Conversational Voice Over Script Style Technique Tips
Conversational Voice Over Scripts are becoming more and more popular.
So what do you do when the producer or engineer asks you to 'sound more conversational'?
Here's some technique tips that have worked for me!
But first, let's find out what a conversational voice over script really is.
These scripts are always written in language that reflects the way we do speak in conversation.
This style of script became more popular in the late 60’s and early 70’s when consumerism was increasing and advertisers targeted their scripts to a specific audience. And this is also when voice branding came into vogue. No longer were our voice artist, big voiced male announcers!
Voice actors were:
- teenagers,
- young mums or dads,
- business men or women,
- wives,
- husbands,
- grandparents, and
- all manner of other quirky, memorable character’s.
Advertising agency creatives cast voices who they believed would appeal to their target market, often because they sounded like that market. And as a result, advertising became more entertaining and interesting, and employed many more people who sounded very different.
The voice over scripts were written to sound like ‘real’ people, talking to ‘real’ people – the ads said, ‘hey, I’m just like you!’
Which is why the best way to deal with these scripts it to imagine that you are always talking to just one person.
Choose your person, male or female by the clues in the script.
The advertising agency will have researched who buys their advertisers product and the writer will have devised key words, phrases, thoughts and ideas, to hopefully get the attention of that person.
As a voice actor, it’s your job to make sure you capture that ‘half-listening’ audiences attention, and have them tune into the message you’re delivering.
It’s not easy! Even though you’re required to sound like you’re having a conversation, it’s still an ad and you must honour all those key words and phrases in the ad.
However, that’s the job of the voice actor. Convert the writer’s words, to make them sound like they’re your own!
Got an audition coming up that you'd like to nail? Or maybe you'd like a bit of voice over coaching? Head here to find out about my Voice Over Skype coaching sessions.