Get A Better Broadcast, Podcast and Voice-Over Voice

2022.03.26 – 0450 – Considerations For Other Reading Styles There are of course many styles in between these two extremes of presentation, all with differing levels of some of those variables and more. For example, your style may change depending on some or all of these (and there may be many, many more considerations):·        The content of the message – an emergency announcement or a soft sell·        The item being sold – bathroom cleaner or luxury condo·        The level of reassurance being given – grass seed or a pension plan·        The duration of the spot, together with the length of the script - five words in 15 seconds, or fifteen words in 5.·        Whether the content is ‘opt-in’ content or interrupting – a webinar someone has chosen and paid for, or a radio ad that they don’t want and have to ‘endure’ rather than enjoy.·        What else is around the message – do you want it to merge with the ambient messages or to stand out? Is the ad before an action movie at the cinema going to engage more if it is hard-hitting or a soft-sell? ·        The demographic of the audience – older/younger, male/female, their education and income and the content of the message·        Their understanding of the language in which you are speaking- arguably slower for those who have it as their second language.·        The formality of the words used - longer words will perhaps be used in the more formal and technical reads for finance and medicine, shorter colloquialisms in a natural read·        The content and the context – although the content may be similar, the presentation of an e-learning on the latest breast cancer care is likely to be different for medical staff than it will be for patients. A bank will likely use a different voice and style to target students than first time home-buyers, or small business start-ups…·        The brand and the message – is the message to ask someone to spend £5 or £5000? Are you feeding their stomach or their mind?·        And so on and so on. Therefore, it’s impossible (and unnecessary) to list every single variation of style here. However, let’s go through what may be some of the main attributes of a ‘read’, from emphatic and energetic Announcer to natural and emotional Conversational. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.25 – 0449 – The Conversational Style of Reading The Conversational StyleNow the desired sound is someone who is more authentic, relatable, believable and conversational. Consumers don’t want to be told what to buy, but to have the benefits of that item explained to them by someone ‘like me’, a friend or neighbour. This ‘real read’ style is deemed to be better at building a relationship. It’s one that’s less talking (or shouting!) ‘at you’ to one that’s more talking ‘with you’, a style-shift from ‘authority’ to ‘authenticity’, a style that’s more personal and trustworthy. It’s more understated, heartfelt, real and credible. In fact, the kind of way you’d talk to a friend offering insight, experience and suggesting advice, rather than a ‘hard sell’. Those are perhaps the two ‘extremes of a read’ – ‘energetic announcer’ to ‘close confident’, and if you think about it, the factors which cause them to be different include obvious elements such as:·        The volume and projection - Announcer: louder / Conversational: softer·        The speed of delivery - Announcer: faster / Conversational: slower But also, other variables such as:·        Length of sentences – Announcer: shorter / Conversational: longer·        Word count – Announcer: higher (because of the speed of the read) / Conversational: lower (as it is slower)·        The script punctuation – Announcer: with more pace and projection may have more direction in the punctuation  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.24 – 0448 – The Announcer Style of ReadingREADING STYLESThe Announcer StyleThe ‘announcer style’ was typically an American format in the 1980s and 90s, scripts read with aggression, projection and stress. The announcer was almost telling you what to buy – in fact sometimes literally shouting at you! It was over the top and cheesy and fake. It’s a style now rarely heard apart from perhaps some local ‘used car showroom sale’ type adverts, or in parodies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.23 – 0447 – Conversational ContradictionsSo, let’s take what we have learnt so far to the next level. Some of what follows will enforce what we have looked at before, but other parts may seem a bit contradictory for example, building in hesitations, softening intonations and ignoring punctuations – but that doesn’t mean the previous pages/podcasts have been a waste of time. Far from it! You have to ‘know the rules’ before you can break them. After all, we don’t follow ‘the rules of the written word’ when we speak in a conversation. So, if you want to replicate that naturalistic, authentic style, then read on.We will also look at different kinds of presentational styles and how to make sure you understand the script: not the words, but the message (or messages) and the target audience. Because, a bit like the Royal Mail, only by knowing who the message is addressed to, can it be delivered precisely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.22 – 0446 – Sounding Conversational - Introduction Kids rarely say “can you read out loud to me?” they say “can you tell me a story…?” And that’s what this section is all about: sounding natural when you’re reading a story.Ideally listeners should not notice you, but just the material – it should appear that there is no presenter, with the audience almost absorbing the message without that verbal go-between. That’s not possible if the script is mumbled and stumbled, read without a sense of understanding, and ideas are inconsistently intonated. It’s not possible if the delivery is inconsistent with the message and the brand. If the listener feels that the message matters to the reader, then they will be more engaged. If you are interested, it will be more interesting.Communication doesn’t happen just because ideas have been presented. