As a voiceover artist, the ability to speak clearly, to enunciate (ee-NONE-see-ate) is key to getting the job done. Aside from the obvious time efficiency and saving the client money on studio hours, verbal skill is critical for this profession.
Speak clearly while speaking quickly. Spot got ten seconds of copy for a five second disclaimer? Sure, the engineer can edit out the breaths, but you’ve got to do the bulk of the work, zipping through that script while making sure that every word is delivered clearly enough to keep the legal department happy.
Speak clearly and translate on the fly. Say you’re tackling a fifteen-page training script for a corporate IT (EYE-tee) department. Your job is to deliver a line like this: “The minimum memory requirement is 128 MB for Windows 2000 and XP, or 512 MB for Windows Vista and at least 8 MB of Video-RAM shared memory set in BIOS”… and make it sound as natural as: “Pancakes are tasty!!” By the way, those MB’s have to be read as ‘megabyte’… BIOS is ‘BYE-oas’ and the clients will be rolling their eyes if you stumble over ‘Video-RAM-shared-memory-set’.
Speak clearly without tripping over twists of clever copy alliteration and rhyme. If you’ve done voiceovers long enough, you’ve run into those phrases or product names that are vocal landmines. But as a trained voice, it’s the rare tongue twister that’ll catch you. As a matter of fact, most of us are able to dazzle dinner companions with our ability to ‘say it three times fast’ without stumbling.
I thought of this when I recently read, what is reported to be, the World’s Hardest Tongue Twister according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Ready?
“The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick”
I found a few more in case you want to test yourself further… or if you would like to give your mouth a little work out:
·Big bug bit a bold bald bear and the bold bald bear bled blood badly.
·Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons -- Balancing them badly.
·If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.
·Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
·Unique New York
For those of us who are like verbal gymnasts, these may not present much of a challenge. And that gives me a certain sense of pride, a badge of honor. But every once in a while, no matter how well trained and practiced, we get caught Or rather, I got caught. It was the name of a certain creature being spotlighted on some nature program I was watching with my daughter. I had to try it.
Baby black-backed jackals. Baby black-backed jackals. Baby black-backed jackals… Blaby black-back… Humility, thy name is bably back blacked… oh, you know.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
VoiceOvers. It's not all in the voice
As a voice artist, it’s not unusual to have someone reach out, directly or on behalf of a friend, for a little assist or inside advice on ‘breaking into the voiceover business’. A dollar says it’s happened to you, too.
The ‘how to’ has been covered enough without my delving into it here… but the reason I mention it is because the interest in voiceover work seems to come less from the love of performance and/or advertising than it does from the idea that it’s “E-Z money!!” and/or from believing or having been told they've got a great voice.
(Roll Tape: Friend of a brother of a friend phones. He’s just moved from Vermont to New York City to get into voiceovers. He's calling me to ask where to start.
Me: Got a demo?
Him: Nope.
Me: Got any experience?
Him: Nope.
Me: Ever… read… copy before?
Him: Nope.
Me: What do you have?
Him: People tell me I have a great voice. What should I do?
Me: Move back to Vermont
Sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean to be harsh, just realistic.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled program)
Where was I? Oh yeah, I was going to tell you a story. A story that drives home the point that you don’t have to have great pipes to do the job. You just have to be able to get great sound out of the pipes you do have. Such is the case with me and mine.
Anyone who does voiceovers knows that a great voice isn’t a guarantee you can be a great voice artist any more than having a brush makes you a painter or having a guitar makes you a musician. Rather it’s the time you take to become familiar with the voice you have and how to use it, building the skills, refining the techniques and then practicing and practicing and practicing some more until you’ve got a great instrument and the ability to make it perform at its peak.
I have actively worked at learning my instrument, my voice- and when I’m paying attention I can create vocal velvet. But when I’m not, my pipes are just churning out standard issue, fast and furious chatter. I forget sometimes how great a contrast it can be but was reminded just the other day when I was introduced as a voiceover artist. “You? Are??” my new acquaintance said skeptically. His response reminded me of one of my favorite session stories, which I repeated to him and will share wit you now.
I’d been hired to voice a documentary that would debut at a huge fundraising event. It was about a children’s charity, requiring a heartfelt and heavily emotional read and I’d been hired as a result of similar projects I had already done.
I was introduced to the client and we chatted and joked while the studio finished setting up for the session. With a few minutes still to go before we started, the client excused herself briefly and left the lounge. Unbeknownst to me, she’d gone off in a panic to find the producer who’d hired me.
She spotted him and ran down the hall. Grabbing his jacket in a frenzied fit, she wailed “There’s been a horrible mistake- You’ve got the wrong girl! That’s not the voice we hired!!” (I only know all this because he relayed the episode, interspersed with guffaws, after the session wrapped.)
