|
Script Doctor: Offer Your Surgery
As Needed - But Beware Side Effects
By Connie Terwilliger
Voice Actor & Instructor
 As a voice-over professional, you need to have sharp writing skills, as well. You should be able to tell when a script can be quickly tweaked to improve understanding and readability. There are times when major surgery is required, but often a script can be reviewed and improved fairly easily.
This is a service you should be able to provide. And you can (and should) charge for script doctoring - especially if it takes more than a half hour of your time.
LOCAL INTERPRETATIONS
As we gain customers around the world, more scripts are written by non-native speakers for native speakers.
Many times, these scripts will require some attention in order for them to actually communicate with their intended audiences.
For example, I received a script recently that referenced a process that would take a fairly short period of time to complete by saying that the worker could take a “sanitary break” during the process.
After confirming that this would be for a native American English speaking audience, I suggested different wording.
TYPE OF SCRIPT
Additionally, use your understanding of the different types of scripts – it is no longer a linear world.
For instance, if you have been given a script that allows the viewer to watch segments in any order – or even omitting segments that are not of interest – be mindful of assumed linear continuity.
These segments should be able to stand on their own.
DELICATE BALANCE
But you also need to know when your input is going to be welcomed. This is a delicate balance and sometimes you just don’t know how your input will be received. For example:
So do tread carefully if you are faced with a script that is just not “reading” right to your voice-over ears.
READ FOR SYMPTOMS
Read the script aloud as soon as you get it. A glance may help you establish a word count, but unless you verbalize it, your eyes may not pick up on the issues.
This will help you in that initial quoting stage.
If you get the go-ahead on a project at a specific rate and then find out that the script needs doctoring, you are faced with doing it as part of the original quote, or reading it the way it was written.
ABOUT CONNIE ...
Connie Terwilliger is a full-time voice talent working out of her professional home studio with ISDN and phone patch. Her past life included many years as a producer/writer and on- and off-camera talent for major corporations, both in-house and independent. Today, in addition to voicing radio and TV spots around the country, her voice is heard in major retail stores, e-learning projects, corporate communications and marketing, the animated Dilbert cartoon strips, and as many different characters for the New Yorker animated cartoons (search YouTube for "RingTales"). She is also an instructor of voice-over at San Diego City College, and webmaster and newsletter editor for Media Communications Association-International (www.mca-i.org).
|
|
|
Tell Us What YOU Think!
Please Note: Since we check for spam, there will be a slight delay in the actual posting of your comment.
Comments
No comments have been posted yet. Hurry, and you could be the first!
.gif)
click for new article alerts