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.21 – 0445 – Expression ConclusionGestures will enhance your vocal presentation.They help you focus on the person you’re communicating with and the sense of the story, to concentrate on truly understanding and ‘living’ the message you are delivering rather than simply reading the words. And the audience hears the result of the gestures in your voice, through the resulting intonation and authenticity. So don’t sit on your hands, but give in to the natural impulse to punctuate and strengthen your words with expressive gesticulations.Speaking to thousands of people at once is an unnatural thing to do, even more so when you can’t see them. Gestures are what you would naturally do if you were speaking on a one-to-one basis as they help communicate ideas in ways other than purely using words. So, if you want to sound natural, act natural. Use your ‘mouth-talk’ and your ‘body talk’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.20 – 0444 – Choosing The Right GestureIf you are nervous (and there’s more on overcoming stress, later), it may be that you suffer from ‘expression suppression’: the life drains from your presentation and you become stiff and starchy. It’s the last bit of the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ trio of possible automatic physiological responses to a threatening event. You’re not going to ‘fight’ the feeling of stress, you’re not going to flee from the studio, but the ‘freeze’ is still a possibility. If this is the case then you need to think how you can deliberately build appropriate gestures into your content. This will not only help you look natural, and sound natural, it will help you feel natural too: you’ll be tricking your brain into thinking “OK, these gestures are usually what I do with these words, so things must be less scary than I thought, so I can relax…” So how do you re-engage with expressions, how do you judge which gesture is right? When you’re relaxed, gestures come naturally, so analyse what you do in various situations without thinking. When you’re out having fun with friends after football, what do you do with your face? What is your pose when you’re pleading with police about problems with your tyre pressure? When your home with your honey, what do you do with your hands…? (Oh…!)  My point is, monitor the mannerisms in the moment, so when you need to read with ease, instead of a freeze, you can take possession with rehearsed and appropriate expression. When you are less stressed and more comfortable with your story, and situation, you can forget about your gestures. That may be a funny thing to say in this section, but what I mean is that you’ll be able to think about communicating, not about what your hands are doing! Your body will be naturally reflecting what you are saying, so the audience will better feel and understand … not just be watching your hands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.19 – 0443 – The Nodding Dog SyndromeSome people get into the habit of ‘self-conducting’ while they are talking, especially when reading from a script. They nod along to the rhythm of the words, or when they ‘highlight’ or ‘lift’ a word’s intonation. That’s not so bad if you are presenting audio (indeed it can help create the rhythm of the read), but on video it can look rather unusual and be off-putting: viewers will be watching your mannerism rather than listening to your message. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.18 – 0442 – Expression SuppressionSometimes you may need to sit on your hands and suppress the pressure to gesture. For example, if a newsreader, if it’s a sensitive or emotional story you may benefit from having your whole body ‘small’ and still. Genuine gestures onlyBe you – don’t just use someone else’s gesture because you think it looked good. It has to fit with your personality and culture: you have to feel comfortable using it, and it has to be genuinely part of you if it is to enhance your speech delivery.  Using a ‘fake’ gesture, or supressing your own will upset your equilibrium of naturalness and create tension in your mind, body and voice, and you could be distracting yourself from your task of informing, educating or entertaining. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.17 – 0441 – Signature Gestures What to Remember When You Gesture Mind your mannerismsWhen does your ‘signature gesture’ cross from being a trademark (such as, for UK listeners, the Anne Robinson wink[1], the Huw Edwards pose[2], or Magnus Pike’s ‘windmill arms’[3] ) to being irritating, a distraction or a self-parody? When will viewers cheer or jeer what you do, could they be a distraction to the information, rather than helping them concentrate on your content? [1] https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/new-look-countdown-anne-robinson-20919907 [2] https://metro.co.uk/2016/09/08/hang-on-huw-edwards-has-been-doing-the-same-pose-every-time-news-at-10-starts-6117568/ [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_Pyke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.16 – 0440 – Thaw Your Frozen Face The most communicative voices have active facial language. The voice from a poker face – one that looks like a ventriloquist’s dummy, with no life in the eyes, brow or mouth - sounds mechanical bored and disengaged. You need to thaw them out! Don’t read with a blank face, but animate it. This may be tiring at first but find a balance.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.15 – 0439 – More Advantages of Gestures More advantages of gesturesGestures affect your energy, help lower your tension and raise your resonanceOn video people will see your energy – it’s obvious, you will be animated. And using energy will releasing happy hormones into your body, affecting how you feel and sound. Smiling and moving will help release tension, rather than having stored-up stress in places such as your shoulders and jaw. Again, that will be heard vocally. Bringing your arms up with gesticulations will also help expand your ribcage and so aid breathing and breath control, increase the opportunity of resonation and vocal ability and decreases vocal strain.  Yep, your whole body is your instrument.  Expressions aid better communication You may want to frown when you read a sad or serious story, or smile when you have a kicker to read. A complicated story may benefit in the telling if you gesticulate.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.14 – 0438 – Gestures In Voice ActingVoice-over is acting, it’s not just about ‘reading out loud’.  