Energy is contagious.
When you speak with good energy and work to uplift the script that you’re reading, the listener can hear it and feel it. You want your voice to be the superhero that carries the brand into the minds of the audience.
Don’t think of energy as just a higher pitch or “going over the top” – you want to put energy behind your voice to bring out what you’re already doing well.
Here are some tips and techniques to put more energy into your commercial voice-over reads:
1. Projection
Go ahead, project.
Projection uses breath to put more power behind your vocal cords. There are a few things that go into this.
First, make sure you are getting your breaths in during your script. If you feel you’re squeezing your words out until the last of your breath, you’re not breathing enough. Make sure you take breaths when needed throughout the read. If you’re having trouble with this, you can mark on your script where you need to breathe to remind yourself when you’re reading.
Second, stand with a strong posture. You want to stand up straight with your shoulders back so that you aren’t restricting your lungs or vocal cords. Think of your voice as a bagpipe: when the bag is full, you can squeeze the air out strongly and play the instrument loudly. If there’s not enough air in the instrument, it cannot project the noise.
2. *Feel* excited – tap into your natural enthusiasm
Try to build your energy before you start. Think about things that make you happy or excited. You can think about something that makes you laugh, watch a funny video on your phone, go on a quick walk, or listen to a song to bring up your mood. It also helps to think about things that make you excited or enthusiastic to tell someone and pretend the script is about that. For more on this, check out this previous article on lead-in lines.
3. Get clear on who the commercial is speaking to
You would speak differently to a child than an adult, to a boss than to a friend, or to a group of people than you would directly to someone – right?
When you’re clear on who the brand is speaking to and what point the brand is trying to get across to them, you can imagine someone in that category and what their interests in the brand would be.
For example, if you have a commercial spot marketing a product to females, think of a time you’ve been excited to tell a group of female friends about something you’ve discovered. This will help you connect to what you’re saying and create presence with your words. Hone in on what the commercial is actually selling. You may literally be selling mattresses, but you’re really selling a peaceful night’s rest.
4. Relax your vocal cords and stay confident in your speaking
Adding energy does not mean adding stress or pressure to your vocal cords. Sometimes when people try too hard to add energy to their reads, they get too excited in tone and tend to tense up their vocal cords as well. Remember to stand confidently as you’re reading the script and relax those vocal chords so the script can come out clearly and confidently.
5. Tell the story
Visualize yourself as the hero bringing this product to the people who need it most. Lift up in tone and smile when you mention the brand’s name and act as if you’re telling its story directly to its intended audience. Paint the picture for them with your words and take them on the journey with you as you read through your script.
Utilizing different techniques to add energy to your voice-over scripts will help to lift the words off of the page and connect them to your listening audience. It’s a way to bring out and emphasize your natural speaking to create compelling voice-over reads. Remember to have fun – the audience will feel it!
Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!
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