Three-Person Script Filter
Test every line against three audience archetypes before it reaches the screen
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
The Three-Person Script Filter turns audience awareness into a line-by-line editing practice. Maini keeps three actual people in mind who represent different levels of enthusiasm and technical knowledge. As he scripts, he mentally shows each line to all three and asks whether they would understand it, find it interesting, and respond to its humor or presentation. A line that works only for the expert may need context; one that satisfies only the novice may feel obvious to experienced viewers. Repeating the filter throughout the script creates material that remains accurate and substantive without excluding less technical viewers. It replaces vague instructions to “make it broadly appealing” with three concrete simulations that a writer can repeatedly apply.
Origin
Arun Maini described developing this filter while scripting information-dense technology videos for an increasingly broad audience. Extracted from Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal.
Core principles
- 01A real person is easier to write for than an abstract demographic
- 02Different expertise levels expose different weaknesses
- 03Every line should earn attention and remain understandable
- 04Broad appeal comes from satisfying multiple audience needs simultaneously
How to run it
- 1
Select three representatives
Choose three real people you know who differ meaningfully in subject enthusiasm, knowledge, or viewing motivation.
Pro tip Use people whose reactions you can predict from genuine interaction.
Watch out Do not choose three people who already think and behave alike.
- 2
Define their lenses
Clarify what each person knows, what attracts their attention, and what would confuse or bore them.
Pro tip Assign a simple role such as novice, interested generalist, and enthusiast.
Watch out Avoid turning nuanced people into crude stereotypes.
- 3
Scan every line
For each line, imagine every representative encountering it in sequence and judge whether it remains clear and engaging.
Pro tip Read the line aloud when evaluating humor, rhythm, or emphasis.
Watch out Do not evaluate only the script's overall topic; the method works at line level.
- 4
Repair audience failures
Add context, sharpen the claim, replace jargon, or improve the example when an important representative would disengage.
Pro tip Seek wording that helps novices without slowing experts unnecessarily.
Watch out Trying to please everyone can flatten the creator's voice.
- 5
Review the complete flow
Read the revised script as each archetype and verify that the accumulated detail, pace, and humor still work across the full piece.
Pro tip Ask representatives for occasional real feedback to recalibrate your predictions.
Watch out Your mental model of an audience can become stale without external checks.
In the wild
A script contains detailed claims about image processing and focal lengths. The enthusiast understands immediately, the general viewer needs a visual example, and the novice needs the consequence explained. The creator adds a concise comparison showing how the technical difference changes an everyday photo.
→ The segment retains technical credibility while becoming useful to all three viewers.
A technical educator plans a joke that only an industry specialist would recognize. Running it through the three-person filter shows that two viewers would miss it, so the writer adds a visual cue that makes the moment work without requiring specialist knowledge.
→ The joke provides respite without alienating the broader audience.
Common mistakes
Using imaginary generic personas
Vague marketing profiles are harder to simulate than known individuals. Anchor the filter in people whose likely reactions you understand.
Optimizing only for comprehension
A line can be understandable yet boring. Test interest, humor, and pacing as well as clarity.
Removing all specialist depth
Broad appeal does not mean eliminating substance. Explain expert material in ways that remain rewarding at several knowledge levels.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for educators and creators translating specialist material for audiences with mixed knowledge levels.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for deliberately technical material intended for one tightly defined expert audience.
From the transcript
“when I'm scripting, I'm thinking of three different people.”
“those three people I know in my life have different levels of I guess, tech enthusiasm.”
“with every line, I've almost reached the stage where I'm scanning it being like, is this interesting to all these three people”
From the episode
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