Getting your whole body involved will help you develop your character: a ‘little old lady’ voice will be easier and more authentic if you ‘become small’, maybe hunched over, pulling your clothes near you to keep out the cold. But it’s not just humans. The ‘voice’ of a steam train will be more on track in its express-ion, if you ‘act like a train’: big, powerful and forceful. The sound of the sun, may be bright and open and welcoming, so think of the appropriate gestures to help you create that voice. How might you characterise a voice ‘the wind’, what might be the movement and hence the sound of a bottle of dishwashing liquid[1], a credit card[2], a tiger[3], …? If there’s space in the studio, and you’re still on mic, animation will help your narration and characterisation. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow_cFieXoFM [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7N-tIqy6yQ [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ9j841_YSw&t=11s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.13 – 0437 – Eye Contact For Video And Stage PerformersEye contact for video and stage performersOK this isn’t about the voice per se but let’s just spend a short time looking at this closely associated topic. When you speak, involve your listeners with your eyes: it’s natural, personal and conversational and helps create a bond with them. That’s easy of course if it’s a one-to-one conversation or with a handful of people as you can look at each of them in turn. With an auditorium of people, look at different parts of the audience and within that some specific individuals. On video, look into the lens of the camera, not at yourself in the screen. Yes, you can glance away in all of these situations, to one side, or down at your notes or up at the ceiling as you do a ‘mock’ search for words, say. But looking someone in the eyes suggests (in most cultures), honesty and friendliness and averting your gaze suggests disinterest, nervousness and insincerity. Plus, if you don’t look at them, they won’t look at you! You will have broken the ‘eyeball bond’ and the audience will feel excused from giving you their eyes, their ears and their attention, which in turn may lower your confidence and raise your discomfort. Looking at your audience completes the feedback loop that we looked at before: you can see your listeners’ reaction and change your delivery accordingly. Furious scribbling in notepads shows you’re giving content of value (although possibly a little too fast). People looking away and talking to each other suggests you may be losing their interest so maybe consider brightening your intonation, animating your gesticulations, or moving across the stage.  Has anyone got their hand raised with a question..? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.12 – 0436 – Gestures For TV and Video PresentationsExpressions on Televisions - Gestures on TV and VideoTV video work can be a bit different. With audio production (either radio or voice over work) you can make many and large gestures to help your vocal presentation, partly to give life to your words.  TV is more intimate. Gestures are small and your delivery is more conversational. On TV viewers can see your natural reactions, and see them quite close-up too! And even though you the presenter might know that the camera is the other side of the studio, if the shot has been zoomed in, that’s not where the audience is. If the shot is tight on your head and shoulders (a mid-shot) the viewer may be, in effect, just a few feet away and your voice and overall style should reflect that. Those recording YouTube videos or webinars, on either a small mobile camera or webcam should be careful with expressive arms. These may either go out of the frame of the camera, or if adjusting the camera, viewers will see your hand lunging at them out of the screen. A ‘poker face’ might be good playing cards but not in effective communication. And as your face gives away your thoughts and feelings, attitude and personality, people will be watching as well as listening for clues as to what they think you may be thinking. For example, your expression and gestures may be perceived as editorialising the content of your presentation. This may not matter if you are a YouTuber giving your thoughts about the pros and cons of a gadget during an unboxing, but may be more concerning if you are reading about the Presidential race on an impartial news channel. An unconscious expression may suggest an attitude that you don’t have. For several years British politician Priti Patel was criticised for having what appeared to be a ‘sneer’ or ‘smirk’ on her face (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anb7A6Em9B0), although that is her regular expression.Beware of lip-licking, lip biting, nervous twitches or tightening of the jaw which may give away that you are nervous, inexperienced or ill prepared. What will the audience feel if they sense you are nervous?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.11 – 0435 – ‘Verbal’ GesturesVerbal gestures – ones which enhance what you are saying or replace what you’re thinking, maybe:·        Moving hands in front of you from one side… and then another – indicates comparisons (that while A was happening here, B was happening there)·        Closed fists being put on top of one another – showing the stages of something (a structure or the ‘building blocks’ of an idea) being built ·        Clicking fingers may suggest something sudden or an idea, (or be me used as we try and remember something)·        A clenched fist shows strength of character or emotion ·        As well as the obvious nodding or shaking, your head on one side may indicate disbelief or that you are trying to understand the speaker·        There’s a lot that can be seen in the eyes of a speaker or a listener: whether someone is holding contact (or not), or glancing away. Squinting can be a sign of someone trying to understand or disbelief, wide eyes may indicate surprise or disbelief. Winking may be a hint at an in-joke.·        Smiling will help relax you as you read, not a huge Jim Carrey-type grin but just a slight upturn of the corners of your mouth. So smile for a lighter story or give a slight lip-purse or pout with a frown to show concern – it’ll be heard in your voice.·        Touching the tips of thumb and forefinger to make a precise point or to help enunciate words or hit the beat or a sentence. Think of your voice as an orchestra and you as the conductor.You don’t want to necessarily adopt all of these movements (if you do, you’ll look rather odd!) but consider which ones you would normally use in everyday conversation, and try to employ them in your studio or stage work. It will look natural and feel natural and you will sound more natural too. Your gestures are heard in your voice, so don’t be a mannequin – move! