Whenever directing any voice talent for the voice-over job, it is important to guide the performances of voice artists, while also giving them the freedom to explore. While a reputable voice-over company will help you to get exactly what you want from a recording, you too must be clear with your voice-over instructions beforehand. So what does it take to do a better job while directing a voice artist?
Here are a few points that you can follow before getting into the session that will help the voice artists to deliver engaging performances:
The clear objective of the role
Does your script demand lively animation voice over or a slow-paced narration of a scene? Providing a clear objective to the voice talents and letting them have an in-depth idea about the role would help them to prepare a back story and enact the scene with conviction.
Audience’s Anatomy
You must let the voice artist know about the audience for which the VO is being recorded. Announcing speakers at a conference of a technical seminar would have a different feel versus narrating a video for a Nonprofit Organization. Share specific details about your target audience to ensure the voice artist knows to whom he or she is speaking.
The vibe of the Script
Use highly specific descriptive words to indicate how you want a script to sound. Is the script meant solely as a form of Information transfer or to cause the viewer to take the next step? Or is it more conversational and explanatory? Use words and terminologies such as warm, friendly, concerned, emotionless, comic, serious, quirky or aggressive while explaining the overall feel of the script. Using general terms such as nice, flat, conversational create confusion, as these are open to many differing interpretations.
Use Final Script
Read your script out loud, noting any tricky words, uncommon names or desired pronunciations and mark them accordingly. This will help you catch grammatical errors, which will save time during the session. Always provide the final script to the artist and label words that are required to be spoken in a different tone or style. Outline direction for: Numbers, pronunciation of people’s names, unfamiliar words and foreign phrases. Use Brackets for Direction: If certain parts of the script require voice over acting moments, use brackets to outline specific emotions and tones to hit at those points. Remember to keep those emotions and tones very specific.
Cite Specific Examples
For providing a better reference to the voice artist, try to inculcate sample audios or videos so that the voice artist has a better clarity of flow and pacing during recordings. To provide minimal direction, single out a particular demo of the artist for the vocal delivery you want. This will always ensure that the artist nails the desired delivery.
Specify Timings
If the voice track needs to be timed to a video or fit a specific time frame, make sure you give the voice artist a head’s up in advance. Most professional voice-over recordings & artists worldwide work with a stopwatch in hand and are extremely aware of how to fit copy into the desired time frame. But also, make sure that the script is not over-written and can fit into the timeline.
Also, give positive feedback to the artist, but also be honest. If you didn’t like something, tell them! And tell them why. Voiceover artists simply want to provide the best voice over product they can.
Directing a voice over or a voice actor can be a breeze if the artist is professional and knows how to deliver quality recordings. As the voice over industry transforms, more and more brands are looking to hire seasoned voice actors who have all skill sets and using these tips with your voiceover talent will enable you to work successfully, remotely, with anyone from around the world.
If you want to hire a professional voice over artist, but you don’t know how don’t fret! Voyzapp – the largest voice-over marketplace online, can help you provide skilled and experienced voice artists at a button’s click. You even have the option of comparing the prices of different voice actors before selecting the one that fits your budget.
Always remember that regardless of the type of direction you’re providing, it’s important to be clear, specific, and concise with the voice artist as ambiguous instructions only lead to confusion. Good luck with your voice recording session!
