“How can you teach young jocks to ‘be real’ — to break out of the ‘I’m a DJ’ persona and become communicators?”
Have them mimic “good” personalities.
Have the young jock bring you recorded examples (from anywhere) of jocks you both agree sound “real.”
Then have your jock go into the production room and record a series of breaks — intros, PSAs, etc. — as she thinks the “good” personality would do it.
I am not suggesting that you encourage the jock to copy someone else’s style. But one way to become proficient at an activity is to model the behavior of those who excel at it.
Listen to the results. If they seem to represent an improvement over the jock’s usual performance but do not sound like an out-and-out imitation, suggest that the jock do the first hour of her show “the way (Good Jock) would.”
Eventually, perhaps, your young jock will pick up worthwhile techniques from a number of “good jocks” and meld them into her own, individual style.
Interested in voice over work that doesn’t involve portraying Mr. or Mrs. Stupid or displaying your acting chops to 20-second disclaimers?
Next week, audiobook superstar Barbara Rosenblat will answer 31 questions about the real world of the audiobook narrator.
Barbara kind of knows the field. She’s recorded over 400 audiobooks. She’s won eight “Audies” (the Academy Award of the audiobook industry), more than any other audiobook narrator.
And as I’ve learned while working with her to prepare for this teleseminar, she’s also quite blunt in her answers. She’ll tell you what that world really is like and what you need to do to succeed in it.
The latest issue of my Radio Programming Letter includes articles about the challenges of creating radio advertising for bars and nightclubs…A simple lesson you should teach your advertising clients…And the case of the emergency medical clinic whose goal is to have a funny commercial.
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