Game trailer script and storyboard: the one page you write before capturing
How to script a game trailer: one promise, a scene list, on-screen titles, a shot list and the music structure. The one-page plan that speeds up the edit, with a template.
A good game trailer is won on one page written before capture, not in the edit. That page holds five things: one promise, the scene order, an on-screen title for each scene, a list of moments to capture and the structure of the music. Without it, captures pile up for hours, the edit stretches and revisions multiply.
1. One promise
The single line the viewer should leave with. Not a feature list: a feeling or a claim. For the Per Regna adventure video it was "How deep will you go?" That line chooses every scene; anything that doesn't serve it stays out.
2. Scene order: hook, proof, close
| Part | Time (30 s video) | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0–3 s | The image that opens the promise |
| Proof 1 | 3–10 s | The core loop |
| Proof 2 | 10–20 s | Growth / progress / escalation |
| Peak | 20–26 s | The busiest, loudest moment |
| Close | 26–30 s | Logo, promise, call |
This works at 15 or 60 seconds; only the proof scenes shrink or multiply. The general method: How to make a game trailer.
3. On-screen titles
Two to four words over each scene; viewers on mute follow the story through them. Written into the plan, they get room in the edit instead of being squeezed in later. In the Onxer Online film, every server system arrived with its own gold title.
4. Shot list
The list you hand to whoever captures. Example lines:
- Empty base, wide, 15 s
- Building level-up animation, close, 3 takes
- Fleet launch, static camera, 20 s
- Boss fight at its busiest, UI off
- Map expansion, sped up
Each line maps to a scene. Capture tips: Capturing gameplay for game ads.
5. Music structure
Music is the skeleton: quiet intro, rising middle, peak hit, close. Planning cuts on beats makes a video feel fast, not long. Audio in depth: Music and sound in game trailers.
One-page template
Game: … · Video: 30 s vertical · Promise: "…" · Call: Play now / Wishlist Scene 1 (0–3): … — title: "…" — capture: … Scene 2 (3–10): … — title: "…" — capture: … Close: logo + promise + platforms
Fill it in and send it, or send your game link and we'll draft the plan. Process and examples: Game trailers.
Trailers and ad creatives cut from real gameplay, with a strong first three seconds and readable with the sound off. Vertical + horizontal, 15 / 30 / 40 s.
What’s in it 5
- Gameplay capture (we can record it for you)
- One promise per video: growth, adventure, alliance…
- 9:16 and 16:9, 15 / 30 / 40 s cuts
- Custom music + sound design, −14 LUFS
- With-sound and silent versions, end card and CTA
Frequently asked
1.Does a game trailer need a script?
Not a long one, but a one-page plan is essential. Without the promise, scene order, on-screen titles and a list of what to capture, hours of unnecessary footage pile up and the edit drags on.
2.Do I need to draw a storyboard?
For a gameplay trailer, no; a screenshot from the game and one sentence per scene is enough. For cinematic or AI-generated scenes, a frame-by-frame visual plan matters more.
3.How long should on-screen text be?
2–4 words. Long sentences don't read on a phone and vanish before the scene ends. Each line should carry one idea: 'Build your colony', 'Upgrade everything'.
4.Who writes the script?
You can write it, or we play the game and draft it. At Creatune every trailer starts from a one-page plan that comes to you for approval before capture.
