Vistamax Productions

TV Ad Production: Creating Voiceover Copy That Resonates with Viewers

TV Ad Production: Creating Voiceover Copy That Resonates with Viewers

TV ad production sometimes requires voiceover narration to either describe a product or to just be an ironic observer to the action on the screen. While voiceovers can be everything from serious to extremely satiric, how do you make it work so it sounds inviting to a viewer? All of that comes in the careful construction of your script and the crafting of how you phrase the sentences. You should also consider the style of your narrator and tone of their voice.

Constructing Natural Sentences

Your best bet is to always write in the active voice and never passive. While you may think it doesn’t matter, there’s a psychology behind using active words that incites people to take action. Overall, active voice is also more conversational that helps give a more natural flow to narration.

Being conversational is the way you want to write your narration, which means constructing shorter sentences for better breath control. You especially want to do this if you’re putting together an ad with complicated medical terminology or overly long words. All told, you need to write for the ear rather than writing visually. Try reading the script back to yourself, or use a virtual voice on your word processing software to get a feel for pacing.

Writing an Easy-to-Follow Script for Narrators

When it comes time to record the voiceovers, you have to think more visually with your script to make the narrator’s job easier. This involves the concept of what’s called verbal white space to allow for appropriate vocal speed. Much like movie scripts, one page is generally a minute long, and that usually means eight lines of dialogue per page.

This can vary depending on the length of the ad. For a slower narrative, seven lines of dialogue usually helps set a slower pace.

It’s the style of your narrator’s voice that’s going to make a huge difference in being persuasive. While you should always have the narrator state a call to action at the end of the ad, the tone of a voice can sometimes make a significant difference in initial audience reaction.

What Kind of Narrator Should You Use?

It seems infomercial ads typically use narrators with a more excited style to get people geared up to run for the phone. While that might work for infomercials, it may not go over well with your own commercial. A gentler voice may be needed depending on what you’re selling. While most narrators have trained announcer voices, a more serious commercial may require sounding more empathetic or someone with a deeper vocal timbre.

Be sure to describe what kind of voice you have in mind on your script so the production team behind your commercial can hire the right narrator.

We can help you with all of these production elements at Vistamax. We have over a decade of experience of creative and memorable production services for businesses worldwide.

Contact us and we’ll work closely with you on your commercial narrative and hire a voiceover artist that fits perfectly with the ad’s feel. Our team will also produce an overall commercial for you that people will remember years from now, whether national or local.