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.10 – 0434 – ‘Leading’ and ‘Ideas’ GesturesDifferent types of gesturesWhen you are speaking with an audience face to face you employ any of these types of gestures to help you influence them. So even if they are not there in front of you, you may still want to use them:[1]Leading gestures – show people what you want them to do, such as:·        Point – to make them look in a certain direction·        Raise your hands – to encourage them to do the same thing·        Applaud – as you say “let’s give them a round of applause” Ideas gestures - when you want help to express a thought or create an emotion for example:·        An open palm – indicates openness, taking or receiving (perhaps of an idea), or the start of a handshake (originally indicating honestly and that no weapon was being held). A hand that’s held down suggests suppression or secrecy·        A shoulder-shrug - suggests an uncaring attitude, or ignorance, a casual attitude say “Hey, this really works for me. You should try it.”·        A step forward might indicate that you are advancing an important story, a step or two back that you have made it and are concluding.·        High-up gestures indicate inspiration and aspiration, lower-down gestures suggest poor/rejected ideas or emotions. Gestures near shoulder level may indicate calmness, stability. [1] There are many books, articles and videos on gestures, which go into this topic in considerable depth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.09 – 0433 – Adopting Authentic Gestures So, gestures along with the words we choose and the way we deliver those words (for example a timid or a robust voice) helps in communication – the message we are delivering and the understanding of it and the impact that it has. In most of the situations that we are looking at here, radio/podcast/video and stage delivery, we want to be imparting information with confidence and naturalness, conversationality and authority. Therefore, if we adopt the gestures that we would normally use in such a face-to-face situation – even if there’s no-one actually in front of us, it will help us deliver the message in an authentic way, with the correct authentic tone. So, what kind of gestures are these likely to be?[1] [1] Remember, gestures change from culture to culture, and sometimes country to country: think how many of our Middle Eastern or Southern European friends move as they talk, so these can only be generalisations to encourage you to think what you would do naturally and to replicate that in your ‘un-natural’ talking environment of a studio situation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.08 – 0432 – Your Lesson In Physical Expression For Better Verbal Connection. Now this is where we start your lesson in physical expression for better conversation and connection. Of course, we use gestures all the time:·        when we are looking for the remote control at home, we may tap one palm with a finger of the other hand as though we are using the device we are searching for·        we may touch our temple with a forefinger if we think someone we are referring to is a bit confused, and we surreptitiously scratch our cheek with two fingers in a V-shape if we don’t like them·        try giving someone directions without gesturing and you’ll see (literally!) what I mean.  More seriously body language gives away a lot of information about us and how we feel:·        on a chair cross-legged and cross-armed makes you appear defensive·        standing on a stage, with a wide stance and arms outstretched makes you look confident perhaps to the point of Messianic  And in the office or at a meeting:·        squinting and rubbing your chin gives a look of thoughtfulness and consideration·        raised eyebrows, wide eyes and a nod shows approval and encouragement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.07 – 0431 – Face-To-Face Gestures When Talking Face-To-Mic The ‘father of modern public speaking’ Dale Carnegie, wrote, “A person under the influence of his feelings projects the real self, acting naturally and spontaneously. A speaker who is interested will usually be interesting”. If you are interested in your subject, believe in what you are saying, and want to share your message with others, your physical movements will come from within and be appropriate to what you’re saying. And if you use ‘face-to-face’ gestures even when you’re ‘face-to-mic’ and can’t actually see those you’re talking to, then you will start to sound a bit more natural. There were non-verbal signals before there was language.  After all, animals manage to negotiate their entire social lives by using non-verbal signals. They make friends, find mates, rear young, decide hierarchies and work together in groups, by using non-verbal signals.Similarly, Stone Age man would tell others about the best hunting grounds, teach them how to make weapons, fight and appease neighbouring tribes and so on without language as we know it, but with grunts and gestures instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.06 – 0430 – ‘Using Your Hands To Help Your Voice’Hold on, this is supposed to be all about talking, with your mouth, isn’t it? Well yes and no. Talking also involves the rest of your body. Certainly, in breathing you use your diaphragm and throat … but talking also involves your hands, your head – in fact a lot of the rest of the body too: posture and gesture go hand in hand (!) to affect your vocal delivery. Earlier we looked at how to imagine another person in the room with you, as a way of presenting more conversationally. It’s not just picturing someone in your mind that can help though, you can also use this ‘body behaviour’: the gestures you would normally use when speaking face-to-face.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.05 – 0429 – What is A ‘Natural’ and ‘Conversational’ Sound?Now let’s enter a new section in the [1]‘voyage of the voice’, with more communication skills.So far we’ve looked at how the voice is produced – with a series on breathing - and how words are formed when we spent some time on articulation. Then we examined the various aspects of speaking from intonation to projection, pace, pause and pitch. So, now we know what goes on in the ‘chest and the head’ – what does it take to go one step further?In this chapter / series of episodes we will take a look at the ‘attitude’ of conversational reading. That is how we sound more natural and fluent, how we bring a story to life.First, how talking is more than ‘moving your mouth’ – how sounding natural comes in part from moving the rest of your body too. That is the verbal orchestration that is gesticulation.Then a series on conversationality, or if you prefer ‘voice acting’: how can you sound as though the words are not being read? What are the tricks to use, and the psychological ‘zone’ you need to be in, to appear not to be using a script, even though you are? It’s a tricky trick to pull off.Linked with this of course, is ad-libs: going off-piste from a script. Then a section on fluency and what I’ve called vocal viruses. No, not coughs and colds, but the causes of slips and trips, stumbles and hesitations, filler words and fluffs. [1] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.04 – 0428 – The Speed Of The Read – A SummaryAnd that’s the challenge: to maintain clarity and inflection throughout the script.