the planning stage.

A wall of text is perfect – It will hit all of your KPI’s, it doesn’t make mistakes, it can be edited, it can hit the correct tone, and it certainly doesn’t get nervous when you point a camera at it.  The issue is, a wall of text can’t build rapport, evoke strong emotions, or consistently engage the audience, leaving us with perfectly imperfect people as our ultimate rapport-building tool.  And (most) people just can’t say every word perfectly, remember all of their lines, stay cool under pressure and deliver the perfect message!

When you’re trying to read off of a script, you start getting caught up in the nitty gritty of the wording — where the ‘and’ and ‘the’ should be in the sentence.  Anything but 100% perfection doesn’t work, and you start to stumble over every word.  We don’t care about what order our words are in when we speak in everyday life, so let’s find a way to make the on-camera experience as close to real life as possible.

So, here’s our strategy when working with a new client to get the best result.

In pre-production

We do start with a script, and we collaborate so that it works for everyone.  The client puts forward everything they need to cover off in the video in perfect written form, digital yarn finds ways to cull the written word where it can be replaced with imagery.

After we’ve refined the script, I tear it up in front of them!  Unfortunately this doesn’t actually happen, but the reaction I usually get when I tell our client I won’t be getting their talent to relay their perfect script might make it seem that way.

I break it down and turn the script into a series of interview questions, blowing what could be 60 seconds of speaking into 15-20 minutes of ‘yapping’.  Now our talent is speaking from the heart and not looking at the script.  If they’re passionate about the subject, then this is where it gets good!

Of course, we still keep a copy of the original script, and we use it on the day to check that we’ve got everything covered off – the talent just isn’t allowed to look at it.

On shoot day

Before we even set anything up on the day, we have a chat with the talent, to introduce ourselves and begin building rapport.  Once the lighting is set up, we get the talent in front of the camera so that we can start setting up the sound equipment.  This is a really great way for them to start to feel comfortable in the new environment, especially because we can chat, have a few laughs, and answer any questions they might have before we start recording.  Just throwing someone into that environment can be really stressful, so giving them an opportunity to get used to the lights and warm their seat is crucial.

Then, just before we hit record, we make sure to let them know one crucial thing; this isn't a live broadcast.  You can go back and forth as you need, if you fumble some words, take a breath and start again.  You’re allowed to say ‘um’, and we’ll cut out bits and pieces to make sure it all sounds great.  This is going to be a simple chat!

You can see a wave of relief cross their face when they realise how relaxed the next 20 minutes is going to be.  We have a laugh, go back and forth, try a few different responses to questions.  Occasionally, there’s a question that will stump them.  We can try a few times, but that’s usually when we make a note to circle back.

The thing is, the questions aren’t hard.  The talent knows everything about this subject – it’s just a stressful environment.  So we’re patient, we take our time, and we make sure the experience is candid and personal.