Work out how long a narration script will run before you record it: measure your pace from one…

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Guide title

Work out how long a narration script will run before you record it: measure your pace from one sample, time each scene and see how many words to cut

Coverage

For anyone with a voice-over script and a time limit who wants the running time before the microphone is switched on. A small program measures how fast one sample recording is spoken, then predicts seconds for each scene, tells you how many words to trim for a chosen length, and compares the prediction with the real take afterwards. Honest limit: tried only on two synthetic voices and invented English text, so treat the figures as a plan with a margin and not as exact timing.

Example

On a 227-word test script in three scenes, a pace measured from one 103-word sample predicted each scene within about 14 percent, where a fixed 150 words per minute was off by up to 20 to 51 percent (per voice, at its worst scene). The whole take came out 6 to 8 percent longer than predicted, so a 75-second target needed a margin.

Useful starting points

• Record the sample in the style of the real narration, 40 words or more.
• Aim for a target about 15 percent below your hard limit.
• After the real take, measure again and use that pace next time.