Broadcasting consistently with the same play-by-play analyst helps your games sound great. You can anticipate when your analyst is going to speak and he knows when you need to have the mike back.
Unfortunately, working consistently with the same play-by-play analyst is more the exception than the rule, especially in the early stages of a broadcasting career.
Here are four tips to instantly help your play-by-play analyst sound great.
1. Clarify roles
Your job as the play-by-play guy is to describe what happened. Your analyst’s job is to explain why it happened. Be sure your analyst knows this before you even go on the air. It sounds terrible when an analyst’s comments go too long, and he takes over play-by-play for the next play.
2. Provide guidelines for your play-by-play analyst
Again, before you go on the air, tell your analyst what you expect from him. Correcting him during the broadcast will create animosity. For football, tell him to finish his comments by the time the offense breaks the huddle.
For basketball, tell him his opportunities to speak are when the ball is in the backcourt and during dead ball situations like free throws and time outs.
And whatever he does, tell your analyst to never talk over you! Even oohing and ahhing in the background during a big play sounds horrible.
3. Make your analyst the star
Your analyst is likely a former player or coach. He’ll see things that you can’t. Cultivate that. Make your analyst the star. It will make both you and the broadcast sound better.
4. Go to lunch with your play-by-play analyst
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “To know me is to love me.” If your analyst doesn’t already know you, take him to lunch. Build rapport. It’s a great time to clarify roles and provide guidelines. Guys who get along off air sound good on air. Think Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
These quick tips will yield immediate results.
Give it a try
Joining STAA gives you access to a pool of resources to help you polish your play-by-play so you’ll be ready to move up next season.
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2 Comments. Leave new
No. 4 is so important. When you both realize that the other person has your best interests in mind, it makes for a looser, better broadcast. My favorite tandems sound like they’re just friends making conversation.
Good advice! You are right about being better to work with same analyst over time too.