LET YOUR MESSAGE BREATHE. . .

The client had to have the complete list of items in his spot.  So, he got what
he wanted. And his message suffered for it.  The list of items made the copy run
much longer than :60, so the producer did what he had to do: use the time compression
part of his editor to bring the time of the spot to exactly :60

Digital recording and editing can be one of the best creations ever in this industry;
or it can in the wrong hands be a mistake that will gobble up your investment.

Most editors have a time compression tool.  I wish I could tell you exactly how
it works, but suffice to say if you have a spot that is 63 seconds long, with time
compression, you can make it run exactly 60.  But there are limits.  Have you ever
heard a disclaimer on some product that sounds like the announcer was wired on a
gallon of coffee?  That's what time compression sounds like.  Now imagine that for
an entire :60 spot.  Not very pretty. 

And the admonition to "get it in at all costs" will cost the client his
ad budget. 

The best newspaper ads have plenty of "white space"  So, too, should radio
spots.  Room to let the message breathe.  The listeners will thank you.  And they
will respond more readily to the client's message.
Thanks for reading

Ron Harper - April 2004

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