Once you finalize the script, the next step is to set it up for the narration by breaking it down into sentences or phrases which correspond to the images or video clips that illustrate each sentence or phrase. If you are putting text over the images, though not recommended, this would be the same text as in the narration.
Using Text-to-Voice Technology Versus Using a Narrator
Commonly, the narration in these short sizzle reel videos is created through a text to voice technology, which reads the text in a very naturalistic way. There are various platforms that do this, including AudioFlow, Speechelo, and many others. You can find many of these services if you put “text to speech” or “text to voice” into Google Search.
The advantage of using these platforms is this is a relatively inexpensive way to create a narrative, and I’ve used them for several dozen sizzle reels. You typically have a choice of a half-dozen or more voices, and many platforms can translate your narration into other languages, should you want to make multiple versions of your video for different markets.
Should you want a more emotional narration, you can hire a narrator, typically for $100-200, as did one client I worked with.
However you create your narration, you need to end up with an MP3 or WAV file, which you can import into your video editor.
Formatting Your Script for Text-to-Voice Technology
While a human narrator can work from your original script, if you use a text-to-voice platform, you need to format your script with the appropriate punctuation. Sometimes you even need to change spellings so the computer reading your script can adjust the phrasing and pronunciation correctly.
For example, if you have a list of items, you generally need to end each items on the list with a “.”, to tell the computer to add a short pause before reading the next word. You also need to add in instructions if you want to create a pause for an additional second or two between segments.
To illustrate, when I set up the text to create a video for a book about the Neanderthals return, I had to add an extra “h” as in Neanderthhal to obtain the correct pronunciation, since otherwise the computer pronounced the name as if it was spelled “Neandertal”.
Once you provide the properly formatted text, you can generate the narration. If there are any mispronunciations, incorrect pauses, or statements that go on for too long, you can correct the text and generate the narration again. When you have finished, you can download the file to your computer. Later you can uploaded it into the video editing platform used to create the video.
The following short example will give you the basic idea of how to format a script to correspond to your photos or video clips. You should write each line separately, so it will be set up for both the narration and for the photo or video clip that match up with that sentence or phrase. While you can include the contact information in the narration, that detailed information Is usually best presented visually, while accompanied by music. And here you can increase the music level, since there is no narration.
Here’s the example of how I went from the basic text, to the text for the narration. I used the platform’s guide for adding pauses and the speed of the narration. Different platforms will have different computer instructions or different buttons to push to make these adjustments, so follow whatever these instructions are on that platform.
The Original Text:
What do you think would happen if the Neanderthals came back?
What if it was possible through DNA cloning?
That’s what happens in The Neanderthals Return.
It’s an exciting new book where six Neanderthals are raised as young children.
They face many challenges as they grow up in the modern world.
What happens? Read all about it in The Neanderthals Return.
For more information and to set up interviews,
Contact Changemakers Publishing.
The Text with Corrections for Spelling, Punctuation, and Pauses:
What do you think would happen if the Neanderthhals came back?
[PAUSE=1]
What if it was possible through DNA cloning?
[PAUSE=1]
That’s what happens in The Neanderthhals Return.
[PAUSE=1]
It’s an exciting new book where six Neanderthhals are raised as young children.
[PAUSE=1]
They face many challenges as they grow up in the modern world.
[PAUSE=1]
What happens? Read all about it in The Neanderthhals Return.
[PAUSE=1]
For more information and to set up interviews,
Contact Changemakers Publishing.
Setting Up Your Script to Match Photos and Video Clips
Besides setting up your script for the narration, it is helpful to set up the script with numbers to correspond with the photos or video clips you select. Then, for each line in the script, number the photo or video clip with the same number. This way you can easily match up the photos or video clips with the correct narration. For instance, this is what the Neanderthals’ script looks like with this numbering.
1) What do you think would happen if the Neanderthals came back?
2) What if it was possible through DNA cloning?
3) That’s what happens in The Neanderthals Return.
4) It’s an exciting new book where six Neanderthals are raised as young children.
5) They face many challenges as they grow up in the modern world.
6) What happens? Read all about it in The Neanderthals Return.
7) For more information and to set up interviews,
8) Contact Changemakers Publishing.
9) www.changemakerspublishing.com
(THIS LAST SECTION WILL GO ON AN IMAGE CREATED FROM A POWERPOINT SLIDE, SO THERE WILL BE NO NARRATION, JUST PHOTOS AT THE END.
Now that your script is created and numbered, you are ready to look for photos and video clips to illustrate each line of the text, and that’s what I’ll discuss next.