“Sometimes the most powerful sound in stories is a lack of sound, or a pause, or a silence, or a cadence of the way we speak in person that you can't really get when you're reading print. You hear that in your mind, but you don't really know how it's intended to sound. So, I think there's a musicality to audio storytelling that gives it also a little bit of an advantage over just watching something that has visuals and audio and also just reading something on the page.”Julie Shapiro, Executive Producer of Radiotopia from PRX[1]And those are our paragraphs on the power of the pause.Now, is it time for you to start giving someone ‘the silent treatment’? [1] Interview with Tamar Charney, NPR, on “The Power of Digital Audio Storytelling: From Podcasts to Voice Assistants” webinar series, Knight Centre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.03 – 0427 – Peter’s PT For Talking To Time Take some copy which has a required duration indicated on it, and read it aloud like you might in a demo, and with a stopwatch to hand.How many words did you read in 30 seconds? Or how many seconds were you over?Keep practicing until you can sensibly get the copy in the seconds required, several times in a row. Then take another script and repeat the exercise before return to the first script and seeing if the rate and the rhythm are still there.Then go back to the second script. Then take a third one, of a different style and duration and word-count, and try it all again.A further exercise would be to take your 30 second script and elongate it so it when you read it, it lasts 40 seconds, or shorten it to 25: all of these are skills that will come in useful in the recording studio. You are often presented with a script that is just too ‘word-rich’ and yes, every single one is vital. It is up to you to ‘fit the words into the seconds’ in a clear and interesting way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.02 – 0426 – Peter’s PT For The Fast Talker VOCAL YOGA – PETER’S PT for the fast-talkerHere’s one of those infamous ‘Terms and Conditions’ statements you often hear at the end of ads. Can you clearly communicate this script at speed and at ease? “Representative example cash price 13-4,2,0. Deposit 4,8-9,9-41 Credit amount 8,5,2,0-5936 months optional final payment 6,2,3,7-67Total payable 14-7,3,6-72Based on 8-thousand miles per annumRepresentative APR 5.9%Fixed interest 3.05%” The ad I took this statement from, had it read in 13 seconds… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.03.01 – 0425 – Pod-FastingPOD-FASTINGThis is when listeners play back your podcast really fast, perhaps 1.5 or even twice the originally recorded speed (often referred to as “2-ex” speed). They may be short of time, or they may find your delivery either not compelling enough – just too drawn out, or not enough wheat for the chaff, or simply your presentation just. Too. Slow. The podcast player removes the micro-pauses in and between words, without affecting your pitch. So you seem to speed up without sounding like Mickey Mouse, Alvin The Chipmunk or Pinky and Perky. If you want to replicate that in your home recordings for say voice-overs, such tech is available in most DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). You usually do this by selecting the audio you want to speed up, and then a button called “Remove Silence” or “Truncate Silence” and then setting parameters for what you want to be considered as ‘silence’: that is, the ‘loudness’ and the duration’.You don’t want to eliminate all silence as that will sound completely unnatural, but you may want to reduce them by a percentage. “There's a time and a place for everything.Listen to the movie ‘Tootsie, where Bill Murray stole many scenes from Dustin Hoffman's manic performance with measured, mindful pacing. The ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, at 1.5x speed, sounds like a grocery list.Liam Neeson's ‘Taken’ speech, the action movie monologue that became the meme of the 2000s,at 1.5x speed, would be 0.5x as threatening.” [1] [1] https://www.thepodcasthost.com/editing-production/podcasts-at-1-5x-speed-take-control-of-your-flow/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.28 – 0424 – The Pregnant Pause Pregnant pauseThis is a pause that is full of meaning (‘pregnant’ means ‘full’) – it builds suspension and signifies significance.“And Prime Mionsiter, did you ever take drugs?” [Pause] “Yes. Yes I did.”“And now we come to who will inherit the vast percentage of grandad’s estate…”  [Pause] or perhaps could happen when no-one knows quite what to say:“You know Nigel? He’s been arrested for murder…” [Pause]Pregnant pauses can be natural as in those examples, or manufactured. For example, a conversation between a car salesman and a potential customer can often have pregnant pauses in them as they try to make the other uncomfortable, give the impression they are mulling over an offer or suggestion… and as brinkmanship to cause an uncomfortable situation and force the other person to speak and so give away part of their gameplan.The danger is not only talking, but ill-considered talking, starting to sound desperate, saying words just to fill the silence.A clever salesperson or manager, parent or presenter knows the pregnant pause can be a powerful tool. When it appears, consider letting it linger. Stretch it and feel it. Sense how it affects the conversation (perhaps give the other person time to think, and process, what you said) and shifts balance of ‘power’ in the conversation.The “silence may be deafening”, they may feel threatened or flustered by it, see it as a psychological trick, and pressured into making a decision.On the other hand, the listener, possible customer, staff member may feel more respected, unthreatened, more in control. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.27 – 0423 – The Difference Between A Pause And ‘Dead Air’A Pause and Dead Air – the differenceA pause is purposeful production. It’s been included for a reason, for effect, for punctuation and a dozen other reasons (see below). Dead air is a gap caused by a gaffe – a miscalculation, a technical mistake, a brain freeze. A pause is intentional, dead air is accidental. “A pause is a silence filled with meaning; an empty lapse of time is a wait.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.26 – 0422 – Pausing Practicalities Pausing practicalitiesIf recording a voice over often it doesn’t matter if you pause for several seconds in the middle of a script. A producer or director will understand that if you have an intense, heavy technical read, or maybe one with subclauses or no punctuation (for example a ‘terms and conditions’ section), then you may have to record several versions starting at different points and leave it to them to edit together. Obviously only do this after a conversation with them and together you can find a good spot at which you can breathe and also make an edit easier for them.It will be better for everyone if you stop to take a longer pause at a place where there is a comma or fullstop/period, than to fight through to the end of a sentence and squeeze every last ounce of air from your lungs as you do so.Starting at the beginning of the script and seeing how far through you can get before you make a mistake, doesn’t make a lot of sense but uses a lot of time. Just make sure that when, using the stop start method above, you keep in mind the intonation in which you ended the previous sentence before you paused. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.25 – 0421 – Too Many Pauses Too many pausesEven though it’s important that each word be properly pronounced, overly precise diction with a micro-pause after each word, can sound very unnatural. Another potential problem is, a we saw before, the speakers who chunk words together by how many there are rather than their sense, and then repeat the pattern. So you get, say three words, then a pause, then three more, and another pause ….. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.24 – 0420 – Silence In An On-Air StudioVOICE BOXSilence in an on-air studio  If an audio signal is not sent to a radio station transmitter for a set period of time, an emergency ‘tape’ kicks in.That’s if equipment senses that a silence is too long, and maybe ‘something’ has happened in the broadcast studio … say the studio desk has broken, there’s a power cut, fire or evacuation.So if you’re being melodramatic with a super-long pause, you may just get more than you bargained for. That emergency recording will fire up, and go straight to the transmitter and take your desk off air. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.23 – 0419 – The Problem With Pauses PROBLEMS WITH PAUSESIn commercial voiceovers, the pauses are often edited out to leave a ‘word-wall of sound’. I was once asked to record a daily podcast for an (in)famous media company. They loved my voice and presentation style, but had one request: could I please go back and edit out all of my breaths from the recording as “people don’t want to hear them”. Errr!Removing breaths disrupts this natural rhythm and therefore interferes with our understanding of the content, but it’s done to cram more information into the time allowed.Granted people don’t want to hear big gulps or suck-in breaths, but they are a normal part of speech that we hear, live, every day. And of course, we naturally take a breath in adlibbed speech certainly, where it makes sense in a thought block, and therefore that creates a pause which the listener considers natural.And pauses are pertinent in an ‘ad read’ for reasons mentioned before: they can help draw attention to key words or phrases such as a feeling the product suggests, the name of the business, the strapline or special offer.Alternatively, some radio and podcast presenters edit pauses into their show, to add suspense. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.22 – 0418 – Pausing In Podcast Presenter Teams VOICE BOXPausing in teamworkA brief look at the pause when you have several presenters on your radio show or podcast. When you have one or more co-presenters, it’s important to know when one of them has paused, for effect, or stopped. Knowing each other, trust and on-air communication will avoid the problem of one of the rest of the team trampling all over a carefully timed link or bit. These might be hand signals – a raised hand might indicate “I’ve got this… let me talk”, an outward palm “don’t talk, let me finish”, and a finger-point or gracious ‘I cede the floor’ gesture might indicate it’s their turn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.21 – 0417 – The Janice Pause The ‘Janice pause’The exaggerated pause indicating stunned surprise, or comedic drama: a trend from ‘Friends’:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSmp1ZSvelY  Having said that, don’t fall into the pattern of pausing so much between words, so often, that your delivery becomes ‘bitty’, with you saying. Each. Individual. Word. Such a delivery is unconventional, un-conversational and un-emotional – sucking energy out of what may actually be exciting content. “Oh [pause] my [pause] gosh [pause] he [pause] just [pause] proposed.” More naturally in this situation of excited, energetic enthusiasm, you’d create a ‘word merge’…  “Ohmygosh [pause] hejustproposed.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.20 – 0416 – Silence In Different CulturesSilence for different cultures  In general, eastern cultures value silence more than word-rich western ones. In their book ‘Communication between cultures’ Samovar and Porter, elaborate using an example: “In response to the question: ‘Will you marry me?’ Silence in English would be interpreted as uncertainty, in Japanese it would be interpreted as acceptance, in Igbo (Southeastern Nigeria) it would be considered as a denial if the woman was to continue to stand there and acceptance if she ran away.” [1] And of course, if you are reading or presenting for those who have your first language as their second, they may need additional time to process what you are saying. [1] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-silence-alok-vishwakarma-%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AD%E3%82%AF-   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.19 – 0415 – Silence Shows You’re Listening Silence shows you’re listening In an interview, your guest has just made a significant or poignant remark, and to show respect and empathy – pause.  