Nailing The Voiceover Brief
As a Voice Artist, the difference between a ‘Wow’ product, (one that really sings) and one that’s just ‘ok’, is as much about the skills of the VO as the quality of the brief and the direction.
I’m a massive fan of directed sessions as I get the benefit of direction on the spot, straight from an expert whose focus is on the end result for a client.
Ironically, those new to VO will lean towards self direction as it feels less stressful. There isn’t the pressure of being watched, assessed or judged in real time.
You’re free from the weight of all the extra hats, like studio technician and relationship management. It’s a flawed assumption though as it usually means more work for everyone in the end.
Here are my tips for getting the best out of the limited time you have with a VO to nail the brief for a client.
Get The Script In Advance
When Digital Tangible gave me the script in advance of the session for a ‘Street Names’ Audioguide in Madrid, it also came with a set of pre-recorded ‘tricky words’.
These were just recorded on a phone by someone speaking in the native tongue. This is an incredible resource for a VO to have.
An alternative I’ve seen before is a link to a 3rd party pronunciation platform like Forvo. The problem with these sites is you often get different interpretations.
A US interpretation often differs from a UK one, so which one do you go with ? Obviously context is King here.
Having a link to the preferred approach helps.
Voice Direction Notes
It’s normal that a brief will come with a description of tone, style and pacing. The down-side to this is that it is highly subjective and that’s where an experienced Voice Director really comes in.
I’ve had briefs that have included very solid descriptive terms, but have also included one or two that are somewhat vague.
A good voice director will often prefix these with the words
‘the client has asked for….’
I find this extremely useful as its an act of transparency about the challenges they are facing, entrusting me with the freedom to interpret the terms and hopefully save the day.
Voiceover Pronunciation
A good Voice Actor will research.
If I’m ever conflicted over how a word should be delivered and have no specific direction, you can’t beat seeing a video of someone from the company saying the word.
If all else fails, I just drop the production team a line and get clarification. What I never do is just wing it and hope it’s correct.
That’s just a waste of a producer, director and voice actor’s time.
Voice Reference Tracks
The quickest way to lock in to what the Voice Director wants is for them to provide a link to a similar sounding voice recording. Just this act alone can save 3 or four revisions during a recording.
Music Reference Tracks
If the voice is to eventually be mixed over a sound bed or music track, having access to that ahead of the recording is a game changer for a Voice Artist.
I can’t over state how much this informs the performance and can make the difference between something that’s ‘ok’ and something that blows you away.
Voiceover, Directed Session or Self Directed ?
Without a doubt, a directed session is the best way to get the quickest, most efficient and best quality results out of a voice actor.
If you’ve ever had to record self directed auditions, you’ll know that it’s rare to nail the best take on the first run. In fact, the lack of direct feedback is one of the biggest contributors to why so many auditions are deemed by directors and producers as ‘ok’, as opposed to brilliant.
If they wanted ‘ok’ then they’d probably be using AI.
Delivering brilliant, self directed recordings is one of the hardest, but most crucial skills a VO can develop. Ultimately experience plays its part here, having been directed so many times that instinct takes over.
By having a window for the work to be completed it focusses the attention. The script comes in advance, allowing time for preparation and rehearsal.
The key decision makers are in the room so there’s no need for endless back and forth that just wastes everyone’s time.
When the session concludes, there’s just the post production to do, in full knowledge that everyone is happy with the audio.
Everyone moves on and things get done quicker.
What Makes Good Voice Direction ?
There is an art to creating an environment that allows a Voice Artist, or any creative to really fly.
An experienced voice director knows this and regardless of the day to day pressures they may be facing, the deadlines, the demands of clients, the challenges with budgets, these are never felt by the VO during the session.
A good voice director puts the VO at ease and there’s often a little banter at the start to calm the nerves.
Ground rules are established like agreeing how many takes to read before there is an interruption.
They have a tool bag of phrases, approaches and ways of challenging the VO that always bring the best out of them.
They hear when a voice artist is running out of ideas and maybe starting to just ‘read the words’, rather than performing them.
They work collaboratively, treat other creative professionals as equals and remain positive when technical issues show up.
A good voice director treats the session as a two way process and is open to hearing ideas that the VO may have.
What Makes A Good Voice Artist In A Directed Session ?
To get the most out of a directed session, it takes both the director and the VO to play ball.
A good VoiceOver artist will read and practice the script in advance, asking questions in advance of the directed session if required.
A good VO tests their equipment well in advance of the directed session. One thing I’ve come across a couple of times is a quick ‘connect and sound check’, ahead of the session, particularly where there are lots of people scheduled to attend.
The good voice artist makes no value judgement between one project and another. They work with the same diligence and professionalism for all projects, knowing that the audio that leaves their studio is a statement of who they are.
A good VO turns up on time, or preferably slightly early.
Technical Issues In Voiceover
When a voice artist works with a client via a directed session there are lots of extra hats to wear. One of the down-sides of a directed session is that this can be a distraction for the actor.
As a professional Voice Artist though, this is just something you have to embrace. Good voice direction will ease the tension, whilst bad voice direction will simply compound it.
I’ve been in many directed sessions where technical issues have emerged and it really is on you as the talent to solve the problem, right there on the spot.
The swan analogy applies, you have to remain calm and in control. You are being hired for your professionalism and experience.
It goes without saying that knowing your way around a studio and the way that remote audio functions is a must.
Who Should Lead A Directed Voiceover ?
Generally this is the role of the director, producer or designated sound engineer. That said, I’ve also worked with many clients that are not experienced in remote recording.
When that’s the case, your authority as an expert is in demand and it’s crucial to accept that. Being able to take the lead, knowing when to step up or step down are skills a Voiceover Artist needs in their locker.
Voiceover Client Fulfilment
An easy trap to fall into after a directed session is finished is to park the post production work for later. That’s often a mistake that damages the reputation of the Voice Artist.
I like to mix and render the audio immediately after the session has finished, getting the broadcast quality audio across to them quickly.
The same applies to invoicing.
VO Invoicing
A common gripe that creatives have is the late payment of invoices. It’s true this can sometimes be a problem and is a headache for self employed voice artists that rely on cash flow.
It goes both ways though, as production teams have their own targets, financial and commercial frameworks and standards that they have to meet.
Late submission of an invoice is equally as jarring to them as late payment is for a Voiceover Artist.
Self Directed or Directed Voiceover ?
I’ve set out a pretty strong case here for directed sessions and it’ll be no surprise that they’re my preferred way of working.
If I’ve missed anything here, please just let me know.
James Fowler Voiceover
James is an experienced British Voice artist with a passion for Audiobook, Game Character, Documentary and Audioguide styles.
He’s narrated over 60 books, shouted instructions on the sinking Titanic, voiced the UK Houses of Parliament and Hampton Court Palace Audioguides and promoted everything from luxury apartments to Romanian Apple Pie.
Contact James if you have a project that needs strong acting skill, flexibility and premium quality audio, delivered quickly and without fuss.
