Directing Voiceovers: Dont Be, Do!

Directing a voice-over talent you've hired to read a spot for, say, dog food is pretty much the same as directing a great actor in a scene in a major film production. Well, almost the same. Go with me here.

It's all about action. The end result of the performers action in both situations is a reaction from the audience. A successful performance in the dog food commercial gets the listener to buy the product. The well-acted movie gets the viewer to buy into the world it creates. Independent filmmaker, Steve Pak, writes: "...the goal is to tell a story dramatically rather than didactically, which means characters do things rather than explain things."

To get listeners to buy your product or service, you need to get the voice actor to actually do something with the copy, not think about what they're doing with the copy. Mr. Pak observes: "The challenge for directors is to stop talking about results and start talking about process." In other words, it's what happens during the journey, not just arriving at the destination, that's most important to the story.

Mr. Pak's key to talking about process is the use of action verbs, not adjectives. How does this work with a piece of commercial copy? Let's take our example of dog food. We'll call our brand "Stinkalicious." It's a wet, canned food. Now, Stinkalicious' unique selling proposition is that it only stinks to dogs! Yes, when you open a can of new, genetically altered Stinkalicious dog food, only your dog can smell the disgusting aromas that always appeal best to dogs. It's these non-aromatic aromas that cause Rover to come a-running.

Next, let's say your research into the most effective copy approach leads you to a discovery: people don't find stinky things humorous. Surprisingly, the best choice is straight copy, delivered with an authoritative demeanor, written to convey the sense of relief from stinkiness the purchaser feels every time he or she opens a can of Stinkalicious.

Now here's where action verbs come into your direction to the voice talent. Instead of saying to the actor, "When you get to the line about relief from stinkiness be happy that people will be relieved," say, "When you get to that line, convince, Jane, the listener, to really agree with you." By using action verbs instead of adjectives, the voice actor doesn't have to think, "Now I'm supposed to be getting happy." Instead, the talent can concentrate completely on actually convincing the listener of the happiness to be found with stink-free Stinkalicious. That's motivation and that's what the talent needs to make a piece of copy come alive and be persuasive.

In the words of Steve Pak, "Action verbs lead to specific action through which actors discover and experience emotions -- resulting in compelling performances." Not just in feature films, but voiceovers, too.

©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 http://www.peterdrewvo.com/

The Tennessean

Afraid of talking in front of a crowd? Here's how to become an expert at public speaking The Tennessean Do you have glossophobia? Are you familiar with the term? Glossophobia is the anxiety of public speaking and approximately 75 percent of people have this fear. Jerry Seinfeld jokes that at a funeral, most people would rather be lying in a casket than ...

CNBC

The No. 1 way for introverts to become better at public speaking CNBC If you identify as an introvert, public speaking can seem like a daunting task. In fact, it's tiring and emotionally laborious to express a personality that isn't yours, says Susan Cain, the best-selling author of "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a ...

Fast Company

Let Your Favorite Podcast Hosts Fix Your Public Speaking Problems Fast Company Podcast hosts from NPR, WNYC Studios, and more explain why they let themselves say “like” and “um” as much as they want. and more »

SBS

'The P-word': Girl who spoke no English wins public speaking final SBS She says her first attempts at public speaking in primary school made her cry, and she only became comfortable with it when she began to do it in secondary school two years ago. Her parents were on hand at the final in Melbourne to congratulate her.

Dan Clark's Public Speaking Boot Camp Utah Business Hall of Fame speaker, university professor and New York Times Best-Selling Author Dan Clark will teach a one-day only Public Speaking Boot Camp at the Salt Mine Productive Workspace (7984 S. 1300 E.) on Friday, Sept. 8. Registration begins at 8:30 with ...

Kdminer

4-H'ers demonstrate their public speaking skills Kdminer KINGMAN – Mohave County 4-H members showed off their public speaking skills when they held their annual 4-H Demonstration Day at the Mohave County Agriculture Center Aug. 5. 4-H members gave demonstrations on various subjects ranging from ...

Entrepreneur

Not Crazy About Public Speaking? Few of Us Are. Here Are 7 Pointers to Help. Entrepreneur One of the ways I give back to my community -- and strive to be transparent -- is through public speaking events. What's more transparent than what you can see and hear? Related: 5 Public Speaking Secrets That Will Help You Make Your Company Grow.

America Magazine

Hate public speaking? Here's why you should lector anyway America Magazine Even the idea of public speaking frightened me. I put it aside, keeping open the slight possibility that I might volunteer someday. Later that same week my grandfather suffered a stroke and spent a few days in a hospital before passing away. The last ...

Independent

INTERVIEW: Most professionals in Uganda lack public speaking tips Independent Dr. Denis Akankunda is the founder and CEO of Public Speaking Uganda (PSU). He spoke to The Independent's Agnes E Nantaba about the challenges and ... and more »

Blavity

Millennial Renaissance Man Shawn Blanchard Explains How Mentors And Public Speaking Change Lives Blavity The call of the American Dream is powerful. We all want to believe that it is possible to achieve that dream, that success is just a pair of bootstraps away. But is it, really? Shawn Blanchard's very existence seems to suggest that it is. Photo ...