Of course I had the voice she'd hired. But it was the voice I used in front of the mic. I guess there's a moral to this story: Never judge a voice artist outside the studio. Or, it could be… is THAT what they mean by voice actor. Or, if you're ever feeling the need for revenge, it could be: How to Torture a Client 101.
The ‘how to’ has been covered enough without my delving into it here… but the reason I mention it is because the interest in voiceover work seems to come less from the love of performance and/or advertising than it does from the idea that it’s “E-Z money!!” and/or from believing or having been told they've got a great voice.
(Roll Tape: Friend of a brother of a friend phones. He’s just moved from Vermont to New York City to get into voiceovers. He's calling me to ask where to start.
Me: Got a demo?
Him: Nope.
Me: Got any experience?
Him: Nope.
Me: Ever… read… copy before?
Him: Nope.
Me: What do you have?
Him: People tell me I have a great voice. What should I do?
Me: Move back to Vermont
Sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean to be harsh, just realistic.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled program)
Where was I? Oh yeah, I was going to tell you a story. A story that drives home the point that you don’t have to have great pipes to do the job. You just have to be able to get great sound out of the pipes you do have. Such is the case with me and mine.
Anyone who does voiceovers knows that a great voice isn’t a guarantee you can be a great voice artist any more than having a brush makes you a painter or having a guitar makes you a musician. Rather it’s the time you take to become familiar with the voice you have and how to use it, building the skills, refining the techniques and then practicing and practicing and practicing some more until you’ve got a great instrument and the ability to make it perform at its peak.
I have actively worked at learning my instrument, my voice- and when I’m paying attention I can create vocal velvet. But when I’m not, my pipes are just churning out standard issue, fast and furious chatter. I forget sometimes how great a contrast it can be but was reminded just the other day when I was introduced as a voiceover artist. “You? Are??” my new acquaintance said skeptically. His response reminded me of one of my favorite session stories, which I repeated to him and will share wit you now.
I’d been hired to voice a documentary that would debut at a huge fundraising event. It was about a children’s charity, requiring a heartfelt and heavily emotional read and I’d been hired as a result of similar projects I had already done.
I was introduced to the client and we chatted and joked while the studio finished setting up for the session. With a few minutes still to go before we started, the client excused herself briefly and left the lounge. Unbeknownst to me, she’d gone off in a panic to find the producer who’d hired me.
She spotted him and ran down the hall. Grabbing his jacket in a frenzied fit, she wailed “There’s been a horrible mistake- You’ve got the wrong girl! That’s not the voice we hired!!” (I only know all this because he relayed the episode, interspersed with guffaws, after the session wrapped.)
Of course I had the voice she'd hired. But it was the voice I used in front of the mic. I guess there's a moral to this story: Never judge a voice artist outside the studio. Or, it could be… is THAT what they mean by voice actor. Or, if you're ever feeling the need for revenge, it could be: How to Torture a Client 101.
Top 10 Best Things about Being a VoiceOver Artist
Back whenever, voiceovers made tenth place on MSN.com’s “Top 10 Coolest Jobs” list. At the time, I refuted the other nine and suggested that a VO career simply must be number one in that offers just about everything anyone (well, at least I and presumably you) could want.
That got me thinking.
There are a hundred things I love about working in this field and I know I'm not the only one who loves my job. So I figured I’d step away from the mic for a few minutes and list, in no particular order, my Top Ten best things about Voiceovers. Because, beyond being one of the coolest jobs you can have (see #9), it is so much more. At least nine things more...
1) Let’s get the money thing out of the way first. The fact that it might not be as lucrative as you wish, or that some vo artists might have to supplement it with something else, is beside the point. The point is you can do this and get paid at all. How cool is that? Don’t tell the clients, but most voice artists I’ve known would do it for free just for the fun of the work. Which leads us to….
2) It’s fun. Sometimes ridiculously fun and that’s something you can’t say about a lot of other jobs. Even when you’re recording the voice for an entire IVR system, including every letter of the alphabet and every single number from 1 though the thousands. And if it's not enough fun, the outakes make up for it.
3) You meet the nicest people in a voice booth. Most voiceover people tend to be slightly left of center, less conventional, more creative and rarely take ourselves too seriously. (That's one more reason the job can be so much fun.) I’ve had sessions where we were laughing so hard, the producer had to pause the recording while we caught our breath.
4) It’s like a secret society. Without the handshake. It is a competitive business but that rarely stops anyone of us from helping out another. Reviewing demos, sharing advice and experiences, successes and failures, even swapping client horror stories, we share a certain sisterhood/brotherhood within the VO community.
5) It scratches the acting bug. There are a lot of closet actors in this business and getting a good piece of copy is as revered as a brilliant script. That :30 spot is a tiny play and you are the star. Plus, you don't have to memorize anything! And you can be anyone or anything. From an instructor to a frustrated housewife (or husband) to a wiseacre tot… performing in the Theater of the Mind, lets you channel a world of characters without concern for body type, age or costuming.
