VO Pro Tip: "2 Person" Dialogue Technique for Conversational Reads


2 Person Technique

Hey Reader,

Ever read a commercial script that feels stiff, corporate, or just kinda unnatural?

When we sit in front of the mic, it's easy to accidentally slip into "announcer mode." We project, we enunciate perfectly, and suddenly... we sound like "Voice-Over Announcer Man/Woman".

A good trick to break out of that habit is The Two-Person Dialogue Technique.

How It Works

Before you record your next audition, look at the copy and invent a specific person you are talking to. But don't stop there—give them a line right before yours. Here's a real quick example.

  • The Copy:"Finding the right audio gear shouldn't be a headache."
  • The Setup: Imagine your friend just sighed and said, "I've been looking at microphones for three hours and my brain is melting."

Now, say your line as a direct, real-world response to that friend.

Why It Works

It instantly shifts your delivery from reciting words on a page to having a conversation. Your tone drops into a natural register, your pacing relaxes, and the listener feels like you're talking to them, not at them.

Try this on your next audition: Write or just imagine a quick one-sentence prompt from a friend at the top of your script. Read it out loud, and jump straight into your copy. You’ll be amazed at how much warmth it instantly adds to your read.

-Michael

Check out all of the past VO Pro Tips here! VO PRO TIP ARCHIVE


Hope you find this useful! Feel free to reach out with any questions! And if you find these emails helpful - please share VoiceoverRoadmap.com among any VO groups your part of - Facebook, Reddit, etc... or just tell others about it!

Thanks so much!


Curious about my own personal VO Work?

www.MichaelLangsnerVO.com

Want to help support future content from VORM? Use our Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon by clicking the link below!

VORM Amazon Affiliate Link

The Voice-Over Roadmap

The Voice-Over Roadmap is an educational platform for Voice-Over Talent of all experience levels to start, grow, and sustain a profitable business as a professional VO Talent. It is the creation of Michael Langsner, Professional VO talent with over 12 years of experience voicing projects for brands like Adidas, Google, Dell, Levi's and many others.

Read more from The Voice-Over Roadmap

Quick Room Check Hey Reader, Sometimes you may encounter a strange sound or aspect of your recording environment that didn't seem to be there previously. Or maybe you've moved to a new place or new location in your home to set up a recording environment and need to dial it in and eliminate anything that can potentially degrade your audio quality. Before you spend hours trying to fix bad audio in post-production, try this quick, pre-record routine to protect your sound at the source (which is...

Cleaning up Low-End Mud Hey Reader, When you're listening back to a voice-over recording, you want it to sound clean, clear, and present. But a lot of times—especially if you're recording in a home studio—you might notice a heavy, boomy, or muffled quality in the lower frequencies. In the audio world, we sometimes call this "mud." Low-end mud usually builds up in the 20 Hz to 250 Hz range. It can be caused by a lot of things: the natural resonance of your recording space, being a little too...

Ignoring the Punctuation Hey Reader, When you open up a new script for an audition or a gig, your natural instinct is probably to follow the punctuation exactly as it's written. You see a comma, you pause. You see a period, you drop your pitch and come to a full stop. But here’s the thing: copywriters don't always write for the ear. They write for the page. Oftentimes, the grammatical punctuation on a script will completely stiffen up your delivery, making you sound like you're reading a...