0587 – Life’s Free Voice Training Opportunities

2022.08.10– 0587 – Life’s Free Voice Training Opportunities

Listening lots

Don’t skip through the commercials on radio or TV, the internet or cinema! Watch and listen to every ad that comes on.[1]

·        Listen mindfully – that is, really listen

·        Think:

o  What is the service or product being advertised?

o  Why is this ad being played at this time, on this station, on this show?

o  Who are they targeting and therefore, what style is the ad written in? What is this script really saying and trying to ‘make’ the audience do (is it to buy something, inform them, persuade them…?) What are the key words and phrases?

o  What about the voice? Its age, sex, tone, speed and so on? Is the style ‘announcery’ or ‘conversational;? Why? What technique is the voice using to engage and communicate with the audience? (Who is the audience?) How does the voice reflect the pictures and music in the ad?

o  Part of this ‘reveal’ will come from the time of day and the style of the station or type of programme the commercial is in. As we said before, who the audience is will ‘inform your read’, that is, will give you a clue as to how to communicate with them

o  How are the product, the message, the target audience and the voice, all married together?

·        Copy the style a moment after you hear the ad

·        Or transcribe the ad and record yourself reading it.

You may notice similar products being advertised in a different way, and ask yourself why. Typically, car commercials can vary in their production values, usually reflecting their cost! A quality production for an expensive sedan, a faster, announcer-type read for a run-around. Listen for and identify the variety you come across.

[1] Visit https://www.ispot.tv/ for a database of television commercials on demand. 

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