Narration Voice Over Script · True-crime podcast cold open
Still Out of Pie (True-Crime Podcast Cold Open)
True-crime podcast cold open (fictional) for narration practice: a diner manager vanished in 1994, and thirty years later a postcard arrives.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Length
- 180 words · ~1 min 12 sec
- Skills
- close-mic intimacy, suspense pacing, tonal control
- License
- CC BY 4.0
The script
On the night of October ninth, nineteen ninety-four, Della Corrigan locked up the Pine Hollow Diner at eleven forty, the same time she'd locked it every night for six years.
She counted the register. She wiped down the counter. She left a note for the morning cook that said, 'We're out of pie. Don't let Walt tell you otherwise.'
Then she walked out to her car, and as far as anyone can prove, Della Corrigan was never seen again.
(beat)Her car turned up the next morning at the top of Coldwater Ridge. Engine off. Keys in the ignition. Radio still tuned to the late-night call-in show she never missed.
The search lasted three weeks. The rumors lasted thirty years. She ran off. She owed somebody money. She saw something she shouldn't have.
And then, last spring, a postcard showed up at the Pine Hollow Diner. No return address. Just four words, in handwriting her sister swears is hers.
(quietly)'Still out of pie?'
I'm Nora Vance. This is Cold Counter. And this season, we're going to find out where Della went.
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
- The first two beats are ordinary on purpose. Read the register, the counter, and the pie note almost fondly, so 'never seen again' hits harder by contrast.
- Give each detail in 'Engine off. Keys in the ignition.' its own space, like you're laying photographs on a table. Don't rush toward 'the late-night call-in show.'
- Read 'Still out of pie?' a shade differently, softer, as if you can almost hear Della say it. Then come back to your steady host voice for the show intro.
Try it three more ways
- Read it as a hard-boiled radio detective from an old-time crime drama.
- Read it as Della's younger sister, who has waited thirty years for an answer.
- Read it as a late-night campfire storyteller trying to give a group of teenagers chills.
Take it further
More scripts to practise
All narration and documentary voice over scripts · Full script library
Frequently asked questions
How long is the "Still Out of Pie (True-Crime Podcast Cold Open)" script?
180 spoken words, about 1 min 12 sec at a conversational 150 words per minute and 1 min 23 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: intimate, measured, quietly suspenseful, deliberate, ~130 words per minute, with weighted pauses. Record a take with the teleprompter, listen back, and try one of the alternate reads to stretch your range.