There are a handful of artists across the country who make their living recording voice over full time. It’s their calling and their passion.
There are also droves of newbies and amateur voice over actors who are trying their hand at recording too.
Hey, everyone has to start somewhere! We all did.
So how can you be sure you’ll end up with a finished product that really works and that the journey to the finish line isn’t a headache a minute?
By hiring a vetted professional. Voice over is an artistic craft that takes time to develop.
Would you hire a beginning pastry chef to bake your wedding cake? Nope
Would you hire a novice carpenter to build your new home? Absofreakinlootly NOT!
Would you hire an aspiring musician to sing at the Metropolitan Opera? Uhhh…
Maybe we’re getting a little carried away here, but there’s a real benefit to working with someone who has made voice over their life’s work.
Here’s the scoop…
An Understanding of the Process
Breaking into the world of voice overs is a notoriously difficult challenge—even harder than a lot of on-camera work in that you must learn to self-direct on nearly every occasion auditions and most hired projects.
Full-time voice actors understand the 360-degree creative marketing process and will work hard to support your journey, meet deadlines and deliver the best adaptation of your script. They know how to connect with your target audience adding flair for commercials and collaboration and engagement for corporate explainer videos or eLearning.
Unlike someone who is just starting out, you won’t have to walk a full-time voice actor through the creative process. They will absorb your script to create, bring your characters to life, and deliver gorgeously, polished audio files from their trusted home studio.
A Fully Equipped Professional Home Studio
What that the neighbour I heard, cat maybe? That’s ALOT of echo…hmmm?!? Not good.
He sounded “goood”, but it took 3 days to get the files back…grrr!
You and or your client are on the clock and efficiency, consistency and reliability are a “must- have.” Muffled or garbled sound muddying up your project, uh uh.
Imagine a tranquil TV spot for a spa or yoga studio interrupted by the sound of a lawnmower outside or a crying baby in the next room. You need a voice over actor with the tools at home to give you a crystal-clear sound every time. A home studio is a dedicated space that’s designed to keep sounds from the outside world, well, outside!
Sure, you could rent a recording studio. But this can cost anywhere from $80 to $300 per hour, on top of your voice over actor’s fees. And it’s incredibly limiting. It means you’re forced to choose someone local who can get to the studio. These days, on-demand is the name of the game.
The Training and Skills That Are Crucial to Your Project’s Success
Voice Actors must first become just that, an Actor
Many(most!) voice over artists get into the game because someone told them they have a nice voice.
Well, believe it or not, that accounts for nearly nothing in the voice over industry these days. Without the acting skills to back up those pipes, the script won’t be delivered properly; it simply won’t get off the ground and capture your audience.
Guys like Don LaFontaine defined what the world has come to know as the sound of voice over. These days, the bulk of the market is craving conversational and unique. Now, with COVID19, there’s been a surge of warm, empathetic voices to match the current climate which means a good bit of the TV and Radio commercials are drifting back to voice actors in the 35-55 year-old range after having been largely millennial for most of the last decade. Fortunately, there are certain voice over actors out there who can do both. (Request an Audition link)
Nonetheless, without proper training, talent are up mountain with a paper umbrella during a thunderstorm! Unless you’re proficient at lassoing up a strike of lighting or perhaps winning the lottery, achieving a high level of influence and positive response from your audience can typically only be harnessed by working with a voice actor who has taken the time to become professional and develop those acting skills and, you know it…CHOPS!
The market is always looking for unique female and male voice over talent to add some special sauce to a script. And now more than ever, finding talent who can self direct, record and deliver studio-quality from home, are leagues ahead of the pack.
A trained professional will know EXACTLY how to connect with your audience for maximum engagement for an ad campaign and can maximize retention for eLearning, explainer or corporate training videos and modules.
Ok, Back to “Conversational”
Very important, circling back a bit, conversational was mentioned before. Most people know how to hold a conversation, but that doesn’t mean they can interpret a script and make it sound conversational. The difference is that when you hire a full-time male voice over artist, they’ll know how to take someone else’s story, absorb it, make it their own and deliver it on a silver platter in an approachable casual manner.
While this may sound like it’s not a huge deal, actually this isn’t an inherent human trait. It’s a learned skill that takes all kinds of time and training to develop.
Now your probably thinking, WOW, this is going to cost me a fortune!
Not true, pop over here(Request a Quote link) with your script and get a fair, market rate, detailed quote right away.
Reliable, Consistent and Available
Do you have a quick turnaround time? Maybe you have last-minute edits or there’s a new line that needs to be added to your project.
Advantage of hiring a Pro VO…
● Taking direction: Often you’ll need to give a voice actor direction so that they can convey the writer’s intended message and complement the brand. A true pro can balance on the head of a pin, pivoting this way and that creating nuance and range for the most simple straightforward of characters. Knowing how far to push the envelope and when to hold back is not something you just know how to do. It takes time to develop this skill. And a passion for storytelling sure doesn’t hurt!
● Enthusiasm and spontaneity: No matter how many takes, your voice over actor should keep the same level of energy throughout. Consistency, whether it’s a :15 or :30 second TV or Radio spot or hour-long elearning course.
● Availability: Now, yes, now. It’s possible and wonderful. An attainable rainbow, if you will. And it actually exists when you work with a full time voice over actor.
It’s like practising free-throw shots. An NBA basketball player can recreate the same kind of shot over and over again, and a full-time professional voice actor can recreate the same sound qualities take after take so that their recording is nothing but net!
● Knowledge of the Creative Process
● Professional Trained Actor
● Lover of Deadlines
● Top-notch Home Studio and super sexy Recording Equipment
● Not to mention, Incredibly awesome and Easy to work with!
Alex Herring is your male voice over talent that checks every box, twice!!
Reach out to Alex and start collaborating today.