What Is Ad Libbing, and How Do You Do It on Camera?
Aug 10, 2022
Ad libbing means speaking without a script, off the cuff, making the lines up as you go. On camera it is rarely all or nothing. The version that works is a hybrid: a written intro and outro, bullet points for the middle, and the freedom to say that middle in your own words rather than read it.
What does ad libbing actually mean?
The word is short for the Latin ad libitum, according to one's desire. To ad lib is to speak spontaneously, or improvise lines as you go, instead of reading something written beforehand. You will see it spelled ad-lib and adlib as well; they all mean the same thing.
Ad libbing a presentation is a lot less work than writing a script, and it usually comes out more relaxed and more natural. It adds texture and life. It also buys you time when a live recording is disrupted by something technical and you need to keep talking while it is sorted. Field reporters do this for a living, working off bullet points taped near the camera or written on the notes in their hand.
Why does ad libbing go wrong when you are recording yourself?
Because some people take it as permission not to prepare. They wing it, and they run the risk of confusing people, being misunderstood, and taking far longer than they should to make one point.
On a crewed shoot somebody tells you that take went nowhere. Recording yourself at a desk, nobody does. You watch it back, you can tell something is off, and you cannot name what. That is the same problem behind sounding flat when you read, which is worth a read on its own: how to speak on camera.
How do you prepare for an ad libbed presentation?
Three things, and none of them is a full script.
Write short intros and outros. Getting the first and last lines down on paper takes the pressure off and gives you clarity on the points either side of the body. In the middle you can go off the cuff. At the top and the tail, structure it, so you can recall those lines without getting tangled.
Make a list of bullet points for the body. That is the middle of the presentation. Keep it tight, keep it conversational, stick to the point.
Structure the ad libs themselves. Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you have told them. It is a rule of thumb worth applying to everything you record, and it is the same reason structuring your video scripts pays off before you press record.
What are the do's and don'ts of ad libbing?
Do not come unprepared. Structure the talking points around a rule of three: three main points for the subject, a rehearsed intro, then the outro.
Do not try to convey everything in one hit. Tell personalised stories instead. Stories are badly underused in business video, and an example tied to one of your main points lands closer to home than another paragraph of explanation.
Do not overthink it. Start with the first idea that comes to mind and keep moving. You will be surprised how clearly your mind works once it is focused on delivering rather than on getting it perfect.
Do run a hybrid. A scripted intro, key talking points through the body, a scripted outro, and the occasional deliberate detour. Knowing when to leave the script and when to stay on it is its own skill, covered in when to stick to the script and when to ad-lib.
How do you get better at ad libbing?
Put pen to paper first. There is a connection between writing something down and being able to recall it, and physically writing out your thoughts beforehand is a psychological advantage even if the page never comes near the camera.
Then practise on people. They will tell you quickly if they cannot follow you, which is the feedback a camera never gives. Run your ad libbed section past someone and make sure it is as clear to them as it is to you.
“Repetition is the mother of skill. The more you do it, the better you'll become.” Chris Schwager
Finding the balance between reading from a prompter and ad libbing will improve your delivery. You come across more naturally without straying off topic, and the audience stays with you. Working on messaging, performance, tech and implementation together is what on-camera coaching is for.
Listen to the episode
Episode 118, first published on 9 August 2022, when the show was called Video Made Simple. It runs on the same feed today as the Video Confidence Collective.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the word ad lib come from?
It is short for the Latin ad libitum, which means according to one's desire. To ad lib is to speak spontaneously, off the cuff, improvising the lines as you go rather than reading them. The shortened spellings ad-lib and adlib mean the same thing, and all three turn up in print.
What are ad libs in music?
A different sense of the same word. In music an ad lib is the improvised part a singer or player adds over the written arrangement, rather than a rehearsed line. It is the same idea as ad libbing a presentation, applied to a performance instead of a script. This page is about the speaking sense.
Can you ad lib and still use a script?
Yes, and it is the version that holds up on camera. Write the intro and the outro, because those are the two places a stumble costs you most, and keep the middle as bullet points you talk to in your own words. Chris records this way himself: scripted top and tail, talking points through the body.
What if I start rambling once I come off the script?
That is what preparation is for. Winging it with nothing written down risks confusing people, being misunderstood and taking far longer than you should. Three bullet points for the body and a rule of three for your talking points keeps the middle tight without turning it back into a read.
