Feature
Writing a script for an AI avatar: short, spoken sentences
Write an AI avatar script the way you talk: short sentences, one idea each, about 100 words for a 40-second video. Then read it out loud once and fix every line you stumble on.
In short
- An AI avatar script works best in short spoken sentences, one idea each, with about 100 words for 40 seconds.
- A generated voice says every word in an even tone, so lines that need stress, sarcasm or feeling fall flat.
- The simplest order is an opening line with a number or a name, then the point, one proof and what to do next.
- Reading the script out loud before you make the video is free, and it shows which sentences are too long.
- In Cutroom, 40 seconds of avatar video costs about 234 credits, so a shorter script is also cheaper.
- Words a minute, a normal speaking pace
- 150
- Words for a 40-second avatar script
- 100
- Credits per minute of avatar video in Cutroom
- 350
Nine rules for an AI avatar script
Write the script to be spoken, not read. These nine rules make it sound like someone talking.
Nine rules for an avatar script
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep sentences short, one idea each | Long sentences with side clauses sound stiff in an even voice. |
| Split a sentence with a semicolon into two | Spoken, a semicolon is just a pause, so two short sentences sound more natural. |
| Aim for about 150 words a minute | Rushed speech makes the mouth movements blur together. |
| Say a number or a name in your first sentence | A fact like "orders ship in 2 days" still sounds right in an even voice. A word like "amazing" does not. |
| Avoid lines that depend on stressing one word | A generated voice gives every word about the same weight, and the avatar face does not help. |
| Leave out sarcasm and irony | Sarcasm and irony need a tone of voice. Said in an even voice, viewers take them literally. |
| Leave out personal feelings, smells and textures | Viewers know an avatar cannot smell or feel anything, so these lines sound false. |
| Say the product name once, early | Repeating it sounds pushy in an even voice. The captions can show it again. |
| End with a clear next step | An instruction like "Order before Friday" sounds right in any voice. |
Rule: Keep sentences short, one idea each
- Why
- Long sentences with side clauses sound stiff in an even voice.
Rule: Split a sentence with a semicolon into two
- Why
- Spoken, a semicolon is just a pause, so two short sentences sound more natural.
Rule: Aim for about 150 words a minute
- Why
- Rushed speech makes the mouth movements blur together.
Rule: Say a number or a name in your first sentence
- Why
- A fact like "orders ship in 2 days" still sounds right in an even voice. A word like "amazing" does not.
Rule: Avoid lines that depend on stressing one word
- Why
- A generated voice gives every word about the same weight, and the avatar face does not help.
Rule: Leave out sarcasm and irony
- Why
- Sarcasm and irony need a tone of voice. Said in an even voice, viewers take them literally.
Rule: Leave out personal feelings, smells and textures
- Why
- Viewers know an avatar cannot smell or feel anything, so these lines sound false.
Rule: Say the product name once, early
- Why
- Repeating it sounds pushy in an even voice. The captions can show it again.
Rule: End with a clear next step
- Why
- An instruction like "Order before Friday" sounds right in any voice.
What order should an avatar script follow?
Most short avatar ads work with four parts in this order. Each part is one or two short sentences.
A simple order for a 40-second script
Opening line
A number or a name, not an adjective
The point
What it is and who it is for
One proof
A fact, a price or a result the viewer can check
What to do next
One clear instruction, like "Order before Friday"
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
An example script, before and after
Here is a script for a made-up water bottle, first written for reading and then rewritten for an avatar to say.
- The before version opens with a question and no fact, so nothing in the first line stands out.
- Its long middle sentence has a side clause, which sounds stiff when it is spoken in an even voice.
- Its proof is a feeling, and viewers know an avatar never used the bottle.
- Its ending points at colours that are not on screen and ends with sarcasm, which an even voice says literally.
A 40-second avatar script, before and after
The after version is about 100 words, which takes about 40 seconds at a normal pace.
| Part | Written for reading (before) | Written for speaking (after) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening line | Are you tired of lukewarm water? Well, we have the answer you have been waiting for! | This steel bottle keeps water cold for 24 hours. Hot drinks stay hot for 12. |
| The point | Crafted from premium double-walled stainless steel, our bottle, which fits most cup holders, delivers unmatched all-day performance. | It holds one litre, and it fits in a car cup holder. Fill it in the morning, and it is still cold at night. The lid locks, so there are no leaks in your bag. |
| One proof | Honestly, I could not believe how cold it stayed. | Leave it in a hot car all afternoon. The ice is still there when you get back, because the double steel wall keeps the heat out. |
| What to do next | Look at these colours! Grab yours now, because who wants warm water, right? | It costs 25 dollars and comes in five colours. Orders placed before Friday ship the same day. Tap the link below to order yours today. |
Part: Opening line
- Written for reading (before)
- Are you tired of lukewarm water? Well, we have the answer you have been waiting for!
- Written for speaking (after)
- This steel bottle keeps water cold for 24 hours. Hot drinks stay hot for 12.
