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What if you spot a grammatical error in copy?

 
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Rob Ellis
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Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 2385
Location: Detroit

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:16 am    Post subject: What if you spot a grammatical error in copy? Reply with quote

.......do you bring it to the writer/producer's attention?

Or is that considered bad form? Input is greatly appreciated.
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FinMac
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Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Posts: 705
Location: In a really cool place...Finland!

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:41 am    Post subject: Always Reply with quote

Most of the texts I get are written by people whose English is their third language.

Almost always there are errors in the texts. Always bring them to the producer and they are usually grateful. Sometimes I have gotten paid for the corrections when they are plentiful Smile
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Lee Gordon
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Joined: 25 Jul 2008
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Location: West Hartford, CT

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I'm self directing, I do it the right way and hope they either don't notice or realize that the way I did it was correct. If they then come back to me and ask me to do it their way, I do.

If I'm working with a director, I usually say something like, "I could be wrong, but I think it might go like this," and then volunteer to give them an alternate, just in case I'm right (which I know I am, but I never act like it). If they decline, that's their choice. If they have to call me back to correct the error after somebody higher up in the pecking order calls them on it, that was their expensive choice.
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ballenberg
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Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 793
Location: United States

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm with Lee, though sometimes I wonder if I should just shut up and read what's on the page. Most of my sessions are live via remote so the self-directing aspect doesn't come up much. For auditions, I read it the right way. If they want to pay me to read it wrong, I'm available Smile

This came up at a Marice Tobias seminar once and she had a good technique..say nothing but accidentally read it the the right way..then the correct version has been recorded and no one has been made to feel that they're wrong.
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melissa eX
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Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Posts: 2783
Location: Lower Manhattan, New Amsterdam, the original NYC

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Had an ISDN session this week and after I did a take, I heard the clients discussing among themselves.

"You know? I like the mistake she made in that paragraph. It sounds better than the way it was written"

Me: "I made a mistake"?

Clients: "Yes, your brain probably just rewrote it on the fly, we'll keep it"
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Rob Ellis
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Joined: 01 Aug 2006
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Location: Detroit

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks folks. I know I sound like an old relic but sometimes the lack of basic grammar and spelling in scripts written by college grads is a tad alarming.
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ConnieTerwilliger
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Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 3381
Location: San Diego - serving the world

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let your brain "fix" it on the fly...like Mel said.

It's not that people are getting stupid, it's that they are rushed and their eyes don't see what their fingers did.

How many times you do you send out stuff riddled with typos? And we can't blame it on auto-correct!
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Foog
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Joined: 27 Oct 2013
Posts: 608
Location: Upper Canuckistan

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm in the same boat as Scott - well, except that the country most of my clients are from (Hungary) is landlocked, so maybe "boat" is a bad metaphor.

If I don't get the go-ahead on any edits I'd like to make by the time I'm in front of the mic, I'll record their original text verbatim as well as an alternative lovingly pruffread/edited version as well. If it is a lengthy text, I sometimes suggest a pruffreader surcharge, which is happily accepted more often than not.
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Andrew Fogarasi


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Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi


Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 11048
Location: Portgordon, Scotland

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm paid to make the client sound good and the people for whom I am working are in the room for the same reason.

"Do you want an alt on that?" hardly ever gets refused.

We is hear to help innit.
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Lee Gordon
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Joined: 25 Jul 2008
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Location: West Hartford, CT

PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Philip Banks wrote:

We is hear to help innit.


You spelled "idjits" wrong. cool
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Rob Ellis
M&M


Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 2385
Location: Detroit

PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 7:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think I am becoming what I swore I would never be:

my grammar-nazi, know-it-all high school English teacher.
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Deirdre
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Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13016
Location: East Jesus, Maine

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's part of the value added of being a native English speaker.
Correct them grammers, 'ey wot.

Random.
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Karyn OBryant
Cinquecento


Joined: 23 Jul 2013
Posts: 561
Location: Portlandia-adjacent

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As Ron Popeil said, "Fix it and forget it." Or something like that.
This world is rife with grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. Give your clients a hand, and unobtrusively make things right. They will love you for it. If they hate your little correction, they'll let you know.
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