Analyzing a voice over script can be the the most important part of winning the job. Do not underestimate the process of staring at the words until you are blue in the face and can fully grasp the writer’s intentions. I often tell students that I believe script analysis accounts for 75% of how you win the spot. If you know what the writer wants, and you give it to him, then why wouldn’t he want you to be the voice that expresses his thoughts? So, knowing what the writer wants…..here it is – the first step on the pathway to understanding the script:
You will hopefully get the “specs” that usually accompany a script for audition. Specs are the “specifics” of what the writer is looking for in the person/performance. An example of the specs might be this: “Male 30-40: confident, wry, matter-of-fact.” Some might be even more detailed than that, some less. A great practice is to look at a script and try and create these specs yourself. This might seem dangerous, as if you are going to choose an undertone or mood for the spot that the writer did not want. You would be right. However, which is better – sounding like you are a human being who might just not have the exact idea of how to express things the way the writer did? – or sounding like a robot just meaninglessly reading words on paper? Trying to understand the script on your own and connecting to it on any level is always better than just reading words on paper. You will just wind up sounding detached if you do that. So, look at the words, the phrases, the entire script. Ask yourself what those word choices feel like to you. Are they strong words? Are they funny? Are they words that convey warmth or sarcasm or perhaps a manic energy? Get specific. The more specific you are with your adjective choices, the more specific you will sound. The more specific you sound, the more it seems like the words are expressing your own thoughts. You are one step closer to “owning” the script. Grab some voiceover scripts and get started!