In a recent article I explained that scripting conversations is inescapable, inevitable. Youll either use one unconsciously, from memory, or explicitly, having written it down. Presuming you write it down, which is a really good idea, you can now focus on improving your delivery, your vocal nuances, so it doesnt sound artificial. If you ask most tele-reps why they dont like scripts, theyll respond that they dont want to sound canned, believing that one naturally follows from the other. Not true. A few years ago, actor James Earl Jones did a radio commercial for a restaurant chain. He simply read from its menu, using his wonderful training to make each item sound stupendous. (As you know, Mr. Jones is the deep, resonant, Darth Vader voice in Star Wars.) The ad proved that it isnt what you say, i.e. the quality of your script, that alone determines your impact. Performing it well, bringing it to life, is just as important. So, here are some quick pointers on script reading that actors will also appreciate when they go to auditions for cold readings: (1) Read the script one phrase at a time; not one word at a time. When we speak spontaneously, in everyday conversations, we use phrases, and express them as entire units. Stopping to utter words as individual units slows us down and makes our language sound stilted. (2) Breathe in the middle of a phrase, not at the end. Again, when we speak spontaneously, we breathe in the middle of ideas. By breathing only at the end, you signal that you are reading, and your listener will discount what youre saying as contrived. (3) Vary your tones. Poor script readers sound mono-tonal, and this is generally artificial, unless were genuine geeks or police dispatchers who follow a cultural code in restricting their voices to narrow ranges. Let your voice rise and fall, from high to low, and from soft to louder. This is what we do in everyday conversation, so lets carry it over to reading scripts. (4) Get over the fact that the scripts language isnt your everyday language. Its better, crafted for persuasion, not chitchat or recreational conversation. So, you didnt write it, no big deal. You can still make it yours by repeating it and by making it sound spontaneous. In fact, once youve said it 100 times, it will seem second nature to you. These are some of the ways in which you can tackle the task of making a script come to life. Remember, real professionals do this, whether theyre Broadway actors or your favorite classroom teachers. |
