The Videomaker Guide to Video Production, 4th Edition

23Look Who’s Talking:How to Create Effective,Believable Dialogue forYour Video Productions

 

John K. Waters

 

 

 

 

A script is a story told with pictures—but silent pictures they’re not. Since 1927, when the debut of The Jazz Singer transformed “moving pictures” into “talkies,” dialogue has played a crucial role in making successful films and videos.

But with everything else you worry about as an independent videographer—maintaining your equipment, getting the shot, getting paid—dialogue may be low on your list of concerns. Still, you don’t want to underestimate its power.

Good dialogue works hard. It keeps things moving, ties individual segments together and unifies your piece. On the other hand, bad dialogue discredits your work, destroying ...