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The Importance Of A Great Script for Voice Over

Lisa@speakproud.co.uk

When in the process of producing any kind of audio material, be it a commercial on TV or radio, a YouTube video, an E-Learning programme, or more, there are two vitally important factors.

One of them is the voice over actor that you choose to read your script. You need an actor who has the necessary skillsets and can produce the voice you want. It can be one of many different things.

For example, you may need an authoritative voice; you may need a warm and comforting voice such as a mother talking to her child; you might need a voice full of angst – in fact there are almost infinite possibilities depending upon the message you want to get across to your audience.

This is why you need a trained actor to read your script – one who can adapt to different parts.

The other factor is the script itself. There is nothing a voice over actor loves more than a well written script. It makes it easier to do our job well, and much more enjoyable to practice and perfect. One of my first ever voice over jobs was to play the part of "sound", for a sound scape. The script was abstract, but the language used was like chocolate in my mouth!

In many instances the purpose of the video, advert, or whatever, is to persuade the listener to take some form of action. Very often, that action is to make a purchase of some sort, but there can also be other aims. For example, in the past few weeks in England, the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has vowed to crack down on hateful beliefs, so in this instance a voice over might be used to persuade people to refrain from writing certain things on social media.

Getting Your Message Across

Whatever the purpose, the script must convey your message to the listener or viewer, so you need a great script writer/copy writer who can make it stand out for it to sound great. Indeed, the actor George Clooney is on record as saying that you can make a bad movie from a good script but not a good movie from a bad one!

A great script is written for the ear, not the eye, and spontaneity is important too, it will sound more believable if it sounds natural and effortless- the script needs to sound as the voice over is talking to the audience, and not at them.

The script also needs to come to the point quickly, perhaps not to the bare minimum as the author Ernest Hemingway, but our attention spans, including mine, are shorter these days, so the goal is not to have the viewer online click away and onto something else.

In short, you need a great script and a great voice over actor. When these two are aligned, you are guaranteed to have a successful outcome.

Get in touch

Feel free to reach out if you're working on any projects, whether it's a commercial, an explainer video, or anything in between.

With my London voiceover style, I aim to bring a sense of everyday authenticity to every project.

If you're interested, I'm more than happy to provide a free sample of your script.

Hearing my voice first hand can help you determine if it aligns with your brand and vision.

Don't hesitate to get in touch—I'm always excited to collaborate with new clients and explore how my voice can enhance your project.

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