Years ago, my very first acting coach observed me deliver lines in the most excruciatingly disconnected way.
He then presented me with the following pearls of wisdom, which I still meditate on to this day, “Nancy, the words don’t matter.”
He never explained what he meant by that…and it took me years to figure it out.
The words don’t matter.
Does that sound like sacrilege to you? It did to me at first. In fact it made me angry; I thought he was misleading me.
The words in a script seem like everything to us – they can tie us in knots, because sometimes we feel like we don’t know what to do with them.
We’re deathly afraid of making mistakes, saying a word wrong, or not pausing at a comma. It’s as if the script is our life support: one false move and it’s all over.
So we work tirelessly to get everything right, and plan how to say things. We labor over sentences, underline words, even put them in bold and highlight them in different colors. Maybe worst of all, we listen to ourselves as we go, judging how we sound.
The end result is a performance that comes off as stiff, detached, and salesy. It lacks humanity.
Contrast that to Robert Downey Jr’s relationship to words on a script. He realized pretty early on in his acting career that words are important but they’re just the beginning. In a recent interview he stated, “I pay very little attention to what’s on the script.”
Downey’s the storyteller, and the words are along for the ride. He became phenomenal at bringing his own unique subtext to every character. The way he pushes boundaries is what makes him so memorable.
It’s important to note that, in order to take risks, we must first become great at script analysis. It’s our responsibility to understand and honor the message before we get creative with it!
Here are some techniques to try out for gaining a deeper understanding of the script:
1) Read the script out loud a couple of times, then try “nut-shelling” what the message is about, by putting it in your own words. Don’t look at the script, and don’t memorize. Start out by saying, “What I’m trying to say is…” You will be amazed at how challenging this exercise can be. Keep “nut-shelling” until you can comfortably verbalize the story without the script.
2) Analyze each sentence and ask yourself, “Why am I saying this?” In real life, you wouldn’t say anything without a reason. Create your personal reasons for every word you say. This is what helps create an authentic performance.
3) Don’t start cold with a script. Create vivid life situations you are reacting to in the moments before the script starts, and always say your lead-in stories out loud. Saying them in your head does no good.
4) Come in with a specific emotional intention – this is how you draw the audience in. Have fun and experiment.
Whether you’re working on a commercial or theatrical script, you’ll find that by using your imagination, there are limitless ways to make the story your own.
By using subtext, even a seemingly boring deodorant commercial can be engaging and downright funny. For example, don’t think about selling deodorant; feel how great that date is going to be tonight because you don’t smell!
It’s amazing how the audience picks up on what lies beneath the words when we are clear and specific to ourselves about what’s going on before the dialogue starts.
Keep practicing creating fun, underlying stories in your commercials, and it will eventually become second nature to you.
You’ll not only avoid the dreaded announcer sound, but you’ll enter into that desired realm where the words on the page are no longer separate from you, they are you.
Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!
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