And writing in active voice is straightforward: your subject acts, instead of being acted upon. Noticeable mistakes in this area damage the message by revealing a lack of attention paid to the language used-and that damage can be severe.Īctive voice livens up almost all writing, infusing it with forward momentum and confidence. Amazing Voice suggests you write only in present or future tense, with past tense entering the equation only in company origin stories or similar historical moments. Rereading for consistency of verb tense should be absolutely required. When you write with partners, or simply go through several rounds of drafting, shifts in verb tense and between active and passive voice can slip in. Show the talent that you worked hard to make your script clear, and recording it will be that much more pleasant and expeditious.Īmazing Voice adds a couple of additional grammatical considerations that will make your voiceover talent sound better in your recording. This reevaluation will also make your script appear more professional-always preferable to appearing unprepared, or as if you’re ‘winging it’ with your voiceover. These kinds of issues can usually be quickly caught and reread in a voiceover session, but reevaluating your script and addressing them in advance will save time and confusion. In his example, it’s the difference between implying travelers are voyaging through the fourth dimension, or if ‘normal’ travelers often mark their luggage. “Most of the time, travelers mark their luggage”) shows how ambiguity in punctation can create very different meanings, and reads, in a voiceover session. Ciccarelli’s example of the same sentence with and without proper punctuation (“Most of the time travelers mark their luggage” vs.
Few scripts truly call for this type of language.Īnother seemingly natural but truly vital element of a good voiceover script that Ciccarelli points out is using proper punctuation. And avoid jargon and ‘corporate drone’ as much as possible. Some aspects of your script may necessarily be technical and require decidedly non-normative terminology or descriptions, but try to compose any script segments that do not require this level of complexity with a conversational feel. This is a better way to articulate writing for spoken delivery: acknowledge that you won’t be able to use punchy, easy, conversational language at every turn, but certainly leverage that sort of language whenever possible. Try to avoid using corporate drone or formal words you wouldn’t ordinarily hear someone say in everyday life.” He suggests that you read your script out loud, and indirectly revises Malamed’s “smaller words” suggestion: “With the exception of medical or scientific narrations the words should fall easily off the tongue. Malamed adds that “…a voice over script should not sound like it was scripted.” This last bit of advice may or may not be as directly helpful as the broader notion of writing as you speak audiences understand that the script they’re listening to was prepared, so “sound like it was scripted” is not really something you can or should avoid entirely.ĭavid Ciccarelli’s advice on the same concept gets to some more specific considerations while working on script for voiceover.
It does mean that you should write as if you’re talking to someone, as “when you write like you speak, you will naturally use smaller words, a more conversational tone and shorter sentences.” This still means writing in a business-appropriate tone, and doesn’t mean to include colloquialisms or any inappropriately informal language. Thinking of the voiceover actor’s experience reading your script aloud is equally crucial, so let’s see what the experts recommend when it comes to writing a truly voiceover-friendly script.Ĭonnie Malamed starts us off with a tip that might sound obvious, but requires more attention than you might expect: Write like you speak. Let’s remember that the key elements of writing a script for video still apply in full: communicate your message, thoroughly and consistently, and focus on the word choice and tone that most appeal to your target audience.
#ACTIVE VS PASSIVE VOICE SCRIPT HOW TO#
There are lots of good tips on how to select the best voiceover talent to read your script, and others on how to get the best out of that talent once you’re in session, but today, we’re going to be focusing on the step that comes first: writing your script with voiceover in mind.
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