Text Wizard Copywriting - scripts for interactive DVDs and CD-ROMs

Background

Direct Line has almost 8,000 staff. The company decided to streamline its induction program by presenting the basics of company structure, history, products, and – above all – corporate philosophy through an interactive DVD.

The DVD was filmed and compiled by Inter-media Communications, who asked me to write the script. DVD content was varied: presenter talking to the audience; text; graphics; charts etc.

I wrote a couple of dozen scripts for a series of introductory scenes with the presenter, Jenny Falconer, and as many more pieces in the form of textual panels detailing various aspects of Direct Line's history and values. Inter-media filmed the presenter against a blue screen using various props that I suggested and then worked into the script.

Direct Line Group's induction/training DVD

This extract on Direct Line financial services was my favourite. Sadly this scene never appeared in the final DVD.

	Direct Line Financial Services – straightforward approach and immediate decisions "What is it about buying financial services that’s so complicated? I don’t understand all the fuss. "If I want a pension, I work out how much I can afford. Then I get an estimate of what those contributions will be worth when I reach retirement – bearing in mind that estimates of growth are only estimates – together with an indication of what annual pension that estimated sum might generate. "And if I want to borrow some money to replace my ageing motor, I just want to know how much I can borrow – and how much my repayments are. "Simple. So why is it complicated? Why are there forms and delays? Why do we still feel that we have to put on a collar and tie when we go to the bank to borrow some money? That’s how it was when my father took out his mortgage…years ago. [presenter turns an old photograph towards the camera – it shows someone dressed in hopelessly outdated suit and tie] [presenter looks at picture and shakes head] "No…I want to buy my financial services the way I buy everything else…from home…by phone…over the internet…in my pyjamas."