Transcript
Read the full transcript
Chris Schwager 00:00:01
Welcome to the Video Made Simple podcast that takes the mystery out of video production and provides business leaders support to help them break through the monotony of day-to-day communication. I'm your host, Chris Schwager. And if you think your presentation needs some spontaneity that can't be done by just reading from your prompter, then here's a video scripting tip, and that is try ad libbing.
[00:00:29] Ad libbing comes from the Latin word ad libitum meaning according to one's desire. To ad lib means to speak spontaneously or off-the-cuff, or improvised lines as you go. Ad libbing your presentation is a lot less work than when writing a script and often results in a much more relaxed and natural performance.
[00:00:53] It adds texture and life to the presentation, and also helps buy time when live recording, when performances are disrupted by technicalities. The best example, field reporters, reporters are trained how to deliver on the spot reports using bullet points that are either tapped near the camera, or simply written on their notes at hand.
[00:01:17] But some people are actually bad at ad libbing and the guidance. Some choose not to prepare. So they're winging it and run the risk of confusing people, being misunderstood and taking way longer than they should.
[00:01:32] So how do you prepare for an unscripted or ad libbed presentation? So here's three tips that will get you to prepare for an unscripted or Adlib presentation.
[00:01:45] First write short intro outros. If you do this, it'll just help take the pressure off and make sure that you get clarity around those points for the body. You can do whatever you like and go off the cuff. But for your intro outro, structure it, and this will, um, help you to recall those lines without having to get or confused with it.
[00:02:13] Number two. Create a list of bullet points for discussion. This is the body. This is the middle of the presentation, but keep it tight and keep it conversational. Right? Stick to the point.
[00:02:24] And three, structure your ad libs. So you tell them what you're going to tell them. You tell them, and then you tell them what you've told them. This is a great rule of thumb across all of your content. Um. And you know, you might have, uh, heard in some of my videos, for instance, kicking off with the very stock standard introduction. As in this video, I'm gonna show you how to ad lib properly so that you get the best outta your presentation, then go through the body. And this is how you ad lib and then go through the outro, which is okay. So now you know how to ad lib. Away you go, blah, blah, blah. Right. So that is a great example of tell 'em what you're gonna tell. 'Tell 'em, tell 'em, and then tell 'em what you've told them.
[00:03:08] Let's look at some dos and don'ts of ad libs.
[00:03:11] Don't come unprepared. Structure your talking points, the rule of threes. And I've just given you a rule of three is just, just now. Three main points for your subjects. So you can still do your rehearsed intro, three main points of discussion, and then your outro.
[00:03:28] Don't try to convey all the information in one hit, but try and tell personalised stories and stories are extremely underutilized in the world of video, in business, in corporate. So this is a great opportunity for you to use examples tied to your main points that hit closer to home and register so people fully understand what it is that you're talking about.
[00:03:52] Don't overthink everything, start with the first idea that comes to your mind and keep moving, go with the flow. And you'll be surprised how clear your mind thinks when it's focused on the goal to deliver the presentation.
[00:04:08] Do a hybrid of scripting and ad libbing. So for example, in this podcast, I start with a scripted intro. I script the outro and then for the main body, I have some key talking points that our script writer has prepared for us. Great work by the way, Christine. And then I occasionally go off track like I am right now.
[00:04:29] So what can you do next to prepare yourself for ad libbing? I'll give you my three points.
[00:04:36] First, get access to the script templates. Go to the link in the show notes, the DIY Video Program in the show notes. Or if you leave us a review on this podcast, I'll even send it to you for free.
[00:04:47] Number two, put pen to paper. There's a connection between visualizing what you need to say because you've written it down. So it is easier to recall. So pen to paper, it's a psychological advantage. Some people still think it's old school, but there is actually great learning benefits to come of actually physically putting a pen to paper and writing out your thoughts prior.
[00:05:12] And number three, get in a situation where you can practice your ad libbing with people. You know, they'll tell you quickly if you, if they don't understand what you're talking about, you can run some of your ad lib that is, uh, clear and easy for you, and make sure that it's clear and easy for your audience to understand. Repetition is the mother of skill. The more you do it, the better you'll become.
[00:05:35] Finding the balance between reading from prompter, for instance, and ad libbing will greatly improve your presentation. You'll deliver more naturally without straying far off topic and keep your audience glued into your performance.
[00:05:48] Join in next week where you'll get weekly Video Made Simple ideas to produce videos like a pro that's all for this episode. Thanks for listening and see you next week.
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