Adding Some Spice to Boring Copy
Let’s just admit it: There is some copy out there you wish never existed. It is redundant, half the sentences in the darn thing make no logical sense, long words are used but their placement is incorrect (trying to make the author look smart, but actually achieving the opposite), etc. There are about a million different kinds of boring and terribly written copy, so what do we do about it?
1) No matter what DO NOT CHANGE COPY! We are not copywriters (although we could write better copy in our sleep sometimes) therefore we should do what we can to make it SPICY.
2) Add inflection. Do not read the sentence in a monotone manner (unless the copy calls for that, of course.) Also, don’t span the gap between the Chipmunks and James Earl Jones. Too much inflection can be a very bad thing. I try to end the sentence on a different “pitch” than where I started. If the sentence is a question, the sentence should raise in pitch at the end. If the sentence is a statement, the pitch usually descends towards the end. There are no absolutes for inflection, in fact, it’s one of the elements that separates amateur from professional in the world of voice over. It often distinguishes a particular voice actor from another. Find your style and make it your own. Have different styles and make your life interesting.
3) Add dynamic phrasing. SLIGHTLY (and I do mean very slowly and gradually) increase or decrease the volume of words you speak. Similar to dynamics in a piece of music, words can be loud or very soft. Sometimes, and I do mean very rarely, a sudden change in volume is quite effective. I chose in one of my demos to include a piece of whispered copy. I think it makes the listener take notice. Some will hate you for making such a drastic change in volume, some will love it. Use your common sense to distinguish when or when not to use dynamic phrasing.
4) Change the speed up. Not only can dynamics and pitch be changed, but the speed of copy can also speed up and slow down. Tempo: the speed at which something is read or played. This requires a LOT of practice and experimentation. Different types of copy require different speeds. Once again, there are no rules set in stone for this idea, it is just something to get you thinking about the different ways you can make your time behind the mic and your listeners a little less miserable when bad copy strikes (and TRUST ME, it will!)
Leave some comments on techniques you use to bring life to dead or dying copy. Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated!
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