6) You don’t need an expensive wardrobe. Sure, there are occasional studio sessions and client meetings, but nobody expects ‘the voice’ to be looking like a corporate exec. They see us a different sort of breed and therefore cut us plenty of slack. Plus, with today’s technology so much of what we do is possible from our home studios. This is one of the few jobs you can do in your sweats or pjs. It rarely matters how you look and only always matters how you sound.
7) It's Flexible!! Yup, you can make your own hours and work as much or as little as you want. Of course, most of us work as much as we can, but the freedom to set your own schedule has served many a mom well, allowing us to make the school plays and deliver cupcakes for the holiday party. Need some time off? Take it. Or take it with you, because...
8) It’s completely portable. As long as you have the basic techonology or can look up a local production studio, you are set to work. Can’t say that about most careers.
9) It’s a great conversation starter. No doubt about it, tell someone you do voiceover work and they’ll ask you more- what have you done, what have they heard you do, how’d you get into it? It’s not unreasonable to assume that insurance agents don’t get the same response. Nor car salesmen, or podiatrists or accountants or… well, you get the idea.
10) Applying for a job is as much fun as getting hired. Forget resumes and interviews, the audition has every bit as much sparkle and creativity as the job itself. The only difference is, well, you're not getting paid. But like I said before, as most of would do this for nothing anyway so that’s not even a negative.
Oh dear, I’m already at ten and am just getting into this. I could go back and make additions and adjustments but then it’s like tweaking an audition and, as my experience is that the first take is usually the most spot on, I’m going to leave this as is… and just rename it: Top Ten (of the Many) Best Things about Voiceovers.
Want to add to the list? Be my guest.
That got me thinking.
There are a hundred things I love about working in this field and I know I'm not the only one who loves my job. So I figured I’d step away from the mic for a few minutes and list, in no particular order, my Top Ten best things about Voiceovers. Because, beyond being one of the coolest jobs you can have (see #9), it is so much more. At least nine things more...
1) Let’s get the money thing out of the way first. The fact that it might not be as lucrative as you wish, or that some vo artists might have to supplement it with something else, is beside the point. The point is you can do this and get paid at all. How cool is that? Don’t tell the clients, but most voice artists I’ve known would do it for free just for the fun of the work. Which leads us to….
2) It’s fun. Sometimes ridiculously fun and that’s something you can’t say about a lot of other jobs. Even when you’re recording the voice for an entire IVR system, including every letter of the alphabet and every single number from 1 though the thousands. And if it's not enough fun, the outakes make up for it.
3) You meet the nicest people in a voice booth. Most voiceover people tend to be slightly left of center, less conventional, more creative and rarely take ourselves too seriously. (That's one more reason the job can be so much fun.) I’ve had sessions where we were laughing so hard, the producer had to pause the recording while we caught our breath.
4) It’s like a secret society. Without the handshake. It is a competitive business but that rarely stops anyone of us from helping out another. Reviewing demos, sharing advice and experiences, successes and failures, even swapping client horror stories, we share a certain sisterhood/brotherhood within the VO community.
5) It scratches the acting bug. There are a lot of closet actors in this business and getting a good piece of copy is as revered as a brilliant script. That :30 spot is a tiny play and you are the star. Plus, you don't have to memorize anything! And you can be anyone or anything. From an instructor to a frustrated housewife (or husband) to a wiseacre tot… performing in the Theater of the Mind, lets you channel a world of characters without concern for body type, age or costuming.
6) You don’t need an expensive wardrobe. Sure, there are occasional studio sessions and client meetings, but nobody expects ‘the voice’ to be looking like a corporate exec. They see us a different sort of breed and therefore cut us plenty of slack. Plus, with today’s technology so much of what we do is possible from our home studios. This is one of the few jobs you can do in your sweats or pjs. It rarely matters how you look and only always matters how you sound.
7) It's Flexible!! Yup, you can make your own hours and work as much or as little as you want. Of course, most of us work as much as we can, but the freedom to set your own schedule has served many a mom well, allowing us to make the school plays and deliver cupcakes for the holiday party. Need some time off? Take it. Or take it with you, because...
8) It’s completely portable. As long as you have the basic techonology or can look up a local production studio, you are set to work. Can’t say that about most careers.
9) It’s a great conversation starter. No doubt about it, tell someone you do voiceover work and they’ll ask you more- what have you done, what have they heard you do, how’d you get into it? It’s not unreasonable to assume that insurance agents don’t get the same response. Nor car salesmen, or podiatrists or accountants or… well, you get the idea.
