I sometimes imagine how speech and language were first 'invented' by
cavemen. (I promise I'll research this and get back to you). Maybe a
certain grunt- like 'uhg'- meant hairy mammoth.. and 'wee' meant run, or
running. I figure it all started with single words- perhaps some nouns and
verbs- then expanded into adjectives.. adverbs.. maybe a few prepositions…
Jumping ahead to 2011- we think we're pretty sophisticated when it comes to
sharing information orally- but the caveman in us often tries to take over
when we 'attempt to do voiceovers' . I can probably attribute about
30% of my work to the wackiness that ensues: I've seen smart reporters not
get hired.. get warned that their tracking needs improvement.. or become so
crazed with 'trying to do it right' that they become all-consumed and
forget how they normally talk all day long.
Before we go further: please understand that there is no one 'right way' to
track a specific sentence. The 'right way' is the natural way- not
the histrionic 50's 'broadcast voice' that had its place 60 years ago. If I
close my eyes I shouldn't be able to distinguish between your standup and
your tracking.
Your Tip: Cognitive Chunks
I referred briefly to Cognitive Chunks in Blog no. 8. Here's an
easy way to approach your voice-overs. It's also a good fix for those
of you who have to ask 'how would say it?".
Look at the words in a sentence and ask yourself 'what's going on here?'.
Your answer should be as long as possible. Most sentences should be
comprised of just one chunk or two.
Example 1: "The alleged attack on a 32-year-old female maid at a midtown
hotel occurred on Saturday." That's what's going. It should be
seen as one 'cognitive chunk'.. and spoken as such. If you're
inclination is to go caveman on us- e.g.. pause/emphasize 'attack' or 'maid'
or 'hotel- you're in trouble.
Example 2: "Strauss Kahn remains in custody until an 11a.m. hearing in
Manhattan criminal court". This could be one big chunk: or you might
see it as 2 chunks: with 'in Manhattan criminal court' serving as secondary
information. It's up to you.
Example 3: "The meeting will take place as officials discuss increasing a
$155 billion loan package to Greece amid concerns the country may be unable
to finance its debt next year."
Now here: you'd most likely see 2 chunks.
Common Liability: Unnecessary Pausing
It reminds me of the lurching that occurs when we first learn how to
drive a standard shift. It's life interrupted. By 'putting in
pauses' because you think they should be there.. or because you think it
sounds professional- you're doing the same thing to our ears. We lose
the pull and the flow that keep us listening- and marveling- at your
information.
Solution: trust your innate use of communication and
semantics- and trust your cognitive chunks. I play a game with my
clients: say this sentence- and you are not allowed to pause!
They look at me like I'm crazy and have asked them to do the impossible.
The result is always an eye-opener. Your brain takes over and will
naturally insert tiny hesitations- I call them touch-go pauses- as needed.
Here's a one chunk sentence. If you read it aloud- and don't plan any
pauses- I'll bet you'll hear yourself going the touch-go route.
Warning: I'd say that 2 would be overkill.
"Trump is the second Republican in a matter of days to say no to a bid for
the GOP nomination."
Summary
Tracking.. voiceover.. whatever you choose to call it: put those sentences
on a microscope. See your information as a series of cognitive
chunks.. and send each one out firmly from your stomach.. Each chunk is
unique.. each chunk may have implications. Enter the world of each chunk.
If you know your story the innuendo and interpretation will naturally come
out.
And no orchestrated pauses! They'll occur naturally. But when in
doubt- leave it out.
Good luck!
Joanne Stevens
Previously featured on
the Radio Television Digital News Association
as the News Coach blog series.