Guide – How to order a voice over online.
Here are some advice for directors, producers, advertising agencies and others who work with voice actors.
Finding the right voice for your project can sometimes be a bit tricky and, above all, very subjective.
Two hundred voice-over talents can describe their voices as “warm” but only you can say which voice is right for your project.
If you find it difficult to decide, we can offer a short custom made demo at no cost using a few sentences from your script.
That way, you can listen to how the voice reads your script, and not just hear a general selection of their other work.
Ask about the background and experience of the voice.
Many voices have a wide register and can read in many different ways, but no one can do everything. Make sure the voice you hire can perform whats most important for you.
Screenplay and directing tips:
• Describe your target audience
Start by giving a brief description of who will listen to the finished recording.
Whose attention do you hope to catch? It helps the voice get a picture of the audience.
• Be as descriptive as possible
You should strive to be as descriptive as possible when conveying how you want the finished product to sound.
Sometimes voice actors get a script together with just one directing word, eg. ”Optimistic. ”
This is not always enough to find exactly the right tone.
To facilitate your ordering instructions, we have compiled a list of useful words:
Authoritarian, credibility, straight, clear, comic, easy, compassionate, concerned, confident,
Cool, Informative, dry, sensitive, energetic, sweeping, enthusiastic, excited, friendly, effective,
Hip, Mature, Movie Trailer, Professional, Quirky, Realistic, Serious, Sleeping, Soothing, Straightforward,
Warm, Young, Old ..
TIP: if you want your voice actor to sound Sensitive, try using a scale or an example to convey how sensitive you want the voice to be.
Or, say you want the voice to sound like a character or play a role: a storyteller, business manager, mom, neighbor, best friend, lawyer, doctor, trusted teacher, or a bored receptionist.
• Give specific examples
It doesn’t help the voice actor to hear you want them to sound “just like a celebrity or like someone on a particular commercial, if they can’t hear those references. Therefore, please send a sound file with the tone you aim at. Some voice actors can mimic voices, and if they hear an example of how you want it to sound, they can probably come very close in tempo, tone and style.
• Write an easy-to-read script.
Sometimes scripts have edited notes and revisions, which can confuse the voice.
Try sending a clean and neat script in a 12 – point font.
This makes it easier for the voice to concentrate on how to read the text instead of how the text is written ..
Also note that we charge extra to read a text once again due to script changes, so always proofread your script before sending it to us.
• Pronunciation
In cases where a word or a number can be read in different ways, we wish you to write a pronunciation guide or send an audio file that can guide the voice during recording.
For example, always spell out the pronunciation next to a number. The same goes for company names, product names and so on.
• Match the time to the amount of words
There is nothing more irritating for a voice over artist than getting a script that is not timed.
For example, getting a script for a 20-second long commercial containing text that cannot be read under 30 seconds. Add instructions such as “calm” and “credible” and we have a recipie for impossible and frustrating. The text will of course only be able to read in one way – “fast”!
Try to read your script out loud and take the time properly before sending your order. Editing the script before recording saves a lot of time.
Also remember that “less is more”, the more information you put into a text, the less the recipient will remember.
Some producers want the voice to record all the sentences in a script, even though they know it will pass over time. They like to hear different versions and then edit the sentences. Then tell the voice that it is acceptable to go over time. If this is not made clear, the reading sounds stressed and the voice will feel frustrated as it will be impossible to read the text within the specified time limit.
Click here to order one of our votes or contact us directly at info@voicetome.com