Short answer
Write short sentences, count about 150 words for every minute of audio, spell out numbers and acronyms the way they are spoken, and set the script in two columns: what is said and what is on screen.
01Write for the ear
Read every sentence out loud. If you run out of breath or stumble, the actor will too. Cut it in two.
Prefer short, common words and active verbs. Contractions are normal in speech, so use them unless the brand voice is formal. Put the point of the sentence near the end, where the voice lands.
Avoid anything that only works on a page: brackets, long lists inside one sentence, and words that look different from how they sound.
02How many words fit the time
A natural, unhurried read is roughly 130 to 160 words a minute. Training and explainers read slower, and fast promos faster. Treat the table as a starting point and time a real read before you lock the cut.
- 15 seconds
- About 35 to 40 words.
- 30 seconds
- About 70 to 80 words.
- 60 seconds
- About 140 to 160 words.
- Other languages
- Spanish, French and German usually run longer than English, so the same message needs more time. Ask for the adapted script to be timed before recording.
03Numbers, acronyms and names
Anything the actor could say two ways needs a note, because a wrong guess costs a take.
- Write numbers the way they are spoken: “twenty twenty-six”, not “2026”, unless you want the digits read out.
- Spell acronyms out or mark them: “S-E-O” when letters are said, “NASA” when it is a word.
- Give a pronunciation note for every brand, product and person name, ideally with a recording.
- Write symbols and units in words: “percent”, “euros”, “kilometres”.
- Mark where you want a pause with a line break, not with three dots.
04Format the script in two columns
Put what is said in the left column and what is on screen in the right column, with a timecode or scene number on each row. The actor sees the context, and the editor can find every line.
Number the lines
Give every line an ID or a timecode. Corrections and pickups then name a line, not a paragraph.
Add the context column
Describe the shot or the screen in one short phrase. It tells the actor what the line is about.
Add notes to the actor
Tone, pace and any word to stress, kept to a few words per line. Leave the rest to the director.
Send one clean version
Remove tracked changes and comments, so the actor reads only what should be said.