10) Applying for a job is as much fun as getting hired. Forget resumes and interviews, the audition has every bit as much sparkle and creativity as the job itself. The only difference is, well, you're not getting paid. But like I said before, as most of would do this for nothing anyway so that’s not even a negative.
Oh dear, I’m already at ten and am just getting into this. I could go back and make additions and adjustments but then it’s like tweaking an audition and, as my experience is that the first take is usually the most spot on, I’m going to leave this as is… and just rename it: Top Ten (of the Many) Best Things about Voiceovers.
Want to add to the list? Be my guest.
But really, VoiceOver Artist is Coolest Job
How cool is it to be a VoiceOver Artist? According to an article on MSN.com... about the 10 Coolest Jobs in the World, VoiceActors only just make the list at number ten. Which prompted me to do my own analysis. What jobs could possibly be cooler or more fun than voice work? Well, it turns out, none. At least not for me.
From the MSN Careers article, I present their list, my perspective:
10 Jobs Cooler Than Yours (or so they think…)
1. Cruise director. Okay, so you get to to travel the world on a cruise ship, but you also have to deal with couples in matching shirts arguing that the answer to number 7 in the trivia game is NOT Rome, but Russia. Whatever. And while going on a cruise as a guest is just a little slice of heaven, living on a ship, sleeping in crew quarters and having to be responsible for scheduling fun and games for anywhere to 1200 to 5000 guests does NOT sound like a good time to me.
2. Doll doctor. Great. Assuming you live in an area where there are a lot of broken dolls and mommies with the money to fix ‘em. Otherwise, you’re watching a whole lot of Judge Judy and selling off your gold jewelry to make ends meet.
3. Foley artist. Kind of close to voice work, in a way… that is you are creating sound for films. But like doll doctor, and correct me if I’m wrong, I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of openings for ‘Foley Artist’ in your town.
4. Food critic. I do this every day. Only no one pays me. They just call it complaining.
5. Pet psychologist. I do this too, only I still can’t get my Border Collie, Rosie, to open up and tell me why she insists on nibbling on the plants in my garden. Fun? Or just frustrating.
6. Route setter. What is this? People who get paid to change the routes in various settings, such as indoor climbing walls, foot trails and running races? Sounds like it requires some interest in physical activities. No thanks.
7. Shoe designer. These are my Reeboks. These are my flip flops. This is not something I have the slightest interest in.
8. Storm chaser. Hello “Twister”? Not for me. I couldn’t even watch the movie.
9. Video game tester. Sounds like the perfect job for your slacker son who can’t put down the controls long enough to graduate. For him, this could be turning a nightmare into a dream job. But not for me. Even Mario made my heart race, and not in a good way.
10. Voice actor. Ahh… just reading that and I feel like I’m home. Cool? Yes. Fun? Heck, yeah. And how lucky are we to get to grab that script and go?? Ridiculously fortunate.
From the MSN Careers article, I present their list, my perspective:
10 Jobs Cooler Than Yours (or so they think…)
1. Cruise director. Okay, so you get to to travel the world on a cruise ship, but you also have to deal with couples in matching shirts arguing that the answer to number 7 in the trivia game is NOT Rome, but Russia. Whatever. And while going on a cruise as a guest is just a little slice of heaven, living on a ship, sleeping in crew quarters and having to be responsible for scheduling fun and games for anywhere to 1200 to 5000 guests does NOT sound like a good time to me.
2. Doll doctor. Great. Assuming you live in an area where there are a lot of broken dolls and mommies with the money to fix ‘em. Otherwise, you’re watching a whole lot of Judge Judy and selling off your gold jewelry to make ends meet.
3. Foley artist. Kind of close to voice work, in a way… that is you are creating sound for films. But like doll doctor, and correct me if I’m wrong, I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of openings for ‘Foley Artist’ in your town.
4. Food critic. I do this every day. Only no one pays me. They just call it complaining.
5. Pet psychologist. I do this too, only I still can’t get my Border Collie, Rosie, to open up and tell me why she insists on nibbling on the plants in my garden. Fun? Or just frustrating.
6. Route setter. What is this? People who get paid to change the routes in various settings, such as indoor climbing walls, foot trails and running races? Sounds like it requires some interest in physical activities. No thanks.
7. Shoe designer. These are my Reeboks. These are my flip flops. This is not something I have the slightest interest in.
8. Storm chaser. Hello “Twister”? Not for me. I couldn’t even watch the movie.
9. Video game tester. Sounds like the perfect job for your slacker son who can’t put down the controls long enough to graduate. For him, this could be turning a nightmare into a dream job. But not for me. Even Mario made my heart race, and not in a good way.
10. Voice actor. Ahh… just reading that and I feel like I’m home. Cool? Yes. Fun? Heck, yeah. And how lucky are we to get to grab that script and go?? Ridiculously fortunate.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