The strategic pause adds tension and anticipation and indicates comprehension and reflection. It shows you are actively listening and value their comment. It helps build trust. …. but only if it is not followed by an “errrm” or “ummm”. Those kinds of words will merely show you are ill prepared. It’s a great skill to have in your repertoire but should be used sporadically for best effect.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 2022.02.18 – 0414 – Silence Skills In Interviewing  Silence in interviewingMaybe you have a guest on your radio show or podcast, consider using pausing the way it’s used by counsellors, coppers and court-room legal teams. Silence creates a vacuum that cries out to be filled.  Experienced interviewers let the silence fill the air, to create an awkward or a hostile pressure.  And the other person feels obliged to break that pressure by saying something – possibly, under anger or embarrassment, something they hadn’t meant to.  Similar tactics are used in negotiations – perhaps for a new car or a salary rise. Those who lose their nerve and talk first may weaken their message and position. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.17 – 0413 – Scanning Scripts And AudiencesTo rescan the scriptA pause gives a moment for the reader to look ahead in their script or notes to refamiliarize themselves with what comes next: the upcoming point they will make, maybe spotting the awkward word or name they need to concentrate on getting right, the ‘pitch and tone’ reset as they start a new topic.That is: Stop. Breath. Look ahead. Or indeed, if working without notes, to think of what to say next.Stop… and lookIf you are working in front of a live audience (ok not the main target for this podcast and book), a pause gives you a moment to scan those in front of you. Spend a second or two giving eye contact to a few different areas of the audience to help them feel involved in your presentation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.16 – 0412 – A Beat For A Breath A beat for a breathFor the reader, pauses create a ‘breath-space’ for you to take in some air at an appropriate place, and not somewhere that’d interrupt the flow and confuse the listener. We looked at breathing and where to do it to keep the sense of the sentence, earlier on in these podcasts. Remember the audio I mentioned of the famous British newsreader who creates new sentences in [pause] her script she merges sets of phrases [pause] together and then breathes [pause] in the wrong places in the next one and that starts to affect the intonation and [pause] also the sense of the sentence too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.15 – 0411 – Using Silence as a SubstituteUsing silence as a substitute for filler words If you pause rather than add in a vocal bridge – “err”, “ahh”, “y’know”, “so” – then it will make you sound more interesting. Try a pause and a mental ‘reset’, rather than a verbal, “um”.There is nothing wrong with the occasional hesitation word, as long as it's not used too frequently, but you don’t need to fill every second with sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.14 – 0410 – A Pause For Thought A pause for thoughtIn conversation we hesitate, search for the right word or phrase, perhaps weigh what we want to say with the context and the audience. To sound natural, to create the illusion of life, when you need the listener to believe you’ve just had a new thought, a gap is required: “I don’t get mad, I [pause] get even.”  That moment (or beat) between the thinking and the speaking translates into a pretty powerful pause. If the pause were placed before the “I”, the thought could seem too fluent, and some of the force would be lost. But moving that ‘beat’ after the “I” creates a feeling of you searching for the right word, the right phrase to balance the first one.  This technique is really ‘voice acting’ but can be useful in broadcast and podcast presentation as well, to give the feel of spontaneity, as though the words we are using are not considered and written, rehearsed and read … but just that moment coming to us and will make you sound more authentic, real and believable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.13 – 0409 – Comic TimingComic timingThere’s great importance of the pause before a punchline. It’s the ‘gap gap’ between the stress of the set up and the relief of the reward – laughter. The anticipation within the pause adds punch to the punchline, it creates a beat and is a social signifier of “this next bit’s the gag, when I’ve said it, you laugh!”  That silence often gives the audience just long enough to settle into a false sense of security, but short enough so they don’t figure out the joke for themselves: “I just flew into town [pause] boy, my arms are tired.” The pause sets up the expectation that you are talking about flying on a plane, without giving them time to think: “hmm, this is a gag, they probably don’t mean exactly that…” and then get the gag for themselves. The use of the pause gets greater applause. The confident comic delivers the line (with the pause), and then pauses again for the laughter. A ‘nervous novice’ races on. Dare to be quiet, allow the audience time to respond, let the laughter build, don’t step on it. Indeed, some comics milk the laughter by pausing longer. They make the laughter longer longer by a raised eyebrow, a double take to the side, which itself can cause a second wave of laughter. Those gestures can actually end up being a trademark of individual comics. In broadcasts and podcasts of course, there is no live audience to give you that response – a situation that as we have seen before is tricky. Some radio presenters have a ‘crew’, ‘posse’ or ‘team’ who contribute to the show and can act as the audience, responding appropriately.  On stage jokes can take longer to land with the mass audience so give an extra beat for a punchline to register. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.12 – 0408 – Pauses In A Visual Description Pauses in a visual descriptionThat is, when you’re describing a person, a room or any environment or object, the use of the beat allows the listener to create the visual for themselves.