(note: this blog is directed at voice over artists, not recording engineers – that’s a different story) It’s a new world…this is not the same place our parents worked in…or even most of us in generation x. When i went to college, computers were relatively new to the curriculum by about 5 years. Of course we learned our craft on them, but as with any transitional period, we also learned our craft on the old gear. In the end, it turns out, however cool, the old gear was just that…old gear. The new is where we should be pointing, holding on to the past is all it can be, holding on to something that isn’t there anymore. The same can be said with voice talent voicing from home. Of course everyone has a computer, great software and a great mic. And in this day and age, that is all you need – literally. Anything else is holding on to the past as if it’s still relevant. And ironically, when you try to incorporate what worked in the past into the present, it will sabotage your efforts. Case in point, many voice artists over a certain age feel the need to add things to their recording chain, ie: all the things between your great microphone and the computer recording them. The point of recording digitally (and analogue as well) is to have more signal to noise…or more voice to hiss. Every set up has some noise/hiss…either your cables, your room noise, the fridge from downstairs…it all contributes to what we call the noise floor. Other contributors to this unwanted noise are things we USED to need in the past, such as external pre-amps. External pre-amps are/were very useful for many recording situations…setting the initial level of your microphone to it’s optimal level before it enters the recording process. But if it were up to me, they would be illegal for 99% of any voice over artist to use them. As it takes a very skilled hand/ear to use these tools to any advantage, and a very normal hand/ear to mess it up entirely. In the old days, the external pre-amp was there because it had to be. There was no digital world in which to have a digital (and much quieter) pre-amp already installed on your existing system. The pre-amp regulated your input before it got to the console, and so on and so forth. This is no longer a necessity, at least with almost all home voice over set ups. The computer, audio program, microphone, usb connection, all obliterate the need for any such device…adding one to your chain does virtually nothing except add noise and tells us you are of a certain age. Nothing wrong with that of course, as i am 40 , AND i started off with a pre-amp as well, thinking i needed it, simply because we used to need it. We don’t…and as a voice over artist…neither do you. Bottom line? The only thing you need is a clean vehicle to get your uniquely great sounding voice to tape…uh, i mean to your computer.
Tag Archives: voice over artists
Remembering what’s important.
The main purpose of any advertisement, on any medium, it to communicate. And all are successful at that…there is no doubt. But communication in itself is not a victory, because your ad has only 2 possible ways of communicating…either with ‘listen to me, i have something you need/want’…or with ‘do NOT listen to me, i have nothing you need…”.
Clearly the former is the desired end game, and it’s not that hard to achieve. Remembering what is important to the people listening, is key. I know it sounds obvious, but the main point here is that not everyone is listening. Someone new to advertising is sold a bill of goods from a radio or tv station, with an astronomical number of actual listeners…and it’s not a lie…that is how many people are tuned into the station…let’s say 500 thousand. But they fail to mention how many will be tuned in to your spot…which is microscopic in comparison to the overall listening audience…it could be as low as 500.
This is not a bad thing, it’s quite the opposite. Because all you really need to do is pinpoint your message to your potential customers…and not everyone is a potential customer. This smaller number, whatever it may be, puts things into perspective. Especially if you are a small business…talking directly to people interested in your services is what you want to do…it’s what targeted advertising like Facebook and Google use and people covet…but it’s possible to do the same thing with broadcast radio and television as well…because a well-crafted spot, literately tunes interested parties in, and uninterested parties out.
I have heard from people my entire career that most radio and television advertising is bad, off the mark, and a waste of time. But if this were completely true, it would have Darwin’d itself out of existence by now…and it’s alive and kicking. What people are really saying is, ‘that ad was off the mark and a waste of time, BECAUSE I WAS NOT IN THE MARKET FOR THAT PRODUCT”. People forget that not all advertising is meant for you – it’s meant to target people specifically, in the analogue world…it doesn’t need personal info on you like Facebook and Google do…all it needs are the right words, the right delivery and the right production…if you remember that, then you will remember what’s important…and cut through like the original targeted ad…great advertising.
Voicing on time.
When voicing for radio, tv, or even the internet these days, the lingering question after, ‘do i have the right tone?” or “does my read sound authentic” etc, is always, “is this quick enough to fit in the allotted time?”.
When you are a voice over artist, this question is a tough one. Not only do you need to be within the allotted time, but depending on the producer, they may (or may not) remove your breaths, which give your read more room to breath (ha ha) and you can actually go longer with you raw voice over.
So depending on your client, all situations require specific answers.
For us, as producers, the guidelines we follow are simply this: voice the spot at a good pace, not too fast, not too slow. If it comes in long, It simply means it was too long a script. We will then deal with it here, by sending the client a full/fast version using time compression, and an edited/slower version at no cost to them. We cannot do this if your read is super fast and edited tightly.
It only takes a minute for a producer here to do up an alternate version for the client…and in the end, goes a long way to ensure the client knows you are on the case about doing all you can for their needs.
It would be great if all scripts met the length requirements of each voice over artist, but as this is the real world, the chances are slim. But it does make one appreciate the value of a well written, well timed script when it does come along…and when our team is allowed the privilege of writing for a client, they always are well timed, well thought out scripts…if only because we realize first hand how hard it is to voice a script that is too long.