The Job In Every Commercial Script

Hey, there!

I teach, in my two-part Voicing Commercial VO class, how to work with three simple elements that will change how you audition for and perform commercials forever.

The second one is a job.

If you help accomplish that job, everything falls into perfect rhythm, and your auditions become extraordinary.


(Click/tap ↑↑↑↑↑↑ that red YouTube button to subscribe to my channel. You’ll get notified when I release new videos.)

Hope this helps!

David

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hey there it’s David H Lawrence the 17th
and today I want to talk to you about
the job in every commercial voiceover
script now it’s not your job but rather
the job of the listener of the radio
spot that you’re voicing or the viewer
of the television commercial that you’re
voicing or maybe the person that is
watching something on the Internet
promoting a product or service it’s
their job that’s what I’m talking about
and their job is simple their job is to
figure out how to do something that your
product or service can help them do make
their teeth whiter make their clothes
softer make themselves look sexier
whatever it is that’s their job and
yours is to help them do it now we
talked about the problem in every
commercial script we’re going to talk
about the secret in every commercial
script and the three of those all fit
together and what I really want you to
do is get away from this whole idea of
not making a mistake while reading
you’re recording oh while doing your
audition reading the words well on the
page making sure that you have a deep
and mellifluous voice you know being
perky being relatable being edgy you
know these are things that happen as a
byproduct of being a great storyteller
and helping the listener or viewer do
their job right that’s what you want
from that so what I would suggest that
you do is think about that as you pick
up that piece of copy and look at it for
the very first time don’t think I’m
gonna get through this no problem I’m
gonna get this done in 59 and a half
seconds I’m gonna hit broadcast quality
standards I’m not gonna make a single
mistake and make it really easy for the
editor that is that makes no difference
whatsoever what matters is that your
goal is to help the person that you’re
talking to get their job done now once
you do that you start thinking about the
authentic mission of the spot you stop
thinking about the cosmetics of how
you’re gonna do it how am I gonna
perform this what character am I going
to draw upon how about the character
that helps the listener or the viewer
get the job done that’s all you have to
worry about if you truly want to help
them if you truly want to be of service
that’s the only thing to worry about
find out what the job is and then do the
spot to help them get the job done it
will deepen and solidify your approach
to that voicing it’s just it’s amazing
how simple and easy it is sometimes it’s
hard to figure out what the job is you
know and the job is often not something
that’s kind of you know pedestrian or or
practical yeah you know you want to make
the shirt whiter but what you really
want is the respect of wearing really
good-looking clothes and maybe you want
to make your teeth whiter but you want
to be sexier that’s you know it the job
tends to escalate as you really dive
into it and help them do that help them
get respect help them get sex I don’t
know but the point is help them do their
job
don’t worry about you being this awesome
voice-over talent be relatable be
authentic be authoritative you’re the
biggest cheerleader ever but in the end
help them get their job done now in the
next video I’m gonna talk about the
secret and that’s what ties everything
together it’s kind of my secret sauce
when it comes to looking at commercial
copy I I take a bit of a different
approach from other people I’m wondering
if this makes sense to you I’m wondering
if hearing about oh it’s the listener or
viewers job that I should be concerned
about oh not not making a mistake or you
know pronouncing the name of the product
properly I mean that’s a given right but
really helping that is that new to you
is that something that you’ve thought
about something that makes sense to you
when you think about world class
examples of commercials do you ever
realize oh yeah they really do want you
to look great in that car or they want
you to get the best food for your pet
whatever that job is help your listener
review or do that job if you want to
know when the next video is coming out
go ahead and subscribe to my channel
it’s that that’s my head right there
click on that if there’s no head there
there’s a subscribe button somewhere if
you want
see the latest video I put out that
frame right there click on that it’ll do
it for you I’m David H Lawrence the 17th
I really appreciate you watching and I
will talk to you tomorrow

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Responses

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  1. I discovered by accident that if I pushed an icon on the right of the page parallel to “Raw YouTube Captioning” it showed the text. Glad to have the text.

  2. I’ve been doing VO for 20 years and you’re giving me some really NEW ways to think about this business. Concepts that I never realized before…that will help me as I move forward into my career…so thanks for that. Thom Varhol

  3. I’m looking at some sample scripts right now and trying to find out what the listener’s job is and how I can help them with that job. It’s an interesting exercise that I hope will become more natural and instinctual over time.

  4. I REALLY like this idea. I hadn’t thought about it in quite that way. I’ve certainly heard “find the problem and solve it”, but this idea of “help them to do their job” is a bit of a twist on that – I love it! Plus, it definitely makes it ALL about them and not at all about how well I “sell” the product/solution I’m discussing. Thanks!

  5. David, I think your videos really make you think about actually acting and not just speaking. Thinking of the other side of the glass or message really hits a point. Thank you again, David.