“Are you ready to swap loungewear for swimwear? [pause] Or Zoom calls for stunning waterfalls? [pause] Maybe you’re dreaming of that first blissful moment of sand between your toes, [pause]  or the excitement of exploring somewhere completely new. [pause] Our five-star resort offers beaches for days … smiles for miles. [pause] Located on the south coast of the island, the suites look out over the pristine gardens of the breath-taking Caribbean Sea and swimming pools. [pause] When you can tear yourself away from the comfort of your private surroundings, [pause] the refreshing breezes make for excellent sailing, scuba-diving and kayaking. [pause] When it comes to dining, you’re spoilt for choice [pause] with 11 gourmet restaurants serving delicious dishes in an intimate atmosphere.”Give listeners time to visualise what you verbalise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.11 – 0407 – Pauses as an Indication of QualityPauses as an indication of qualityIn commercial reads, less copy, fewer words, slower speed and time taken, is often the algorithm to indicate luxury.“Imagine waking up to the feel of rich luxury satin silk sheets … [pause] gently caressing your skin … [pause] with the cool breeze and sounds of the ocean through your veranda windows … [pause] eased open to allow just a chink of early morning sunlight to dapple the room…” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.10 – 0406 – Using Pauses After Rhetorical QuestionsCreating silence in which the listener can answer your questionAsk the audience a rhetorical question and then pause at the end of it so they can digest it and answer it internally.“Fed up with that dirty stain around the bath? [pause] Tired of the weekly scrub of the tub? [pause] Want a better way to have shiny ceramics? [pause] Introducing the all-new Bathroom Wonderclean…” “Want to hear every edition of the podcast a week before everyone else? [pause] Want an ad-free listening experience? [pause] Want exclusive offers and a chance to win a meet with the hosts…? [pause] Then subscribe and leave a review, and send us a screen shot for a chance to win!”“Have you ever wanted to speak out… but been too afraid to say anything?” Yes, even when the listener, the person you are asking, is not with you and you cannot hear their reply, a silence creates ‘space’ for them to consider their thoughts and feelings, to compose a reply in their mind even if they can’t verbalise it. It only need be a beat or two, but a pause creates space for the percolation of the response. As a presenter, don’t rush headlong into another item of content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.09 – 0405 – Pauses As The Fulcrum In A Story’s ‘See-Saw’ The pause as a see-saw fulcrum A pause can help explain the balance of two parts of the story – while this is happening over there, this is happening over here.“The mayor said that it was the fault of the police [pause] the police are claiming it was a council error.”“Jones is alleged to have killed the three men [pause] he denies all the charges.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.08 – 0404 – Pauses As Intonational Devices In Quotes and Sub-Clauses They are used as intonational devices in quotes, brackets/parenthesis and sub-clausesAs we saw previously when we talked about pitch and intonation, we leave a micro-gap either side of a quote from someone else to indicate that they are their words, not ours. The quote itself is often also said in a slightly different pitch and at a slower speed: “Perkins told us [pause] ‘I’ll sue if those allegations are repeated’ [pause] and then thumped our reporter in the chest”.  “The company says it’s [pause] the best camera of its kind [pause] on the market”.Similarly, the pause is used to verbalise a phrase that would perhaps be a sub-clause or in brackets, in the written word:“And you can get her new novel [pause] which is the second in the ‘Blandford’ trilogy [pause] with our exclusive discount code”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.07 – 0403 – A Pause Helps You Say What You Can’t Actually Say A pause helps you say what you can’t actually sayA pause might be inviting the audience to ‘read between the lines’ pointing them to a possible irony – the verbal equivalent of a raised eyebrow: “And Melania Trump, has delivered a farewell address ...saying the last four years have been 'unforgettable' and calling for an end to division”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.06 – 0402 – Silence to Let Sound Tell the Story Silence to let sound tells the storyRadio consultant Tracy Johnson tells the story[1] of former Dodgers baseball play-by-play ‘personality announcer’ Vin Scully and quotes his commentary[2] of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, the blast that “made him baseball’s home-run king”.  Scully later talked[3] about using silence to capture the drama when he was asked what he did as soon as he made the home run call. “(I) shut up.  I try as hard as I can to call the play as quickly and as accurately and then shut up, there are no words better than the roar of the crowd… When Henry Aaron hit the home run, I put the microphone down, got up and went to the back of the booth cos I had nothing to say. The place went bananas.… I think I poured a little coffee and I stood there and just revelled in the sounds and the sights. And I’ve timed it since and it’s about a minute and 24 seconds without a word spoken and that’s a long time in radio but I had nothing better to say. And it also then gave me time to calm down and think and then go back and talk about the importance to America.” [1] https://tjohnsonmediagroup.com/blog/power-of-the-pause/ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvfYg_kNtTk&t=290s [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1207&v=0ocs1zJIkUY&feature=emb_logo (from 17.22)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022.02.05 – 0401 – Pauses To Engage Attention After Significant Content  After significant content A pause after a phrase or story gives listeners time to reflect on what they’ve just heard, to allow it to sink in, giving the audience time to digest information, not drown in it. “The four people who died in a house fire this morning, were two sets of twin boys aged 4 and 6. In the last few minutes a woman from the same address has been arrested [pause]. The fatal fire broke out at around 2 this morning on a house on Collingwood Avenue…” The pause in this kind of situation, after the news of the death of a prominent person or ‘shocking’ news story, may also indicate a sense of significance or respect. In a speech, a pause indicates you’ve just made an important point. Let it sit with the audience a moment… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.