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Writing copy for voiceovers
More tips
By Peter Drew
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’re 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’s 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!
Author: 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. |
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