Prepare pronunciation references for a video voiceover by marking unfamiliar names, acronyms, numbers and web addresses in the exact script, confirming the intended spoken form with the accountable owner and supplying a clear reference where needed. Agree how the performer will receive directions without reading them as narration. Check uncertain words before recording the full passage.
Illustrative generated image. This scene does not depict Bolt personnel, facilities or client work.
This guide addresses how approved words should be spoken. The corporate script review guide covers the broader message and production requirements. A script can be factually approved while still leaving a performer unsure how a product name or abbreviation should sound.
Identify the words a new reader cannot safely infer
Read the current script as someone encountering the organization for the first time. Mark personal names, place names, product terms and specialist vocabulary that could reasonably be spoken in different ways. Include ordinary-looking words when the intended brand usage differs from what a reader might expect. Familiarity inside the company is not a pronunciation reference.
Ask the responsible contact to identify the accepted form. That might be the named person, a brand owner or a subject specialist, depending on the word. Keep uncertainty explicit until the right person answers. A confident guess from an available stakeholder should not become the reference merely because the recording date is close.
Separate confirming a pronunciation from approving a claim. A product specialist might settle how a model name is spoken without clearing everything said about its capabilities. The production brief should identify who resolves each kind of question. One friendly response should not be treated as approval beyond the subject actually discussed.
Keep the approved script and spoken form connected
Use the exact script version intended for the session. Identify the line and the word to which each note applies. If the script is updated, check whether the pronunciation list still matches. A useful reference needs a clear relationship to the text; a separate message saying that one word should sound different may be hard to interpret later.
Distinguish wording that appears on screen from the way it should be read aloud. An abbreviation may remain short in a graphic while the narration uses the full phrase. Have the relevant owner approve that relationship. Do not silently change a product term or statement while making the spoken version easier to say.
Discuss the presentation with the recording team. They may want directions in a separate reference sheet or clearly marked alongside the script. Agree which material is narration and which material is instruction. The aim is a readable session document, not a universal formatting rule that every studio or performer must follow.
Resolve acronyms, numbers and addresses deliberately
For an unfamiliar abbreviation, confirm whether the performer should say individual letters, read a word or use the full phrase. Do not assume that capitalization explains the intended sound. If different departments use different forms, ask the message owner to settle which one belongs in this film before the performer is asked to choose.
Mark numbers whose spoken form matters. A model identifier, a telephone number and a quantity may require different readings even when they contain similar digits. For a hypothetical product code, the brand might want the digits spoken individually rather than as a single number. Confirm the actual choice and include enough surrounding wording to make the example understandable.
Check web and email addresses if they are part of the narration. Decide which elements need to be spoken and verify the destination separately. A pronounceable address can still point to the wrong place. Keep the spoken reference consistent with the approved on-screen wording and the action the viewer is being asked to take.
Supply a reference the performer can interpret
Where a written note is ambiguous, ask whether a short approved audio reference would help. Identify the relevant word and use it in a brief phrase if context matters. Keep the file easy to match to the script. Several unlabeled recordings can create a new interpretation task instead of resolving the original question.
Use a source authorized to confirm that term. A recording from an unrelated online video may demonstrate one speaker’s choice without establishing the intended pronunciation for this organization or person. Share only material that can appropriately be used for the project. Tell the producer which reference is current if an earlier example differs.
Do not assume that your own phonetic spelling will mean the same thing to every reader. Ask the performer to play back their understanding of an uncertain word before proceeding. A brief clarification is useful when it resolves a real ambiguity. It should not become a requirement to rehearse every familiar sentence before the team can record.
Separate pronunciation from performance direction
A word can be pronounced as intended while the sentence still needs a different emphasis or pace. Tell the producer what the audience should understand, and distinguish that message question from the sound of the word itself. Let the recording team and performer discuss how to express it naturally within the agreed direction.
For an invented training example, the important distinction may be between an optional action and a required step. The factual reviewer should confirm that meaning before anyone tries to fix it by emphasizing a word. Performance can support an accurate instruction; it should not be used to conceal wording that remains unclear.
The visual information and narration guide covers whether the spoken explanation carries essential meaning from the pictures. Keep that review connected to the current script. A pronunciation check answers a narrower question and does not establish that the whole film is accurate, understandable or ready for release.
Make alternate versions easy to identify
If several scripts use the same term, identify which reference applies to each version. A shortened sentence may change the surrounding context, while a different language or audience may require its own responsible reviewer. Do not assume that a decision for one recording settles every possible version of the film.
Give each approved reference a clear name and status. Record what is confirmed, what is waiting for an answer and who will provide it. If a last-minute change affects a name or number, tell the producer which lines need another check. Avoid circulating a new script separately from the people working with an older pronunciation sheet.
Agree how corrections are handled under the particular recording scope. This guide makes no promise about included changes, turnaround or the availability of a performer later. The useful preparation is a coherent reference pack that lets the team understand the intended read and identify the consequences of a change.
Review the actual recorded passage
Listen to the selected recording with the current script and references available. Check the uncertain words in their full sentences, not only as isolated sounds. Confirm that the intended take reaches the edit and remains matched to the correct version. A successful rehearsal is not proof that the final assembled film uses that read.
Email brian@boltworldwide.com with the script version, terms needing confirmation and any approved audio references. Discuss the requirements through Bolt’s studio recording services. Clear pronunciation guidance gives the performer a reliable starting point while keeping message approval with the people responsible for it.
