THINK, UH, WRITE BEFORE YOU SPEAK - 08-0739

THINK, UH, WRITE BEFORE YOU SPEAK

There is something about the way a well developed plot and cast moves us and make the characters’ experiences our own. That is the beauty of a good movie or television series that has us glued to the screen from start to end. Those that prefer relaxing with a book in hand and music playing in the background tune in to their favourite show on a radio station of their choice to unwind. Some people term it a form of escapism or recharging after a long day but I like to call it dreaming eyes wide open. Thus, broadcast corporations put in a lot of hard work and money trying to satisfy this growing demand for entertainment and information needs. However, if one is on the receiving end of broadcast material, it is harder to appreciate the effort and work that goes into producing anything from radio show programmes to television works.

Behind the scenes in the initial stages of developing broadcast content, producers are faced with the challenge as to whether a script is needed to guide the production or to have the presenter speak spontaneously. Depending on the direction chosen, a show can end up having an absolutely different feel and produce varying results in the end. When it comes down to it, the question producers and presenters must answer is for what purpose the production is meant to serve.

Take spontaneous talk for example. When one speaks from the top of their mind, there are bound to be long pauses the moment when the speaker tries to organize their thoughts. Depending on how a speaker recovers from this, the results can vary from bad to fine especially if they are camera shy. In addition, one tends to use simple sentences that are fragmented when speaking spontaneously. This leads to making a lot of errors such as repetition and thus the speaker makes a lot of corrections. I learnt this the hard way when a few colleagues and I had to work on a five minute on air set for class on a topic of our choice. We chose an easy route and went with a show on relationships because the wide array of discussion topics revolving around the subject were numerous. In the end, because we were unsure about what to comment on, we spent a lot more time editing the five minute recording so as to make it as cohesive as possible. It was quite hard and very time consuming coming up with a significant final product which even in the end lacked the punch we intended for it.

On a broadcast platform, a presenter or reporter who speaks spontaneously risks coming off as unprofessional as it can make them lose credibility of what they are speaking about among the audience. This is depicted clearly when rookie and unseasoned reporters are sent to report on important news. The false starts and hesitations covered by filters such as ‘um’ and ‘uh’ when speaking may make it tasking for the audience to internalize the piece of information and may even make them lose interest in the programme altogether.

An important thing to note, however, is that spontaneous talk sounds and feels more natural because essentially, one is speaking from their mind and they usually do. The ease and transition between two ideas if well planned helps to make the production much friendlier, a task that many scripted works tend to lack. There is place for spontaneous talk in live debates such as in programmes that have guest speakers like the old show Crosstalk on KTN.

On a different note, the late Alfred North Whitehead, a British philosopher and Mathematician, is famously quoted for saying, “Actors are loved because they are unoriginal. Actors stick to their script.” Think about a movie that has no script with actors that can essentially do what they think and want at will. The result is likely to be haphazard and costly. This is why a script is important. It helps to manage time better because rather than spend time thinking of what to say, the early preparation of a written guide helps to bring out a message clearly. Most times, without a script information can get lost in translation or fail to have a desired impact.

Furthermore, when one uses a script, they are able to be more organized and thus, bring out the ideas they intended clearly than when speaking spontaneously. Shows like XYZ need to have a script. This is because the satire is brought out by what the characters say as the meaning is rooted in their words. Without it, the show would not have as great an impact as it does. As expected, sometimes scripted talk in broadcast can come off as unnatural. The trick is to be familiar with the content of the script before using it so as to make it feel more conversational.

There is a middle-ground that producers and presenters favour and that is the production of semi-scripted shows. A good example is such as the many formats breakfast shows on television stations use as they tend to be interview based with several invited guests per show. Rather than read from a teleprompter, the presenters write a few notes on the topic and questions to be asked so as to maintain the flow and focus of the content. This allows for improvisation and the end result is normally pleasing.

In the end, the one thing that holds true is that practice makes perfect. Great presenters and producers are as a result of many trials and errors so as to find a suitable fit. Depending on a person, scripted shows or spontaneous shows may be preferred. I believe, however, that it is better to have a form of script when working on a programme. It helps to give a rough idea of what final result is intended and to exhaust any ideas on the subject spoken about lest memory fails when one opts for the spontaneous talk route. After all, didn’t the American sages remind us to be safe than sorry?