Voice Acting Practice Lines · Short practice lines
Before the Credits Roll
Original dramatic movie lines for actors and voice auditions, from quiet threats to rallying cries. Practice cinematic intensity one line at a time.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Length
- 150 words · ~1 min
- Skills
- dramatic intensity, dynamic range, audition prep
- License
- CC BY 4.0
The script
(quiet threat)You don’t get to walk away from this. Not this time.
(grim resolve)Every map ends somewhere. Ours ends here.
(breaking point)I kept your secret for twenty years. Tonight, I’m done keeping it.
(hushed warning)If we open that door, nothing will ever be the same. Are you sure?
(last words, fading)Tell them I didn’t run. Tell them I stayed.
(defiant)You burned the bridge. Fine. I’ll learn to swim.
(urgent reassurance)Look at me. Look at me. We’re getting out of here. Together.
(ominous)The flood isn’t coming, Captain. We’re already standing in it.
(tender reveal)I didn’t come back for the gold. I came back for you.
(commanding alarm)Ring the bells. Wake the city. They’re at the gates!
(cold warning)One more step, and I’ll forget we were ever friends.
(regretful confession)You were right about everything. I just wasn’t ready to hear it.
(weary leader)Get some sleep. At first light, we finish this.
(hopeful, rallying)Somewhere out there, someone is still leaving the porch light on for us.
Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0. Original script drafted with AI assistance and edited by SceneDub; any resemblance to existing characters is coincidental.
Practise it now
The teleprompter scrolls at the speed you set in words per minute. Tick "Record audio while reading" to capture a take; the audio stays in your browser until you download it.
Coaching notes
- "You burned the bridge. Fine. I’ll learn to swim." turns in the middle. Let "Fine." be the moment the character decides, and play the rest as pure defiance.
- For "Tell them I didn’t run. Tell them I stayed," don’t push the volume. Dramatic doesn’t mean loud. Keep it close and let the repetition carry the weight.
- "Ring the bells. Wake the city. They’re at the gates!" is a three-part alarm. Start urgent and climb with each phrase, saving the most force for "gates."
Try it three more ways
- Read every line as a near whisper, finding the intensity without any volume.
- Perform them all as the same character over one long, terrible night, in order.
- Play each line as a parody of an overwrought melodrama, completely over the top.
Take it further
More scripts to practise
All short voice acting lines for practice · Full script library
Frequently asked questions
How long is the "Before the Credits Roll" script?
150 spoken words, about 1 min at a conversational 150 words per minute and 1 min 9 sec at a slower 130 wpm. Your take will vary with pauses and character choices.
Can I use this script in my voice acting demo reel?
Yes. SceneDub's original scripts are licensed CC BY 4.0. You can perform, record, edit, and publish them, including in demo reels, classes, and auditions, as long as you credit "Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0" where you share the recording or the text.
How should I practise this script?
Read it silently once, then perform it with the direction above: cinematic and high-stakes, deliberate and weighted. Record a take with the teleprompter, listen back, and try one of the alternate reads to stretch your range.