0642 – Sight-Reading Scripts Tips

2022.10.04– 0642 – Sight-Reading Scripts Tips

Cold-Reading (or ‘sight-reading’ or ‘off-the-page’)

This is when you read a script aloud previously sight-unseen. You’ve not had a chance to proof read it, spot any awkward words or phrases and may not even know what it’s about. You won’t have read it aloud before, for example, breaking news, a fast-turn around commercial session or if you are a ‘Voice of God’ at an event. If you are reading an audio-book, you’ll have to read pretty cold too: it simply isn’t time/cost-effective to read an entire book through once, marking it up and rehearsing. The same goes for some longer e-learning reads. You need to be able to read such scripts ‘off the page’ and be able to understand pretty fast what the text is saying, the key message and overall tone.

For commercial reads it may be that the director sees a benefit in recording your very first ‘cold   raw, relatable and real about it, rather than Take 27 that is likely to be more polished… or stale! Such a read may not be perfect (and it won’t be expected to be), but there may be an “I see!” moment of authentic awareness that you bring to the script.

It’s unlikely that a director will use your first take (but they may do!) and will be likely to record more, but it’s often good to get your genuine emotion on Take One – perhaps as a touch point - before your understanding is possibly cluttered with additional ‘advice’ from a control room of, err control freaks. After all, you will never be able to give a cold read to that script ever again, so let’s get it on tape… just in case there’s a valuable vocal nugget.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.