Summarizing Versus Directing - Communicating Context and Purpose to Talent

As a creative director, video director, copywriter, booth director or advertising professional, are you offering direction or are you simply paraphrasing the script for the actor?  If you find yourself summarizing the script to voiceover talent, consider starting with the tone of the piece and then revealing the “why” to the talent. 
 
Let us consider the following scenario from a creative director during a voiceover session:
 
Creative Director says: “Have you had a chance to look at the script?  Basically, it’s a COUPLE who walks into a gas station and the STORE CLERK asks the COUPLE if they would like to buy a lottery ticket.  The COUPLE finds out they won the lottery after they scratch their ticket and they can’t believe it.  Let’s take a pass whenever you’re ready.”
 
Here, we see a scenario where the booth director has offered an abridged version of the script to the talent.  Many times offering a short synopsis of the script is confused with offering direction to voiceover talent.  If a commercial voiceover script has been provided with an adequate amount of time for the actor to prepare (minimum of 15 minutes), then a summary of the script is unnecessary. 
 
Instead, consider focusing on the tone of the piece. 

To communicate the tone of the piece, welcome the voiceover talent into the creative process by providing the context of the script versus a summary.
 
For instance, the creative director could say, “our client has a new scratch off ticket, and this piece is to create excitement around this new scratch-off.  We are trying to communicate to the audience that even the largest purse can change the winners’ life.”
 
From this background information, it is clear to the voiceover talent that the message that is trying to be conveyed in the piece is ‘excitement and life-changing.’  Therefore, our hero, the COUPLE, now knows to dial up the enthusiasm.  Meanwhile, the STORE CLERK might hear this tonal direction and think, ‘I need to ease off the eagerness and sound more aloof to elicit more contrast with the COUPLE.’ 

By simply communicating the context of the piece, the tone is established, and the creative director has offered the actors a road map for a more nuanced read.
 
After this tone has been established, focus on why your advertising agency created this particular script for the client.  Often, creative directors that communicate the concept of the script to the actor will reveal the “why.”  For instance, using the lottery scratch-off scenario: “Chris – our advertising agency created this script because we want to highlight that ordinary couples can change their lives with a scratch-off.  We want the COUPLE role to highlight that partners can enjoy scratch-offs together.  The COUPLE represents all partners – whether they are best friends, co-workers, love interests, any duo that would like to make a life-changing memory.  Our creative team and copywriter envision the COUPLE walking in together after a hard day of work and the winning ticket changes their life.  In this sense, the lottery is more than a ticket; it is a memory, a shared experience or a ritual that bonds co-workers, family members, friends, etc.”
 
Okay.  Now we have some insight into the “why” or the purpose of the piece. With the intention of the piece now clear, the voiceover talent can make more informed choices based off of these insights.  It is clear that the copywriter placed the “COUPLE” in the script to highlight the excitement of the lottery while also instilling in the listener that these tickets create lasting memories with your loved ones.   To stimulate that excited, memorable feeling, the voiceover talent may choose to take the listener on a journey by beginning the piece tired from a long day of work.  Then, the COUPLE might offer a slow build into a realization that life has changed.  And then, “oh, yeah – I’m with my partner, too!”
 
In short, if you are a creative director, video director, copywriter, booth director or advertising professional looking to avoid summary-traps while eliciting deeper performances, communicate the tone and offer the “why” to voiceover talent.  By welcoming the voiceover talent into the creative process, all parties can dive deeper into the commercial copy and offer more dynamic interpretations of the piece.

Remember that time you read an awesome blog post from a creative talent on his website and you decided you need to get to know each other?  Audio, voiceovers, copywriting, editing, idea generation, turn-key creative...let's go.  Do you have any creative needs?  I can be reached at [email protected] or 213.761.8212.