NOTES: SCRIPT ANALYSIS WORKSHEET:
Answering the following questions, based on your script, will help you
discover the audience you are speaking to, why you are speaking to
them, your character and any special attitude you need to incorporate
into your performance, and the ultimate results you want from the
communication.
Who is your Audience (advertiser or client) – [Remember it’s always one
person]?
What is your Backstory? (What brought you to this moment in time when
you are speaking? Why are you speaking these words, and what is it you
are talking about [product or service?)
What is the most appropriate delivery style?
Hard-Sell - fast and punchy
Medium-Sell - mellow
Soft-Sell - relaxed
Who is the advertiser/client trying to reach (target audience)? Determine
the age range, income, sex, buying habits, belief system, motivations and
any other specific details that become apparent from the way the script is
written. Who is the ―other person‖ you are talking to? Visualize this
individual as you perform or work from your script.
Find important words or phrases in the script that you can emphasize using
dynamics of loudness, pacing or emotion. These include the advertiser’s
name, product, descriptive adjectives and an address or phone number.
These elements of the copy need special attention in your performance.
Underline or highlight the words or phrases you want to emphasize and
use physical and mental energy to express the dynamics of your
performance.
What is the message the advertiser/client wants to communicate to the
target audience and what is the bottom-line end result that is desired?
What is the story you are telling through your performance and what is
the most powerful manner in which you can tell that story? What is the
USP (Unique Selling Proposition)?
How does the story (plot) develop? For dialog copy, find the setup, the
conflict, and how the conflict is resolved or not resolved? Discover how the
plot flows. Are there any attitude changes with your character or others?
Plot development is critical to effective dialog copy. Determine your role in
the plot and how your character develops.
The Art of Voice Acting
Copyright James R. Alburger—all rights reserved
NOTES: Mark your script with symbols to indicate copy points for changes in
inflection, attitude and physical energy. Use arrows , lines, slash marks
( / ), etc. as a road map for your delivery.
What is your role (your character in the story) in terms of how the story is
being told? Do a basic character analysis to define your character’s age,
life style, clothing, speaking style, attitude toward the product or situation in
the script, etc. What are your character’s motivations? What are your
character’s WANTS and NEEDS at this moment in time?
What happened in the moment immediately before the copy (the back
story)? Be as detailed as necessary to discover your character.
How does your character relate to any other characters in the script, or to
the audience in general. Is your character an active player in telling the
story (as in a dialog spot), or is your character that of a narrator imparting
information to a captive audience (as in a single-voice ―spokesperson‖
commercial)? What can you do to create an emotional bond between your
character, other characters in the script and the audience?
What can you do to make your character believable? Any special vocal
treatments, physical postures or mental attitudes?
Does your character have any interesting traits or speaking characteristics?
(Speaks slowly, fast, with an accent, odd voice, etc.) If so, identify them.
Study the script for pauses that might be used to provide emphasis, and for
places to breathe. This is especially important in industrial copy which
frequently contains long, run-on sentences with technical terminology. Mark
breaths and pauses with a slash mark ( / / ).
Find the rhythm. Every script has a rhythm; a beat and timing. Discover the
proper timing for the script you are reading. Dialog copy has a separate
rhythm for each character as well as an interactive rhythm for the overall
story. The rhythm may change within the script.
Look for transitions in the script (similar to attitude changes).These may be
transitions from asking a question to providing an answer (common in
commercial copy), a change in the type of information being offered, or a
transition between attitudes of your character.
Look for words you can emphasize and that will connect you with the
audience. Personal pronouns, such as ―you,‖ ―our,‖ ―my‖ and ―I,‖ may be
written into the script or simply implied. If connecting words are implied,
find a way to make that implied connection through your performance
(without actually saying the words) by using physical movement, changes
in facial expression, tone of voice or changes in mental attitude.
Emphasizing pronouns may NOT be the best way to deliver the lines.
The Art of Voice Acting
Copyright James R. Alburger—all rights reserved
