2023.01.08 – 0738 – Finding The Key Points in Political Voiceover Scripts
As a voice-over you have to immediately identify:
· Is this ad actively promoting the candidate, or doing so by knocking their opposition?
· Who is it targeting? Undecideds, grass root supporters, soccer moms, small business owners…
· What is the key message?
· What and where is the story arc? (Often, it’s along the lines of ‘this person is bad because of a, b and c … and our candidate is good because of x, y and z’)
· The music and visuals alongside the script.
Understanding these, as well as having an ongoing knowledge of the main issues, will help you get the right tone, intonation and overall cadence of reads such as these.
I said “immediately identify”, that’s because although at the start of a campaign some scripts and visuals may be ‘in the can’, as it progresses there is a fast production turnaround on them as campaign managers react to the news, events, focus groups and reacting to what ‘the other side’ is saying and claiming. TV ad slots may be booked weeks or months in advance, and if you are ‘the voice’ of the campaign, usually for both positive and negative ads for a candidate, you need to be available asap.[1]
[1] Of course, although you could in theory voice ads for say the Republicans and the Democrats, it will be reassuring for both parties and agencies (and arguably ethical for you) that your voice is only heard supporting one side or the other, especially in each geographical area.
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