Listen

Description

You have written the perfect script. But the moment you press record, your voice goes flat and you sound like you are reading a textbook. News anchors use teleprompters every day and sound natural, so why is it so hard for the rest of us?

In this episode, I break down four specific techniques to fix that robotic delivery. We look at the trade-offs between reading word-for-word and improvising, and how each method impacts your editing time and cognitive load. I also share the specific method I use for my own shows to balance accuracy with a human connection.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  1. The trade-off between natural delivery and post-production editing time
  2. How to use the "Look Down, Look Up" method for short-form content
  3. Techniques for scan-reading a teleprompter effectively
  4. How to use "Reference Cues" and bolding to anchor your memory
  5. The "Reference and Improvise" workflow for long-form episodes

The goal is to sound like the expert you are.

Resources Mentioned:

Previous episode on script formatting:

Podcast: https://stereoforest.com/episodes/solo-podcasting-workflow-voice-to-final-script/

Video: https://youtu.be/LixDbzNYRXE

Anchor words: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1244288/full

Newsletter: https://StereoForest.com/newsletter

CHAPTERS

00:00 The problem with reading scripts

02:22 Balancing delivery vs. editing time

03:57 Method 1: Look down, look up (Short-term memory)

05:26 Method 2: Scan reading (News anchor style)

06:50 Method 3: Reference cues (Anchoring)

10:24 Method 4: Reference and improvise

12:31 Choosing the right technique for you

==========================

About and Support

==========================

Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.

Find this show on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@jdehaan

Website at https://stereoforest.com/lab

Get StereoForest’s newsletter for podcasting resources at https://stereoforest.com/newsletter

Produced by StereoForest https://stereoforest.com

Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.com

==========================

Support

Your support will help this show continue. Funds will go towards hosting and music licensing for this show and others on StereoForest. This show is produced by an independent HUMAN artist directly affected by the state of the industry. StereoForest does not have any funding or additional support.

If you find value in our shows, please consider supporting them with a one time donation at