Voice Acting Tips: Dos & Don’ts

What to do or what not to do, for us voice artists, that is the question every time we step into a studio!

As a voiceover talent, you will be behind a microphone being instructed during a recording. But you may say, that you can be just on your own in your home studio, without feedback. Well, in that case too, you also need some guidelines.

To get you a heads start we have provided a list of dos and don’ts in the current practices of voiceovers! So the next time you are on your way to another voice over job, or just recording that script in your own booth, don’t sweat it! You’ll be prepared with these voice acting tips.

Courtesy of Sound-on-sound

Let’s break it down:

THE DOS

• Drink a lot of water to keep your mouth moist.
• Keep those sinuses clear! Unless you seek medical attention, nose drops usually do the trick.
• Do cardiovascular exercise for better breathing.
• Do some simple voice exercises to strengthen your enunciation and articulation
  • Recite tongue twisters!

Female voice talent Andrea Greene interviewed marketing executive/ long time professional voice talent, Camilla Nelson.

Greene: So, when recording in a studio what should be kept in mind?

Nelson: Versatility! Versatility gives the employer confidence in you, and shows the employer that you have gone deeper to discover the world of voiceover talent. So be flexible to adapt to your client’s needs. So leap a little out of the box!

Greene: So in terms of marketing, what do you recommend is the best way to get the attention of employers?

Nelson: I highly suggest creating a website. Today most people use the web as their primary choice of research. So stop hanging flyers on telephone posts and start investing a little bit of time in creating an eye catching website…or even a blog! And then of course be an active member of social media sites.

Greene: Where is the best place to record?

Nelson: There is no “best place” as everyone is comfortable in different situations, but for me I recommend investing in your own recording studio. Having your own studio makes the job easier for you and your employees- less things to work with!

 

THE DON’TS

Dee Bradley Baker, a Los Angeles- based voice talent wrote a blog about 6 common mistakes newcomers in the voice acting industry make.

• Don’t just read, act! Read as though you are talking to someone or an audience of people. Add emotions, crescendos and onomatopoeias!
• Avoid nose and tongue jewelry. A slight motion will cause the accessory to sound or harm your speech and it will be hard for the editor to remove these noises from the audio files.
• Steer away from using smart phones or electronic devices. This will create background noise giving the editors a hard time.
• Silence your phones! Your friends will have to wait, because any distraction will delay the work, giving the employers a bad impression.
• And never ever bring your cell into the recording booth because its creates interference with the audio.
• Don’t noisily shuffle your papers around! Strategically lie them out in front of you before you begin to avoid excess movement.

Respecting those rules and with the right voice pitch you can do wonders. Yes, your voice conveniently used has the power to make believable any scenario you can imagine.

Am I exaggerating? Please watch this short film called The VoiceOver, it’s in French with subtitles in English. Just follow it for its duration of 10 minutes. It’s amazing how the voice can conjure up three different situations. The voice commands, the voice determine the pictures, and not the other way round.

So, what’s your opinion about the power of a voiceover?
On top of this short list above, do you have anything to add to the dos or don’ts lists?
We would welcome your feedback.

If so, share below!