If you've ever stood in front of a camera wondering "what was I supposed to be showing here?", your script is probably written in a single column.

Most creators write scripts like essays: one long block of words. That works for what you say. It falls apart for what viewers see.

Documentary, commercial and broadcast teams solved this decades ago with the two-column AV script: audio on the left, visuals on the right, line by line.

What an AV script looks like

| Audio (what you say) | Visual (what they see) | |---|---| | "Most budget mics sound the same. This one doesn't." | Close-up: mic on desk, slow push-in | | "Here's the test." | Cut to waveform comparison on screen | | "Listen to the difference." | A/B clip, lower-third label for each mic |

Every spoken line has a matching visual cue. Nothing is left to "I'll figure it out in the edit."

Why it saves time on shoot day

1. Your shot list writes itself. Every row in the visual column is a shot you need. Read down the right side and you have your list. No second document to keep in sync.

2. You stop forgetting B-roll. The most common reshoot is the cutaway nobody planned. When each line has a visual, gaps are obvious before you set up a light.

3. Your editor knows your intent. Instead of guessing, they can see that line 14 needs the product close-up and line 22 needs a screen recording.

4. Runtime gets honest. Spoken words drive length. Counting the audio column gives a realistic estimate (around 150 words per minute is a common speaking pace), so you know if your "8-minute video" is really 14.

How to write one, step by step

  1. Outline beats first. List the 5 to 8 moments the video must hit. Hook, setup, main points, payoff, call to action.
  2. Write the audio column. Draft it the way you talk. Read it out loud.
  3. Fill the visual column for every line. Even "talking head, medium shot" counts. Blank cells are where reshoots come from.
  4. Mark what needs gear or locations. A drone shot, a second camera, a screen capture. That becomes your packing list.
  5. Lock it. Save a version before filming so changes on set are deliberate, not accidental.

Common mistakes

  • Writing visuals after filming. Then it's a log, not a plan.
  • Vague cues. "B-roll" isn't a shot. "Hands typing, shallow focus, from the left" is.
  • One giant row. Keep rows short: one thought, one visual.
  • Keeping the script and shot list in separate apps. The moment you edit one, the other is out of date.

Doing it in Clapboard

Clapboard's Script Studio is built around this format. You write audio and visual cues side by side, and that same script powers the rest of production:

  • Teleprompter and runtime estimate read straight from the audio column.
  • Shot list and gear are organized from your visual cues.
  • Milestones (Outline, Draft, Locked) save versions as the script matures.
  • Cut review notes link back to the script line they're about.

You can try it on the Free plan with up to 3 active projects, no credit card.

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Free template

Not ready to switch tools? Copy the table above into any doc and keep two columns. The habit matters more than the app. When keeping it in sync gets painful, that's when Clapboard helps.