Reel script template: a complete example

A Reel script brings together what you say, what you film and the words you add on screen. It helps you arrive at the shoot with a clear idea and the shots you need, without having to improvise every line in front of your phone.

Choose something you can show

Start with an action from your work: making a product, showing how to use it or answering a question customers ask. Decide what viewers should understand by the end. That helps you choose what to film and what to leave out.

Before writing, gather what supports the explanation: the product, its instructions, a demonstration or an answer from someone who knows the process. If you mention an ingredient, price or result, you need to be able to check it. The social media content brief can help you agree on that information with your team.

An example based on a real demonstration

We used Howcast’s iced latte demonstration by Mike Jones, a barista at Third Rail Coffee, as a reference and consulted its transcript. Jones explains the preparation with cold milk, espresso and ice. He mixes the coffee with the milk before adding ice and leaves the amount of milk to the maker’s taste.

This script is our adaptation of that preparation: it opens on the finished latte, then shows how to make it. The lines and shots are our own proposal. The suggested on-screen labels accompany the image; captions for the voice are reviewed separately.

1. 01The result
   What you say

   Coffee, cold milk and ice. Here's how I make an iced latte.

   What you film

   Show the finished latte in close-up. Then cut to the empty glass to start the preparation.

   On-screen text

   How to make an iced latte

2. 02The milk
   What you say

   [Voice pauses; you hear the milk being poured.]

   What you film

   Pour cold milk into a clear glass. Film from the side and leave room for the espresso and ice.

   On-screen text

   No supporting text

3. 03The espresso
   What you say

   I make the espresso separately, then pour it over the milk.

   What you film

   Film the espresso coming out of the machine. Cut to pouring it over the milk and let the colour change remain visible.

   On-screen text

   No supporting text

4. 04The stir
   What you say

   I mix it briefly, until the colour is even.

   What you film

   Stir or gently swirl the same glass. Hold the shot until the mixture looks even.

   On-screen text

   No supporting text

5. 05The ice
   What you say

   Then I add the ice.

   What you film

   Add the cubes without hiding the glass with your hand. Keep the sound of the ice falling.

   On-screen text

   No supporting text

6. 06The close
   What you say

   When you try it, adjust the milk to your taste.

   What you film

   Return to the frame of the finished latte. Leave a moment to read the ending before cutting.

   On-screen text

   Save this preparation to try at home

The pause while pouring the milk and the sound of the ice are part of the video. You don’t need to explain every movement. During the espresso pour, the camera has something specific to show: coffee entering the milk and changing its colour. Hold that moment long enough to see it.

Turn the explanation into a script

The example opens on the result so viewers know what we’re making. It then follows the actions in order. The close invites them to try it at home, while the on-screen text offers a reminder to save the preparation. For a coffee shop trying to take orders, you would change that close to its product and the real place to order it.

To write yours, start with the explanation without dividing it into scenes. Read it aloud as if you were showing someone your work. Change any line that sounds unlike you or makes you stop for breath. Then write the image that makes each line understandable beside it.

Six scenes aren’t a rule. You can combine two actions in one shot or leave an image without voiceover. Decide the length with a practice read and the time it takes to see the action: don’t assign seconds to a preparation you haven’t filmed yet.

What you need to record it

For this proposal, you need a clear glass, the ingredients and a way to make espresso. You can film hands and add the voice later. Record the preparation first and the finished drink last; use that final shot as the opening in your edit, too.

Between the pour and stir, keep the glass, lighting and camera position the same. That makes the process easy to follow. Test the shot of coffee entering milk: if your hand hides the glass or the lighting obscures the colour change, fix the framing before repeating the whole preparation.

Test the sound, too. If the machine masks the voice, record that line separately. Capture the milk and ice without background conversation and lower the music when you want those sounds to be heard. These are filming choices for this proposal; they don’t describe how the source was shot.

Add and review captions for spoken words and meaningful sounds. “No supporting text” refers to the script’s editorial labels, not captions. Also describe any visual detail needed to understand the preparation. W3C WAI explains these needs when planning accessible audio and video; the social media accessibility checklist helps you review the edit.

Take a useful version into the shoot

The Reel script template as a text file contains the example’s six scenes and space for your next video. You can edit it in a shared document and keep it on your phone during recording.

Before finishing it, check that every line has an image to support it and the close points to an action viewers can take. If you mention a link or orders by message, open that destination and confirm who will respond. Watch the finished edit all the way through: the explanation should remain clear across shots, pauses and captions.

If you’re starting with your own article, interview or video, the guide to repurposing social media content shows how to choose the part you’ll turn into a Reel.