As a long form producer, producing 30, 15 and 10-second promos used to seem like a chore. But I've learned some tricks to help make effective promos while having a little fun.
• Choose your best sound bites. These sound bites do not have to be a complete thought but should carry a lot of feeling or action in a matter of seconds. They can even be exclamations like "wow!" The shorter the better.
• Choose your best shots, the "money shots" so to speak. Like the sound bites, these shots should quickly convey a sense of emotion or action. Think about your footage and then ask yourself "what is most fun?" "What is most gripping?"
• Choose some driving music that matches the theme of your program, video or promo. For sports themed promos, consider youthful music like rock or hip hop. They offer a lot of hard beats to cut the visuals to. If it is a comedy, try something fun or kitschy. If your piece is serious or emotional, you may want something a little slower. I must admit, choosing music is not my favorite thing to do. Most music libraries ask you to input key words like "solemn" or "funky" which may mean something different to me than it does to the person who developed the program. Because I want music with a good sting at the end, I sometimes listen to the end first. If the sting is weak, I quickly move on to the next selection.
• String-out the bites, visuals and music to try to create a through-line. Edgar Allen Poe said a that short story should be about one feeling and one feeling only. He often went for fear. Similarly, the promo should be about one theme or emotion. Do you want to highlight the drama, the fun, the poignancy? Don't worry about the length of the string-out at this point. Just see what's working. Ask yourself, "what is missing?" "What does a narrator need to say to connect the dots?"
• Start writing the narration. The narration should be brief and leave room to insert the bites. This is a time to really have fun and use over the top language. For action packed promos, it is hard to go over the top with symbolism and clichés. Pack them in! I even look up clichés on the internet to get some scripting ideas. For quieter pieces, you may want to dial it back a bit but you still want to get the audience's attention. Also, write two or three different scripts to see what works best.
• Scratch out (record draft narration) the narration and then see what works with the bites, "money shots" and music. Sometimes the theory seems like a good one in your head or on paper but when put altogether it doesn't work so well. Don't worry, use what works and build from there.
• Watch promos on television and online. We often tune out when promos come on. But, pay attention to what you think works or doesn't work. Listen to the music and the pacing. What would you change? Are there promos that you would like to emulate?
Sometimes you cannot string out bites and "money shots" before writing the promo because of the workflow or lack of time. Don't worry. There are many paths to a good promo. Find what works best for you and the project. And, by all means, try to have fun!
Visit http://www.docsandtv.com/ for more production tips and to learn more about the author, Sydnye White. Sydnye White is a National Emmy Nominated Producer who's credits include the series Home Made Simple for TLC and Moneywise with Kelvin Boston for PBS. Her documentaries include Great Books: The Autobiography of Malcolm X for The Learning Channel and the Discovery Channel's Detroit SWAT.
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