How to write a video script: hooks, a template and examples

To write a short video script, split it into three parts: a hook that earns the next few seconds, a story that delivers one idea, and an end that asks for one thing. Then fit it to the length. Most people speak at around 150 words a minute, so a 60-second video holds about 150 words and a 30-second video about 75. Every one of them needs a job.

The hook

The hook has one job: make the second sentence worth hearing. It works when it is specific and opens a question the viewer wants closed. Generic hooks announce a topic. Specific hooks start inside it.

Ten video hook examples

1. The result first. "This kitchen cost $3,800 to redo. Here's where every dollar went."
2. The number. "Three phone settings that drain your battery overnight."
3. The mistake. "If your résumé opens with an objective, you've spent your best line on the part recruiters skip."
4. The question they already have. "Why do airlines sell more seats than the plane has?"
5. The before and after. "Left is my first ad. Right is the one that worked. Same product."
6. The confession. "I spent my first year of freelancing on the wrong clients."
7. The direct address. "If you sell on Etsy and you shoot your products on a bedsheet, this is for you."
8. The constraint. "How I made our launch video in one afternoon without a camera."
9. The stakes. "One clause in your rental agreement decides whether you get your deposit back."
10. The comparison. "$30 earbuds against $300 earbuds on a train."

Each one is a promise. The rest of the video has to keep it, so pick the hook after you know what the story delivers.

The story

One idea per video. If you have three ideas, you have three videos. A viewer can take one thing away from 60 seconds. When you try to give them three, they keep none.

Write in scenes. A scene is one line to say, one thing to show, and one word to stress. Writing this way forces you to decide what's on screen for every sentence, which is where most scripts go vague.

Use your most specific example. A name, a number, a place. "Customers love it" is forgettable. "Mrs. Okafor has reserved the same rye every Friday since March" is not.

Write for the ear. Short sentences. Contractions. No "the aforementioned" or "in order to". Read the script aloud, and rewrite any line you trip on, because you'll trip on it on camera too.

Show what you say. If the line says "it takes three taps", the screen shows three taps. When the words and the picture agree, the viewer only has to follow one thing.

The end

End on one action, said plainly: "Try it on tonight's leftovers." "Reservations open Monday at 8." "Part two is on Thursday."

Skip the recap. The viewer heard the video seconds ago. Skip the long goodbye too; people leave as soon as they sense the video is over, so the action has to come before that moment.

A video script template you can copy

Fill in one row per scene. Most 30-second videos need four or five scenes; 60-second videos need six to eight.

Before you record, check three things. Can you say every line in one breath? Does every line have something on screen? Does the end ask for exactly one thing?

A rewrite, start to finish

Here is a first draft for a neighbourhood bakery launching a bread subscription. It's about 120 words, and most of them could appear in any bakery's video.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to our channel. Today we're really excited to share something we've been working on for a long time. As many of you know, our bakery has been serving the neighbourhood for six years, and we love our customers. We've had lots of requests for a way to get bread regularly, so we decided to launch a subscription. It's a great way to get fresh bread every week. There are different options to choose from and it's very affordable. We think you're going to love it. Check it out on our website and let us know what you think in the comments!

Here is the same video as a hook, a story and an end, in about 75 words for 30 seconds:

The hook starts from a problem regulars already have. The story explains how it works and what it costs, and answers the obvious worry (can I skip a week?). The end gives a time. Nothing in it could belong to a different bakery.

The "Show" column doesn't have to be filmed. Here is a sourdough scene in a claymation style, the kind of shot an animated version of this video could open on:

Once it's recorded, the edit matters as much as the script. See how to edit a talking head video for the cuts that keep people watching.

Common questions

How many words is a 60-second video script?

About 150 words. Most people speak at roughly 150 words a minute, so a 30-second script is about 75 words and a 90-second script about 225. Leave a little room for pauses before the key line, and cut words rather than speeding up to fit.

What is a hook in a video?

The hook is the first line or first few seconds of a video, written to make the viewer want the next sentence. Strong hooks are specific: they start with a result, a number, a mistake or a question the viewer already has, instead of announcing the topic.

What are the three parts of a video script?

A short video script has a hook, a story and an end. The hook earns attention, the story delivers one idea in scenes (what to say and what to show), and the end asks for one action. Longer videos add more scenes to the story, not more ideas.

Should I write the script word for word?

For short videos, yes. A written script keeps you to one idea and the right length, and you can still say it in your own voice. Write it the way you talk, read it aloud, and change any line that doesn't sound like you.

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If you'd rather start from a draft than a blank page, ThreeCut writes scripts in this shape from one line or a link: a hook, a story and an end, timed to your length, with what to say, show and stress in each scene. Rewrite any word you wouldn't say out loud before you record.