Voicemaster Voiceover Course

Learn the 3 Golden Rules to follow at the end of a sentence.
This element will slow down the pace of your read and give the listener time to absorb your information.

Key points:

The three golden rules: these will separate one sentence from another:

• Go down at the end of a sentence (unless it's a question)
• Pause at the end of a sentence (count “two, three” aloud)
• Energise the beginning of the next sentence

What you will learn from this element:

How to break up a sentence into blocks of information.

• Pause appropriately at punctuation marks within and at the end of a sentence.
• Be able to instantly recognize “mental commas”.

Key points

In many books and scripts there is insufficient punctuation for reading aloud. The reader needs to put in “mental commas” to break the sentences into smaller blocks of information of one or several words.

The “mental comma” is the same as a comma except that it is in your head and not printed on the paper. Most people instinctively put in their own mental commas when reading out loud and achieve 65% to 75% success at correctly identifying mental commas.

These blocks of information can consist of one or several words that may not be grammatically correct but must have a semblance of sense.

What you will learn from this element:

Read and speak at a much slower rate. By exaggerating, you will teach your unconscious that words can be read at
any pace.
This way, you will be able to slow down a commercial script as directed.

Key points:

• In order to slow down the rate of your speech, you will need to stretch words out.
• Imagine words are made of rubber.
• Don't leave longer gaps between words - that's cheating!

What you will learn from this element

Understand the meaning of a No. 5 Voice and be able to demonstrate it.

Key points:

• Learn to adjust the volume of your speech
• Your voice has a range from No.1 to No.10
• Your No.5 voice will make you sound more sincere and in other cases more romantic.

What you will learn from this element:

• You will be able to read with energy and enthusiasm. 

Instructions

• Read the passage on the next page out loud and record it. Keep this recording because you will need this later for comparison.

• Now listen to Steve reading the same passage – notice how he reads the passage with energy in his voice.

• Read the passage below again – this time read it with energy just as Steve demonstrated. Please record your reading. Keep this recording because you will need this later for comparison.

What you will learn from this element:

You will be able to identify the appropriate words to emphasise.

You will be able to demonstrate placing the appropriate emphasis on words in a passage by the use of varied pace, volume, tone, pitch and/or pausing.

You will be able to avoid emphasising the wrong words.

Key points:

• When reading out loud, most people don't emphasise the correct words
• Red flag words and situations must be recognised as instructions from the author and used correctly.

Now you've gone through the elements, it is time to use them all at the same time!

Now that you've gone through all the elements and you have practised, you need to record the same three scripts you recorded before you started the course.

When you have done this, listen back to your Before and After Recordings and you'll hear a marked improvement.

Cheers,
Esther