Which Free Script Template Do You Need?
Choose a layout based on how the script will be produced. These templates serve different workflows, so start with the format your team needs rather than forcing every project into one document.
Two-column AV script
Use for documentaries, video essays, explainers, and voiceover-led videos where visuals and audio need to line up row by row.
BEST FOR: VISUAL + AUDIO CUES
Standard screenplay
Use for narrative film and scripted scenes with scene headings, action, character cues, and dialogue in screenplay layout.
BEST FOR: FILM & DRAMA
Short-form video script
Use for Reels, Shorts, and TikTok when you need a timed hook, clear beats, visual direction, voiceover, and a concise ending.
BEST FOR: SHORT VIDEOS
How to use a downloaded script template
- Choose the template that matches the production format above.
- Make your own copy before editing, so the original remains reusable.
- Replace the sample text with your scene, dialogue, narration, or visual cues; keep the layout and labels consistent.
- For a two-column script, keep each visual cue aligned with the audio or narration it supports.
- For a screenplay, preserve scene headings, action paragraphs, character cues, and dialogue formatting. Use the screenplay format guide to check the layout.
- Read through the document once as a production plan: flag missing shots, props, locations, timing, and any information the crew needs before filming.
Two-Column Script Template (Google Docs & AV)
The dual-column Audio/Visual (AV) format is the industry standard for YouTube documentaries, SaaS explainers, and commercial video production. It visually aligns what the audience sees with what they hear, preventing editing confusion.
[00:00 - 00:04] COLD OPEN
Archival footage of San Francisco Chronicle newsroom, 1969. Fast push-in on antique typewriter.
[ON-SCREEN TEXT: "JULY 1969"]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
"In July 1969, three Northern California newspapers received a cipher that broke the FBI..."
[SFX: Heavy mechanical keystrokes]
Standard Narrative Screenplay Spec (12pt Courier)
Standard screenplay formatting requires exact margins: 1.5-inch left margin, 1.0-inch right margin, and Courier 12-point font. Use our template or write directly inside our browser-based script editor.
EXT. DOWNTOWN ROOFTOP - NIGHT
Rain hammers against rusted vent pipes. A lone spotlight cuts through steam.
DET. VASQUEZ
We are five minutes past the perimeter deadline.
Short-Form Micro-Drama & TikTok Layout
Short-form scripts cannot afford slow setups. This template structures scripts around a 3-second hook, immediate escalation at second 15, a status reversal at second 30, and an open curiosity loop or CTA at second 55.
BEAT 1 [00:00 - 00:03]: The Visual Pattern Interrupt & Bold Claim Hook
BEAT 2 [00:03 - 00:20]: High-Stakes Problem / Proof of Anomaly
BEAT 3 [00:20 - 00:45]: The Core Solution / Counter-Intuitive Reveal
BEAT 4 [00:45 - 00:60]: Actionable Loop / Seamless CTA
Frequently Asked Questions: Script Templates
A screenplay uses single-column centered dialogue blocks for dramatic storytelling with actors. A two-column script explicitly pairs audio narration directly against specific visual B-roll shots, making it ideal for documentary editors and multi-media production.
At an average conversational cadence of 145 Words Per Minute (WPM), an 8-minute video essay script will run approximately 1,150 words, while a 60-second short script should stay around 140 to 150 words.
Yes. Use our free browser-based Dual-Column AV Converter to transform narrative paragraphs into clean, copyable video production tables in one click.
Need Custom Scripts Drafted for You?
We write research-backed video essays, short-form script packs, and retention-engineered screenplays formatted with dual-column AV cues.