A presenter reaches a bracketed note and reads “pause for guest” into the recording. The problem may be the script’s visual organisation rather than the presenter’s preparation.
Use a consistent distinction between spoken words and production instructions. For example, place a short direction on its own line, with a label such as DIRECTION. Do not rely only on colour, which may disappear in a printout or be difficult for a reader to distinguish.
DIRECTION: Let the guest finish before asking the next question.
HOST: Which part of the process took longer than you expected?
This invented excerpt separates an action from the words intended for the audience. It also gives the direction a clear owner instead of leaving a vague note such as “wait here”.
Rehearse the page turn too
Read the script in the format that will actually be used: printed pages, tablet or a shared screen. A direction stranded at the bottom of one page may be missed when the spoken line begins on the next.
Keep instructions brief enough to recognise at a glance. If a complex cue requires a paragraph, consider moving the explanation to a separate production note and leaving a short reminder in the script.
Before recording, ask each speaker to identify their lines and any cues affecting them. Correct ambiguous labels then. A script should reduce the number of decisions that must be made while somebody is already speaking.