As with
any of the performing arts, an effective
voiceover begins with a well-crafted
script. You don't have to have many
years of writing experience to create
copy that is both effective and a
pleasure for the voice actor to perform.
Here are some ideas to consider before
you put your pen to paper or fingers to
keyboard.
Commericals: Radio and TV
Determine the purpose of the ad, e.g.
drive traffic to a store, produce direct
response inquiries, announce a grand
opening, move end-of-season merchandise,
etc.
Determine who your customer is and speak
to that person one to one, and, ideally,
present one main idea in the copy.
Use A.I.D.A.: Attention, Interest,
Desire, Action. Get the listener's
attention to the ad; get the listener
interested in what you'e offering; get
the listener to want to take some action
on your offer; give the listener a means
to act and urge that action.
Narrations (also called
"Industrials")
For a video script, use the story board,
if you have one, to guide the
development of the script. This will
help you time the voice over to the
video' scenes.
For audio only, where no storyboard
exists, do a rough outline. This will
help you create a basic logical
structure before you start writing. The
result will be a script that flows much
better for the narrator and the intended
listener.
All Scripts
Leave room for "verbal white space."
Just as a large block of densely printed
copy is intimidating and difficult to
read, a voice-over script that's crammed
with copy is difficult to follow and
understand. A good rule of thumb for
30-second radio or TV copy is eight
lines down (double-spaced), 10 words
across the page. For a slower, more
intimate read, go with seven lines, 10
words across. The same idea applies for
a briskly paced 60-second ad: 16 lines
down, 10 words across. For a slower
pace, 14 lines, 10 words across. This
60-second guideline is helpful in timing
long-form scripts, too. Just count the
pages and you have the total number of
minutes.
Numbers are words, so be sure to
consider them in your word count. A
phone number, such as 1-860-291-9476, is
eleven words. That's more than one
entire line of copy! Try spelling out
numbers as words to get a good handle on
the actual length of your copy. For
example:
1-860-291-9476,
when typed or written out, is
one-eight-six-oh, two-nine-one,
nine-four-seven-six.
You can see how long the line really is
when the numbers are spelled out. Then,
after you're ready to print your final
draft, convert the words back to
numbers.
Write for the ear, not the eye.
Construct short, conversational
sentences, with natural breaks for
taking a breath. This is especially
helpful to narrators when they voice
technical or medical copy, which
contains large, complicated, and
difficult-to-pronounce terms.
Read your copy out loud, just as you
intend the voice talent to read it, and
time it. Then adjust your copy
accordingly for timing.
Try to write in the active voice, not
passive voice. This is a passive
construction: "When writing a script, be
sure you're saying some exciting things,
or else you'll be losing the attention
of the listener." Instead, use the
active voice, structured something like
this: "When you write a script, say
something exciting, or you'll lose the
listener's attention." Active voice is
more conversational and easier for the
ear and mind to follow.
Happy writing!
©Peter
Drew
Peter
Drew, a freelance voice-over talent and
copywriter/producer with decades of
experience, is heard on radio and
television stations, corporate
presentations, web sites, and
messages-on-hold across America and
countries around the world. To send an
email regarding this article, please
visit Peter Drew Voiceovers at
http://www.peterdrewvo.com/
Article
Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/