Video Scripting Tip: Read Out Loud (Episode 116)

Welcome to the Video Made Simple podcast where we help take the mystery out of video and break through the monotony of day-to-day communication. I'm your host, Chris Schwager. And if you want your script to sound cohesive, conversational, and valuable, here's a video scripting tip and it's reading out loud.

[00:00:22] Reading out loud is one of the most powerful proofreading techniques around, you know, our brain processes information in a new way when you listen and easily spots discrepancies.

[00:00:36] So most people have far more experienced listening than they do reading. So what I'm trying to say there is we go through, we write scripts in our mind. Oh yeah. Kind of sounds right. That sounds right. Sounds right. But the practicality of saying it out loud and listening to ourselves is completely different and that's very much different when you are reading to others, because they're getting a different perspective that your brain is otherwise tricking you on. You know, a research study found that people spend 45% listening and 30% speaking when communicating rather than reading and writing, which is 16% and 9% consecutively.

[00:01:21] Some errors are hard to see on a page and sentences may actually sound wrong. While they look fine, they may be just too long, too convoluted, too repetitive. Problems like these are often easily heard, instead.

[00:01:40] As listeners, we need order of ideas to make sense and transitions, to help get from one main idea to the next. So let me cover off, what are the benefits of reading out loud?

[00:01:53] Well, of course it helps you reorder information and get clearer on what you're saying. You get to find gaps in explanations, gaps that are missing, and this is really, really common. Gaps that are often missed in the way that people are writing become very clear when somebody reads it for the first time that hasn't been involved in the writing.

[00:02:19] Look, it makes it easy to understand what's too much info as well, when you start reading it out loud, because if you take big breaths. You know, and you're kind of starting to get a bit bored with yourself, then you know, it's just too much info. And of course you can hear errors in sentences because you are reading them. And it's a great idea that if you're reading it fresh as well, so you've had a sleep on it.

[00:02:47] You can sometimes pick up on those areas that you otherwise hadn't noticed. You get to set the tone, set the tone. And we all know what's setting the tone is you can go back and have a listen to some previous podcasts, but the tone, what is the vibe of what's being said?

[00:03:06] And it keeps your language simple. It stops you from being too technical. And of course, if we know that if you're too technical or wordy or robotic, you'll find yourself running out of breath. This gives you a chance to manipulate the intention of what you are trying to convey. The written words are a great start, but if people find themselves getting confused, you'll lose. Reading out loud, gives you a more objective sense of the impression that you are trying to create.

[00:03:39] So here's a great solution. Most video scripts read better in your head than they sound out loud. So gather your team for a table read. It could be done via Zoom. It could be live in person around the boardroom, for instance. It's the best way to find if there's a more natural way of saying the same thing, cuz people are gonna tell you pretty quickly if they don't understand something.

[00:04:01] Reading out loud helps you write your script in a way that is cohesive and easy to read and like a natural speaker. You'll be helping your audience understand your ideas and information as you move them along in your presentation and encourage them to take action by the end of your performance. Okay.

[00:04:24] So now if you want access to the script templates that we offer, as part of our DIY video program, you can go to the link of the DIY Video Program in the show notes. Or if you leave us a review on this podcast, I'll even send it to you for free and you can join in next week where you'll get weekly Video Made Simple ideas to produce your videos like a pro. That's all for this episode.

[00:04:48] Thanks again for listening and see you next week.