As a video producer or scriptwriter for radio or TV, it’s probably an all-too-familiar scenario: you’ve got a great story, but are missing an ending that’s just as good – one that will leave your viewer or listener satisfied. Here are our 7 top tips to help you on your way.
5 Tips To End A Voice Over Script – Tips You’re Probably Not Doing
YouTube video: 5 Tips to end a voice over script
In some voice over scripts, the ending is sometimes too abrupt. Often there’s no real apparent reason for this.
It may seem like a good ending isn’t necessary, but the lack of one can feel awkward. Think of it like the ending of a play; at the end, we expect the curtains to come down and the cast to come back for another round of applause.
As obvious as it may seem, as an audience we would find it odd if this didn’t happen, for whatever reason. That’s just how we are as human beings. People like a clear ending – ‘closure’, as it’s called in the storytelling world.
1. Wrap it up
You’ve told your story and now expect the viewer or listener to understand and remember it. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. People get distracted, and often don’t give the story their full attention.
They say that in the advertising world, repetition is key – so don’t forget to sum up your story. Help your viewer along by ensuring a clear conclusion at the end. Basically, tell them: this, this and this is important. Thank you.
2. Ask for a response
This tactic works well with social videos. At the end of your story, ask what the viewer or listener thought of it. This shows that you care – you’re not just sending a message; you’re also a listener.
Additionally, you can really learn something because it starts a dialogue, which ultimately, is the best form of communication. It’s easy to write too – just end with a sentence in which you encourage your viewer to respond in the comments. Easy peasy.
3. Back to the red thread
This technique requires some practice, but might be the best one of all. The red thread method has been perfected and often used by stand up comedians.
They look for the anchor in their story, otherwise known as the ‘red thread’, and then keep revisiting it. When done well, it can really bring your story to life – a guaranteed recipe for success.
4. End with a call to action
The reason for producing a video or ad is because you want something from people, right? If, for example, you want your viewer to click on a link, you would then add a call to action.
Sometimes, you just want people to think about the message you’re trying to get across. In that case, you could end your story by saying ‘Just think about it’, but it could come off as a bit odd.
Ending with something like ‘Got any questions? Feel free to ask’ might seem simple, but it works. That way, you can easily wrap up your story.
5. Fake an ending
Then there’s the ending that isn’t really an ending – writing ‘towards’ an ending. The voice actor can then build up to the ending during the recording.
By adding pauses in your sentences, the viewer can anticipate the ending. We call this the ‘…and then they lived happily ever after’ ending.
You usually hear this technique in the news on the radio and television. The presenter starts speaking more slowly and voila; you’ve got your ending.
6. End with a cliffhanger
This works well if you regularly post videos about the same subject. At the end, give your viewer a taster of your next video – preferably as enticingly as possible, so that your viewer might just decide to subscribe to your channel or vlogs.
7. Add a tagline or audio logo
Tried all the above tips without success? There’s always our final tip as a last resort. It’s the ‘laziest’ of all: at the end of your story, pause shortly and then mention your company’s name and tagline.
Don’t have a tagline? You can always choose to create an audio logo, also known as sonic branding. This is another great way to wrap up your story.
And so, even though it can be one of the trickiest obstacles when it comes to writing your script, all’s well that ends well.
Whether it’s a conclusion, a call to action or a simple ‘ladies and gentlemen, as you can probably tell, it’s time to wrap things up’, if you can, always end your story well.
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