Voice Blog Episode 5
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Voice Blog Episode 5!
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 14th, 2010 at 6:37 am and is filed under Blog, Voice Blog.
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November 14th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Hey man,
Saw your latest post come up and couldn’t restist taking a listen before taking the plunge into sleepyland.
Re: the Busch Gardens spot, you said “I’m not feeling anything out of that copy that says, ‘Oh yes, it should absolutely be read this way.'” I beg to differ. I think there are clues in the opening lines that you could use to take a more directed stab at this. Here’s how it opens:
“Where does once-in-a-lifetime happen all of the time? At a place just east of unexpected, and north of unbelievable.”
“Just east of unexpected”?
“North of unbelievable”?
That’s not normal talk. I’d call it whimsical and playful. Try that kind of approach and see where it takes you. But not big, over-the-top whimsical and playful. Something subtle, perhaps with a touch of mystery to it. Yes, it’s selling a product, but the way they draw you in isn’t in the words. It’s in the emotion.
I feel you’re projecting a bit much. For this, I suggest getting a little closer and talking like you’re speaking the lines into someone’s ear, enticing them to come with you to this magical place.
Another note: make the opening line a real question, ending on an upward accent. Both of your takes have “all of the time” ending down, like a statement. You want the listener to really ask themselves where this can happen, and the question has to be enticing enough that they’ll be waiting with bated breath for your answer.
Finally, pull back on the word emphasis. In both takes, there’s “word punch” happening all over the place. Again, the words are almost secondary. Focus on finding the right emotional tone, and let that dictate how the words come out.
For your book reading, I found it very interesting that you began the passage with a lot of that same “word punch” and over-dramatic emphasis, with a dash of over-enunciation thrown in for good measure. After a paragraph or two, though, you really got into the groove. The transition was gradual, but by “I said a prayer and walked away”, it really sounded nice. I think you found one of the keys yourself in your later commentary: you had fun with it.
Okay, it’s now a quarter past two and I really need to crash. Thanks goodness church doesn’t start ’til 11. 🙂 Have a good one!
Justin