Script Outline

---
name: script-outline
description: Outline a video, explainer, demo, trailer, scene, or spoken script through audience, objective, hook, beats, evidence, visual or audio support, timing, and payoff before drafting dialogue or narration.
---
# Script Outline

Use when a time-based piece needs narrative and information structure before line writing.

## Procedure
1. Define audience, objective, format, target duration, platform or presentation context, and the final response or understanding desired.
2. State the central idea and opening reason the audience should keep watching or listening.
3. Break the script into beats that each advance story, argument, demonstration, emotion, or instruction.
4. Assign approximate time to each beat and identify where visuals, screen action, examples, dialogue, music, or proof carry information better than narration.
5. Place context before it is needed and remove background that delays the main value without improving comprehension.
6. Build transitions from cause, question, contrast, or action rather than announcing the next section mechanically.
7. Define the ending payoff so it resolves the opening and gives a natural next action where appropriate.
8. Test the outline against duration and remove beats that repeat the same job.

## Decision rules
- Time-based writing is experienced in sequence and cannot rely on readers skimming backward.
- Let visuals do visual work.
- Every beat should earn its seconds.
- The hook should be paid off by the piece.

## Quality gate
The outline is ready when one coherent idea progresses through distinct timed beats, visual and audio roles are intentional, unnecessary context is removed, duration is plausible, and the ending delivers the promise established at the beginning.