A successful voiceover project depends not only on voice quality but also on content. After all, communicating an idea is at the heart of voice acting. If you are new to writing for voiceovers, don’t fret. The following five voiceover script writing tips can help you produce persuasive audio material for a variety of projects.
- Tone and diction must complement one another.
Different voiceover projects require various kinds of tone. If you are speaking to children, a playful tone is encouraged. For medical professionals, you may want to employ a more sophisticated air. The right tone may be achieved through voice style and diction — which refers to the choice of words in any piece of writing.
- Vary sentence length, but keep sentences short and straightforward.
Short sentences that focus on one main idea and produce concrete images in the minds of the listeners are better than long sentences that ramble. However, varying sentence length also works. Just make sure that you cut out any unnecessary words to help retain the attention of your listeners. As Shakespeare says, “brevity is the soul of wit”.
- Avoid all caps when voiceover script writing.
Writing in all caps may mean that you want to emphasize a word or phrase, but this can also be tricky. To a voice actor, it may mean having to yell the word out. Also a word or phrase written in all caps can be a challenge to read. As much as possible, do away with having to capitalize all letters in a word.
- Write for speaking, not for silent reading.
This means writing your script using an informal, conversational tone. The words and phrases should have a natural flow. A website address or link, for example, should be written out according to how you will be reading it aloud, with the dots and slashes spelled out. Also, it is best for your sentences to be spaced amply to signal brief pauses. Voiceover script writing should be for listeners, not silent readers.
- Listen to successful scripts.
Finally, nothing beats careful study of scripts rendered in actual voiceovers. Pay attention to length, word choice, tone and rhythm, and strategies for emphasis. Listen both as a voice actor and as a listener, so you will understand what your audience needs to hear and feel.
Exceptional voiceover script writing and exceptional voice acting skills should go hand in hand. One should not compromise the other. With these tips, you’re well on your way to writing an audio narration script that makes the right impression!