2 answers
Kevin
Student
Imperial, California
3
Questions
Updated
368 views
How much sarcasm would do I have to have to be an announcer?
I want to be an announcer for sports like football baseball or basketball.
2 answers
Steve Jacobson
Creative Leader/Content Creator/Producer/Editor/Storyteller
51
Answers
Westlake Village, California
Updated
Steve’s Answer
Easy there, champ! If your dream is to be a sports broadcaster, then it's crucial to get the right education and training. There's a whole world of excellent professional voice-over resources waiting for you. These pros are already in the field and they're more than willing to bring you on board with their training programs.
Your enthusiasm and love for sports should shine through, along with your knowledge and your knack for stats, trivia, and most importantly, understanding how the game connects with today's fans and audiences.
Start small - attend local sports games and bring along your recording device to capture your play-by-play or color commentary. Then, get those pros to give you feedback and guidance.
Remember, don't overthink or over direct yourself - authenticity is key. Today's fans can smell a fake from a mile away.
And one more thing... Don't forget to enjoy the ride!
Your enthusiasm and love for sports should shine through, along with your knowledge and your knack for stats, trivia, and most importantly, understanding how the game connects with today's fans and audiences.
Start small - attend local sports games and bring along your recording device to capture your play-by-play or color commentary. Then, get those pros to give you feedback and guidance.
Remember, don't overthink or over direct yourself - authenticity is key. Today's fans can smell a fake from a mile away.
And one more thing... Don't forget to enjoy the ride!
Louis Adorno
Screenwriter & Filmmaker
10
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Louis’s Answer
Sarcasm is not 100% necessary. It is important that over time you develop your own style and tone of voice. Your personality is key, so if you are young and already know you want to be an announcer, look up online and study some of the great sports announcers like Bob Costas, Marv Albert, Tom Hammond, Michael Kay, and more. Just in the few names I've mentioned, each one brings their own unique twist on the same job. The best way to practice, no matter you age, is to take a game and do your own practice commentary.
For example, let's say you want to commentate a game between the NBA's Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics. The day of the game, go to both team's websites, memorize the player's names, read about any headlines, injuries, or other cool stories that may effect the game. Also, make sure you are familiar with the NBA's rules, and terminology for certain plays. Then, when the game is on TV, mute the volume, and pretend you are commentating on the game yourself. As silly as this might sound, it gives you a good hands-on practice to see how you do commentating a full 2 hour NBA broadcast. Obviously, have fun with it. It is not going to be perfect, and you may be tired at halftime, but treat it like a fun exercise.
In your spare time, also think about researching public speaking tips, and see how other commentators got their start in the business. Depending on your age, if you know any local High School, Middle School, or Youth sports teams. See if they do broadcasting, and ask if they'd let you study or practice commentating yourself. You have many years ahead, so keep those opportunities in mind. Who knows, by the time you are in college, you may be a commentator for your school's football or basketball team. Best of luck!
For example, let's say you want to commentate a game between the NBA's Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics. The day of the game, go to both team's websites, memorize the player's names, read about any headlines, injuries, or other cool stories that may effect the game. Also, make sure you are familiar with the NBA's rules, and terminology for certain plays. Then, when the game is on TV, mute the volume, and pretend you are commentating on the game yourself. As silly as this might sound, it gives you a good hands-on practice to see how you do commentating a full 2 hour NBA broadcast. Obviously, have fun with it. It is not going to be perfect, and you may be tired at halftime, but treat it like a fun exercise.
In your spare time, also think about researching public speaking tips, and see how other commentators got their start in the business. Depending on your age, if you know any local High School, Middle School, or Youth sports teams. See if they do broadcasting, and ask if they'd let you study or practice commentating yourself. You have many years ahead, so keep those opportunities in mind. Who knows, by the time you are in college, you may be a commentator for your school's football or basketball team. Best of luck!
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