Monthly Archives: June 2015

Write what you know, but not everyone likes what you know.

June 19, 2015Generalannouncers, audio production, Commercial, creative radio, radio, radio account executives, radio production, radio sales, radio scripts, radio stations, script writing, scripts, targeted advertising, television, voice over artistsOvernight Radio

Everyone who is in any sort of creative writing industry, whether it be movies, TV, journalism, blogging or radio, will always give the same advice (if they are any good).

And that is ‘write what you know’.

It’s the best advice, because no matter the story, if you know a lot about it, it shows through and if there are any fans of that subject out there, they will get it, and enjoy it…maybe even enough to buy the corresponding clients product.

There are other advantages to writing what you know too. First off, all your research is already done! No need to look up information about things that may or may not exist – you already know. Plus, you may already have unconscious sentences, paragraphs at the ready somewhere in your brain that you weren’t aware of until you started writing about it.

This all helps in creating a fully functional narrative. A beginning, a middle and an end. Something that is full of hints, secret words and dialogue that shows you have actually been there, seen that or done it. Words that only people in the know will understand.

And of course, THAT is the point.

You are directing your writing to reach that particular person, hopefully thousands of them. Interspersed throughout thousands of others who will pay no attention or negative attention to your creation. That is the collateral damage when it comes to creative writing in the broadcast industry. And very tough to explain to people outside of the sphere of advertising…especially clients new to it.

Neophytes often believe that advertising must be understood by everyone because it is played for everyone. It’s a common misconception of course and easily understandable. Why is this commercial talking to me, if it doesn’t want to reach me?

Fair question…IF you were the only person on earth…because there are a multitude of people around you with varying tastes and needs, all who are also listening to that commercial. It’s something we can’t avoid. If we COULD target the exact people all the time…we definitely would. And we are getting close with internet advertising, but even that is fought with misfires.

It’s why a lot of people don’t get local tv ad’s. Sometimes they are crude, poorly produced and unintentionally funny. While all of this is true, it is also true that it works, given the fact that it continues to this day. The reason it looks funny to you, is because they are not talking to you. Watching/listening to ads is like instantly showing up in a conversation talking about something, anything. It’s POSSIBLE they might be talking about something that interests you, but more times than not, it’s not for you.

But even when it IS for you – sometimes you can tell they are talking through you, and not too you. Something that has all the facts, but not presented in a way that is true to you – a form, a way of speaking, an order of words, that YOU (the writer) know.

You can tell this is happening when you want to take action, but don’t. (ie: there is a great sale going on at store x, but it’s so poorly presented, you assume the product is poor too).

So the next time you write something creative for a client, even if it’s for a product you don’ t know much about – find out about it, know about it…but most of all, write about it from a standpoint that you ALREADY know about. A viewpoint, a certain type of intro, a sense of humor that is yours.

Apply what you know to something you don’t.

The people that CARE about the particular product you are talking about ARE listening, and they will take action if THEY know that YOU know what you are talking about, by HOW you say it.

Write what you know.

Hobbyists hours, hobbyists product.

June 15, 2015Commercialsannouncers, audio production, Commercial, creative radio, jingles, radio, radio account executives, radio production, radio sales, radio scripts, radio stations, script writing, scripts, targeted advertising, voice over artists, voice talentOvernight Radio

“Show me a hobbyists hours, and I’ll show you a hobbyists product…” a friend in the business said to me the other day.

It really struck a chord.

In my experience in the world of radio commercial production in the last 15 years, i have met many people who work for themselves. There was always two kinds…ones that worked all the time, and ones that did not, but expected the same result. But i could never word it in such a ‘to the point’ way.

To me, it says exactly what it takes to be a success at what you do, be it radio or otherwise.

The people that never let up, that work into the night, that work holidays, work weekends, work from the road, on their phone, at their cousins birthday party, are all people who know that working for yourself, means never taking your eye off the ball.

When you work for a corporation, and your hours are structured, most, if not all of the other issues that need to be in place are being taken care of your bosses. Things like payroll, I-T problems, client meetings, accountants, office equipment repair/replacement, bookkeeping, completing credit card payments, invoicing, following up on invoicing, monthly budgets, etc etc.

This allows you time to keep creating the awesome product you were hired for.

But when you work for yourself, you of course need to take on all those roles…none of those things are taken care of. The most important part, your product, needs the most time. It is what you should be working on as much as you can. The other stuff, is a means to an end…something you HAVE to do in order to keep creating your product. It’s all one big cycle. Without a great product, there is no need for payroll, I-T etc. But with a great product, all of these things come down the line.

And until that business pays enough to cover more people to handle those other jobs, it’s up to you. YOU are the boss, YOU must do this all, and you MUST keep on producing your product.

This seems obvious when talking about it, but when it comes down to it, a lot of people are what my friend calls a ‘hobbyist’.

There is nothing wrong with being a hobbyist. I am a hobbyist in some things. I used to be a full time musician, but now, I don’t have the time to be a professional musician, I only have time to be a hobbyist. Which is great! You should always have a hobby.

But if I were to think that playing the guitar part time should land me a number one single, then there is a disconnect…that of course happens with the hobbyist.

This is where it’s easy to find people you want to work and surround yourself with. You divide them up into 2 groups: Pros and Hobbyists.

You are able to tell the pros NOT by their equipment, not by their contacts and not by the description of what they do. You can ONLY tell a pro by their product…in our case: radio (either your stations sound, the voice over artists you use or producers in your employ).

You know a great product when you hear one. When you hear how a voice over artist conveys a script with the proper cadence and emphasis or how a producer spaces out a spot to get the right pause in the right place, with just the right piece of music…these are the things that pro’s do.

A hobbyist does not. They do not have the experience to consistently do the Pro’s job…and it comes across in poorly read scripts, or production that isn’t fit to broadcast.

A hobbyist CAN become a pro…but it requires a tonne of time and practice…which most hobbyist’s are not willing to do.

Don’t let yourself get fooled by a flashy demo or website. It was probably created by pros for the hobbyist.

There’s a million hobbyists out there in all professions. But if you are a pro, you will of course already know, that you are who you surround yourself with. Protect yourself AND your product with professionals…they are the only ones who put the hours in.