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Why do a directed session with a Voice Over?

Writer's picture: Sebastian Brown Sebastian Brown

Hello Voicers and Voicees, in today's blog we're going to be looking at the benefits of a live-directed session, and why it's the best way to get the most out of your voiceover!


Now if you're a busy social media marketer, a pro-business media producer or a commercial writer who needs a voice to nail their script and bring life to their project, then the best way to do that...is to have a live directed session with a trained professional voiceover.


Sure, you can reference another project you like, you can use words like upbeat, energetic and dynamic to describe what you want to hear, and you can even underline or highlight all the words you want your VO to hit...but are you really going to get the best product possible?


Are you going to be able to hear those nuances in the moment?


Are you going to be able to change that line that just doesn't sound right?


The answer is no...so let's get live!



So, let's run down some of the reasons why a directed session is always the best option, and then we'll quickly talk about what we need to do to make sure we are 100% ready to go.


Live Direction


Now, this is probably pretty obvious, but being directed live can be hugely beneficial to the voice-over who is delivering your text. Getting feedback straight away, knowing what's working and what's not. Of course, if you're working with a professional, more is likely to be working than not, but it might be about fine-tuning the performance. Often, as a VO we develop the skill to direct ourselves and listen externally as we perform. This means we're always monitoring ourselves, and the beauty of a live session is that you can put that onus on someone else and just embrace the story and performance aspects. Live direction frees up the performer to just...well, perform!


Having an Audience


I don't care what any performer says, I like recording by myself just as much as the next person, but having an audience to perform to makes a big difference. The energy you get from knowing other people are listening and, if you've got the trusty webcam on, watching you as well. An audience gives you immediate feedback, and most voice over's are pretty impervious to analysis and constructive criticism, because we do this every day, for clients around the world! So never underestimate the power you have in being an audience member, and willing the performer to do an amazing job.


Hearing the Product


We all question something before we spend money on it, we seek out online reviews, we ask our friends, and we do a free trial for a week. We all do this because we want to know what we're spending our money on is exactly what we're looking for. Now, of course, most voice artists offer custom demos to ensure the client knows this in advance, but sometimes there might not be time for that, or a client is so in love with your voice that they offer you the project before even hearing your take on it.


That makes it even more important to hear the voice while it's being recorded, to listen to the interpretation of the script, to hear if the voice aligns with the style of the film and to ensure that you're getting everything you want for your money.


Making Changes


I can't tell you the number of times that I have been in a live session, and all of a sudden, the meeting goes quiet, clients mute you and start talking about something, you think you've done something wrong, you think they are about to end the session, you imagine you're voice will never be chosen again!


And then they come back on the chat and tell you that they are changing the script, oftentimes these chats also happen right before your very...ears. A line isn't working in real life, even though we've heard Sandra read it aloud and the A.I. voice glided over it, in real-person speech, it just doesn't work. Being able to make these changes in the moment is incredibly important and saves everyone time.


Pickups and Revisions


And that brings us to our last and huge benefit to live recorded sessions, it massively reduces the need for pickups, revisions or script changes because you've normally dealt with them all in the moment. And I'm sure most voice actors will tell you that revisions are no problem and that pickups are easy to insert. While that can be true, you also have to re-create the feeling, make sure you hit the right tone and seamlessly insert the audio into the original track, when all of that can be avoided with a live directed session.



So, now that we have bigged them up and discussed the benefits, what do we need to do as voice-overs to make sure that we are 100% ready for a live recording session?


  • Make sure your tech is ready to go! Internet wired in, computer running smoothly, email notifications off, all of those silly things that could either distract you or cause a sudden dropout.

  • Prepare your script - No need to over-rehearse, you want to keep things fresh. But make sure you have an idea of what you are going to perform, and have marked up and annotated your script.

  • Hydration - both before the session, and I like to keep a cup of mint tea or another warm drink in the booth just to make sure the voice is singing nicely.

  • Physically prepared - as well as the voice, you want to make sure that your body is warmed up and ready to go.

  • Distractions outside the booth - and of course, don't forget to leave your phone, watch or anything else that could distract you outside of the booth.


So the next time a client sends over a script, why not suggest a live session? And if you're a producer looking to get the most out of your voice actor, book a live session to make sure you get the best audio possible.


Signing out

SBVO


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