by Jay Trachman
I would have guessed that right after the PD told a fledgling jock to “Just be yourself,” he or she would also mention, “It’s a good idea to plan your breaks out in advance.” Judging from so many of the “tapes” I hear, I’d have been wrong. Even with the computer staring you in the face, so many breaks sound like they’re being done “on the fly.” Allow me to jump into the breach: Plan your breaks in advance!
Why? To avert disasters, like missed commercials, logged events and other basics, and so you’ll know what to say and when to say it. And, so you’ll know when you’re done!
And, because unplanned breaks tend to sound that way. Floundering for words is a dead give-away. Shuffling papers is another, as is saying “ah, uh” between events. One of the most embarrassing, which most jocks aren’t aware of until I point it out for them on their tapes, is making each point in your rap two or three times. To my ear, the worst effect of failing to plan is the unstructured, meandering rap. It says to me, “He doesn’t understand that Time Matters.” And it does, very much.
I’ve explained the structure of a personality rap in detail before, so let me just review it briefly now. First, you write the kicker — the emotional response — the punch line — the reason why you want to do the rap in the first place. The idea is not to be funny (although funny is okay), but to be emotionally compelling. Anytime you make your listener experience his or her emotions in response to you, whether it be laughter, tears or anything else, you have committed entertainment.
Next, you write a “billboard,” or opening sentence, to get the thing started, and finally you write as little detail as you can, to get from one to the other. If the whole thing runs more than thirty seconds, go back and try to edit — see what you can leave out of the elaboration that doesn’t really add to the kicker. Some people prefer to script out their raps word for word; others prefer to deliver them “spontaneously.” Either way, at the very minimum, that kicker should be firmly in your mind, so that you know where you’re going with the rap before you open the mike.
Now, let’s walk through the basics of planning a break. Today, the computer has fairly obviated the need for the scratch pads I used to use – but the read-out should include this information, plus whatever you need to add to it to be prepared:
Positioner / Slogan / ID
Extro: Beyoncé… “Well, it’s like the boss told me, nobody is irreplaceable around here. He mentioned that to me yesterday – about four times…”
Weather. H = 58. L = 35. H = low 50’s.
Rap: “—a few relatives I wouldn’t mind exchanging…”
Spots.
Intro “Keep Holding On,” LaVigne = 8 secs.
(your name) and positioner
There are other things that should be planned before the break begins. Your copy book, for live spots or tags; promo and/or PSAs; an updated weather forecast; now and then, a peek out the window to see if the conditions match what they’re saying, etc.
If you’ve got a PSA, don’t try and “talk around” the card without pre-reading it and understanding it. A little rehearsal always makes your speech flow more smoothly. This advice goes double if you’ve got a live spot. Especially when the copy-writer has left out a word or misspelled one so badly you can’t figure it out on the fly.
“Okay,” you ask, “where am I going to find the time to do all this planning?” Sometimes that’s a problem, I know. If it’s because there are others in the studio with you, ask them as nicely and as professionally as you can to leave: you have a full-time job just doing your show right. If it’s because the phone is ringing, my advice is to get the break planned before you answer it. If it’s other chores, you do the best you can. You start out intending to plan every break with more than one element in it. If reality forces you to compromise occasionally, then you do what you have to — and pray that it works well.
Some jocks wonder, “Won’t this kind of thorough planning ruin my spontaneity?” It may affect it at first, while your mind is preoccupied with the planning rather than the execution. But after a short while, when the novelty wears off, you’ll find that knowing precisely what comes next frees your mind to focus on the listener and relate better than ever before.
And by making your words lean and efficient, you lessen the likelihood that some salesman or consultant will say to the boss, “He’s a good jock, but he talks too much…”
Jay Trachman is publisher of “One to One,” a weekly information and humor service for broadcasters. Jay can be reached at: phone (559) 448 0700, fax (559) 448 0761, e-mail at 121@att.net, or www.121online.net. Reprinted with permission.
