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You Should Plan Your Ad-Libs ...
August 2, 2022
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What to do, what to say, and how to say it are constants for air personalities. Veering off topic during talk breaks and talking in circles is not a winning formula. It's knowing the cut-off valve and recognizing when it turns into "Talking just to hear yourself."
Structure
Everything starts with structure. It's true of a good movie, telling a funny story, or a serious conversation on the air. You've got to learn how to structure what's going to come out of your mouth. No structure is like driving from New York to Los Angeles without a GPS. You could get in your car and wing it and eventually get there, but it's going to be a long and disjointed trip. All the technique, artistry, and cleverness in the world is useless unless there’s some structure to what you’re trying to accomplish.It's Just Not True ...
Some air personalities still believe if something is planned in advance, that it's somehow less creative. That's just not true. Written or otherwise, everything is a bit, even reading a liner. If you're creating something on the air without writing it down, you're still go through the writing process. The best ad-libs are those that are planned and structured. On the air it's your job to make it sound as if it wasn't planned.Always Looking Ahead ...
You're always thinking ahead, or you should be. For example, when doing an on-air phone bit or interview, although you don't know what the listener is going to say, you're listening to them and planning what to say or do next. Without structuring, it's like driving aimlessly without a particular route in mind. You don't wait until you're in the middle of the intersection to go straight or make a turn. As you approach the intersection, you make a decision in the moment. And in building a bit (Radio moment), you should be looking to reach your destination as quickly as possible. It's all about a strong finishing line or clever lead-in to the next moment on your show.For Example:
Premise ..Establish What You Are Talking About "We're here with Noel NoWay, the creator of the Monkey Motorcycle Racing circuit.
The Middle ..The Heart Of The Subject Matter NoWay, "We've combined peoples’ love for animals with sports. We award the top monkey winner of each race with a 3-month supply of bananas and their human owner gets $10,000. Our biggest problem are couples posing as legitimate competitors. The men dress up in monkey suits and try to enter competition. It's all about winning the big money purses."
The End ..The Payoff NoWay, "Oh yeah, our Monkey Motorcycle races are very popular. Hell, Charles Barkley comes and bets on races all the time. Our mission statement is "Monkey see, Monkey Do."
In Conclusion ...
Ending a bit well is one of the most demanding creative tasks there is. People love it when an air personality or any speaker establishes a clear premise, concisely presents the content, and brings it home with a finish. Saturday Night Live has countless examples of sketches that started from a good idea but failed because the writers didn’t know how to wrap it up. Tighten up the structuring of what you say, and the rest will fall into place. -
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