How do you balance exposition and action in a commercial script?

1 Know your audience

Before you write anything, you need to know who you are writing for. Who is your ideal customer? What are their needs, desires, and pain points? What are their demographics, psychographics, and media habits? How do they talk and what do they respond to? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your script to their interests, preferences, and emotions. It will also help you avoid jargon, clichés, or irrelevant details that might alienate or offend them.

2 Start with a hook

You only have a few seconds to capture your audience's attention and make them want to watch more. That's why you need a strong hook at the beginning of your script. A hook is a statement, question, image, sound, or action that sparks curiosity, intrigue, or emotion in your viewers. It should relate to your main message and your audience's needs or wants. For example, you could use a surprising fact, a provocative question, a testimonial, a joke, a problem, or a benefit as a hook.

3 Show, don't tell

One of the most important principles of scriptwriting is to show, don't tell. This means that you should use visual and auditory elements to convey your message, rather than relying on words alone. Showing is more engaging, memorable, and persuasive than telling. It also helps you save time and space in your script. For example, instead of telling your audience that your product is fast, show them how fast it is by comparing it to something else, or by using a timer, or by showing the results.

4 Use exposition sparingly

Exposition is the information that you provide to your audience to explain the background, context, or features of your product or service. It is necessary to some extent, but too much of it can be boring, confusing, or overwhelming. You don't want to lose your audience's interest or attention with unnecessary details or technical terms. You also don't want to insult their intelligence or knowledge by stating the obvious or repeating yourself. Use exposition sparingly and only when it is relevant, clear, and concise.

5 Balance action and dialogue

Action and dialogue are the two main components of your script. Action is what your characters do or what happens on the screen. Dialogue is what your characters say or what you hear in the voice-over. Both are essential to convey your message and create an emotional connection with your audience. However, you need to balance them carefully and avoid overusing or underusing either one. Too much action can be chaotic, confusing, or distracting. Too much dialogue can be dull, monotonous, or unrealistic.

6 End with a call to action

The last part of your script is the call to action. This is where you tell your audience what you want them to do after watching your commercial. It could be to visit your website, call your number, buy your product, sign up for your service, or follow you on social media. Whatever it is, make it clear, simple, and urgent. Use words that convey action, benefit, and value. For example, instead of saying "For more information, visit our website", say "Claim your free trial today at our website".

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?