Part: The point
- Written for reading (before)
- Crafted from premium double-walled stainless steel, our bottle, which fits most cup holders, delivers unmatched all-day performance.
- Written for speaking (after)
- It holds one litre, and it fits in a car cup holder. Fill it in the morning, and it is still cold at night. The lid locks, so there are no leaks in your bag.
Part: One proof
- Written for reading (before)
- Honestly, I could not believe how cold it stayed.
- Written for speaking (after)
- Leave it in a hot car all afternoon. The ice is still there when you get back, because the double steel wall keeps the heat out.
Part: What to do next
- Written for reading (before)
- Look at these colours! Grab yours now, because who wants warm water, right?
- Written for speaking (after)
- It costs 25 dollars and comes in five colours. Orders placed before Friday ship the same day. Tap the link below to order yours today.
How long should an AI avatar script be?
Aim for about 40 seconds, which is about 100 words. A shorter script is also cheaper, because Cutroom charges 350 credits per minute of avatar video.
- Start with the point in the first sentence and skip the warm-up.
- Counting words is easier than timing yourself. At a normal pace, 100 words take about 40 seconds to say.
Script length and avatar video cost in Cutroom
Words at a normal pace of 150 a minute. Credits rounded up to a whole credit.
| Video length | Words | Avatar video cost |
|---|---|---|
| 20 seconds, as a test | About 50 | About 117 credits |
| 40 seconds | About 100 | About 234 credits |
| 60 seconds | About 150 | 350 credits |
| 90 seconds | About 225 | 525 credits |
Video length: 20 seconds, as a test
- Words
- About 50
- Avatar video cost
- About 117 credits
Video length: 40 seconds
- Words
- About 100
- Avatar video cost
- About 234 credits
Video length: 60 seconds
- Words
- About 150
- Avatar video cost
- 350 credits
Video length: 90 seconds
- Words
- About 225
- Avatar video cost
- 525 credits
How fast should the avatar talk?
Aim for about 150 words a minute, a normal talking speed. The lip sync follows the sound, and rushed speech gives it less to work with.
- If your 40-second script has 140 words, you are talking at 210 words a minute. Cut words instead of talking faster.
- If you record the voice yourself, leave a short pause at the start and the end, so the first and last words are not clipped.
Test the script before you make the video
Reading the script out loud takes a minute or two and costs nothing. Read it once at a normal pace, without stopping.
- If you run out of breath, that sentence is too long. Split it.
- If you lean hard on one word, that line may go flat in a generated voice. Rewrite it so the words carry the meaning.
- If a line feels awkward to say, it will sound awkward in the video too. Cut it, or film it yourself.
- Then make a 20-second test video: about 117 credits with your own voice, or about 141 with a generated voice.
From script to finished ad in Cutroom
Writing the script, reading it aloud and recording your own voice are free.
- B-roll means extra clips shown over the avatar while it talks. On the normal speed setting it covers up to 45 percent of the video.
- Highlight a phrase in the transcript and a clip covers exactly those words.
- You can select key words and give just those their own caption style and colour, so the text stresses what the voice cannot.
From script to a finished ad
Cutroom charges in credits. The Basic plan is $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits.
Write about 100 words
Free
Read it out loud
Free. Fix the lines you stumble on
Record or generate the voice
Your own recording is free. A generated voice is about 47 credits for 40 seconds
Make the avatar video
About 234 credits for 40 seconds
Edit it into an ad
100 credits for cuts, captions and b-roll
Export
A vertical 9:16 video, about 14 credits for 40 seconds
Scripts to film instead
Three kinds of script lose their point without a real person.
- Film testimonials, because the customer's own feeling is what makes them work.
- Film product demos, because an avatar made from a photo cannot use the product.
- Film founder messages, because people want to hear from the person who runs the business.
- Film these on your phone, up to 3 minutes per video, and edit them in Cutroom for 100 credits plus 20 credits a minute to export.
Questions people ask
- How many words is a 40-second avatar script?
- About 100 words, at a normal pace of 150 words a minute. If your draft is 140 words, cut words rather than talking faster.
- What order should an avatar script follow?
- An opening line with a number or a name, then the point, one proof, and what to do next. Keep each part to one or two short sentences.
- Can I use filler words like "so" or "right"?
- A few, yes. One "so" at the start of a sentence sounds natural. Too many make a generated voice sound more robotic.
- How often should the script say the brand name?
- Once, early. The captions can show the name again without the avatar repeating it.
- Which scripts should I not give to an avatar?
- Testimonials, product demos and founder messages. Film those, and keep the avatar for offers, announcements and explanations.
- Can I test a script before paying for the full video?
- Yes. Read it out loud first, which is free. Then make a 20-second test video in Cutroom: about 117 credits with your own voice, or about 141 with a generated voice.
- Do I need a paid plan to make an avatar?
- Yes. Avatars start on Basic at $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits. Your first filmed video is free.
Write about 100 short, spoken words, read them out loud once, then make the video. Avatars come with Basic at $39.99 a month, and your first filmed video is free.