Talent

• Stand-ups should always take place in front of a relevant background. Do NOT shoot stand-ups in irrelevant locations. Do not shoot stand-ups in front of a row of lockers unless the story is about lockers.
• Feel free to make your stand-up more dynamic by incorporating movement—either your movement or the camera's. As always, though, make sure that the shot is steady and even.
• Voiceovers should always be evenly paced, clear, and unhurried. Try to maintain a steady, consistent volume throughout. Try to clearly pronounce the first and last letters of every word so that you do not slur or stumble. Incorporate pauses into your voiceover—don't rush through it. Emphasize key words when necessary.
• "Write for the ear, not the eye." Keep your sentences short and conversational. You're not writing an essay for English class or an article for the newspaper. Ask yourself: is this going to bore my audience, or stoke their interest?
• Your signoff (a.k.a. sigout) should always take this form: "For Manual AM, I'm (your first and last name)." Do NOT add anything to this standard signoff format.