How To Get The Best 'Read'
from a Voiceover
You’ve done your research, listened to demos, asked for sample reads, confirmed quotations and proceeded to a booking. Great!
Now what..?
"ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE; TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH"
HELEN KELLER
Now that it really counts and the recording session is approaching, Here’s a few tips to get the best from your voiceover and more importantly, the read that you need for your project!
1. DIAL-IN TO THE RECORDING SESISON
Many voices offer Live Directed Sessions included in their quotations (I Do!) and I really recommend making the time to attend or ‘dial-in’ to the recording if you are able. Invite your client along too!
Giving feedback during the session is invaluable to a voiceover and creates a real sense of collaboration. There is also much less back and forth with pickups which means you get the read you need for your project FIRST TIME.
2. PREPARATION TIME
Most professional voiceovers are exceptionally good sight readers, but it always helps to give them as much time as possible to prepare for the session.
Share with your voiceover the working script (even if there are a few last-minute word changes on the day!) This allows your voice to have a good read through and conduct any research necessary.
Medical/Technical Narration for example will need research on pronunciations. If you are working on a script like this, it is extremely helpful if you can provide your voiceover with a ‘pronunciation guide’ or ‘reference for pronunciation’ (such as a previous video or recording.)
3. SHARE ASSETS - VIDEO, MUSIC, STORYBOARD etc.
Sharing the music that you plan to use is so helpful and if you are working to a video, also share it with your voiceover. It will give them some really key information about the pace, tone and overall ‘feel’ that you are looking to achieve.
In your project, you may be hoping to sync the voice to certain images or subtitles or have a section in your script which is ‘information heavy’ and needs slowing down. Discuss these thoughts with your voiceover.
You may also wish to provide your voiceover with a ‘guide voice’ to help demonstrate any timing constraints.
4. DISCUSS TIMINGS AND PACE WITH YOUR VOICEOVER
If you do not have a video and are instead working ‘wild,’ still share with your voiceover any timing ‘aims’. If you have a 500 word script but are hoping to fit it into a 2 minute voiceover, your voice is going to need to speak very quickly and a heads up is invaluable.
Likewise for radio ads which are perhaps the most rigid with their timings: a 15 second radio ad cannot be a millisecond over, as the radio station WILL NOT run it!
5. LETS TALK 'AUDIENCE'
Share with your voiceover who the intended audience is. A project aimed at shareholders and company directors will have a very different ‘feel’ than a script delivered to the general public.
6. DISCUSS 'TONE'
Upbeat, Excitable, Warm. Trustworthy, Melancholy, Serious, Natural, Conversational. You get my drift! Give your voiceover some keywords on tone and direction. Your vision may not be apparent from the words on a page. If you liked a particular demo from your voiceover's reel or sample, tell them which one as they can then channel that 'read style' into your script.
7. SHARE ANY RECORDING AND EDITING SPECIFICS IN ADVANCE.
Discovering at the end of the recording that you needed specific project settings of 44.1kHz instead of 48kHz is not the one! Let us know in advance please!
Also if you are able, please inform us in advance if you’d like your audio files edited and mastered or raw for your to handle editing yourselves. It just helps with our scheduling of following voice sessions.
8. PAYMENT SPECIFICS
Lastly if your voiceover requires a PO number/Job Reference number for their invoice, please give it before the recording session. A voiceover chasing for vital information like this (sometimes weeks after the recording session) is annoying for everyone and freelancers rely on being paid on time.
So there you have it!
1. Attend Recording Session if possible.
2. Give Your Voiceover Time with the script.
3. Share Assets - Video, Storyboard, Music.
4. Discuss Timings & Pace.
5. Discuss 'Audience.'
6. Discuss 'Tone.'
7. Share Recording / Editing Specifics
8. Payment Specifics
A Few Final Thoughts from Me
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Creative processes are always best when they are collaborative.
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A successful voiceover on a project can make or break a campaign - Think about the voice 'early on.' Don't let it be an afterthought.
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Let your voiceover try a few takes 'off brief' in the recording session. They might show you something 'even better' that you envisaged!
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It's always really lovely when you credit your voiceover when sharing your campaign. It makes our day in fact!
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If you're a lovely client who would like to collaborate, contact me today at: voice@annalawrence.co.uk