NEWS

There are few things I love more in life than story. Nature, maybe. Water, but that’s a subset of nature. People aren’t things…well, not generally anyway. But the point of this big reveal into story at the head of my behind the scenes insights on audiobook narration is that the tales we tell and how we tell them, whether through aural or oral tradition, wrapped in celluloid, tramped across boards or lining the pages or screens of books has been my happy obsession for decades.   Prep and Lead In   So with a lifetime drenched in a study of story, how it’s written and performed it was with great joy […]

Audio Dialogue Replacement, (ADR) or looping, has come a long way since the old-school Kung Fu movies where the mouth movements and dialogue didn’t match.  Dubbing is the unglamorous low man on the totem pole in the voice world. Not as prestigious as cartoons or videogames, not as lucrative as commercials or TV narration, it still requires a very specific talent. Matching and timing what comes out of your mouth with what shows up on screen. And if you nail it, you’ll find yourself invited into this weird world of post-production work and vehemently asked to stay. And what voice actor in their right (or left) mind doesn’t love a […]

Oh, the honeyed gravitas. Languid and relaxed. Soothing and warm. There’s that dominant, strong male sound, with a nice low pitch, but it’s grounded and non-threatening. When Morgan Freeman does voiceover you feel like you’re in good hands, er…tones. We can’t get enough. And neither can our clients.  Ever wondered why? A STUDY Casey Klofstad did. He’s an associate professor of political science at the University of Miami. A year or so ago he conducted a study involving political ads.  He found kind of what you instinctively already knew. Lower-voiced individuals (like Morgan Freeman but this apparently applies to both male and female voices) give us the impression of integrity, competence […]

Apart from the fact that they provide me, a professional narrator, with about 20% of my voiceover income, I must confess. I am obsessed with explainer videos. They’re nifty-swifty cool little bites of “Hello, My name is____” and “this is what I do.” I was surprised at an in-studio commercial voice over session the other day, when neither the brilliant copywriter nor the other (truly gifted) actor with whom I was dialoguing for the spot, knew much about them. So, voila! Animated, or drawn on a whiteboard, these 30 second to 3 minute snippets do what their name implies: explain something about a product or service or what a business […]

So, it helps to have talent. Obvi, as my kid would say. (Insert age appropriate eye roll here) And a few technical things too, like training, practice and timing. But more than that, the secret sauce in how to make spectacular commercial voiceovers is a recipe of love, understanding and respect. Let me break this down.   Love the ad Since I was a little girl, talking to myself in the mirror, telling myself about Scope or Crest or Johnson’s Baby Shampoo I have loved ads. I started out loving them more than cartoons Like the horrified text books used to predict, I couldn’t tell the difference between these mini-movies […]

21st Century voice over means knowing how direct yourself in your own booth. Expertly. If the task seems daunting and you’re a bit shaky on how to deftly turn the tables to be both actor and director, these tips may help steady you on. When you get a piece of text…   Orient Yourself Grasshopper Who – are you: The boss? A peer, a dad, an ice princess? Your read for Nok, the sewer troll will be very different from the BFF over coffee. Who – are you talking to: Again, answering this anchors your character and helps you settle on a tone and delivery. Why open your mouth? (also […]

  For a medium that is still a teenager, podcasting seems to have appeared out of nowhere and has grown like Jack’s mythical beanstalk. Audio is genius in its ability to convey intimacy, emotion and story. The rewards of the current Golden Age of Podcasting are now being reaped. This timeline is curated with with material sourced from Columbia’s Tow Center for Journalism and Ramona Rice, Community Manager at Podcast Websites, bullet points the speedy growth of this burgeoning mobile audio platform. Enjoy! Podcasting: In the Beginning 1999-2005 1999 – Netscape developers thought of aggregating content to make it simpler for readers to check updates from multiple sites in one […]

The online world cracked opened immense possibilities for working with industry pros in a non-geographic specific way. It’s also made it difficult to sift through the ocean of dust to find your diamonds. That’s what makes voiceover.biz so special. Looking for a quick, easy way how to find awesome, vetted voiceover talent? You’ll love it.   Voiceover.Biz is the directory arm of WoVO. No, not the Volcano people, the non-profit freelance voice over actors’ association, World-Voices Organization, Inc.   The cool thing about the talent on this site is that to be listed, the voice over people must be professionals with their own private studios and are vetted by existing […]

You’ve been tasked with directing the audio on a commercial, a corporate video or gaming session. You know how you want it to sound, but are you certain you’ll be able to get that from your voice actor? Actors are a touchy-feely, capricious lot. They are trained to observe and catalogue the behavior of others, be open to the moment, sound and appear truthful or believable and simultaneously tap into their rainbowed fount of expressive creativity.   The Power of Improv Give your actor licence to play. Get a good take and a safety in the (sound) bank, then invite the actor to improvise. Ad-libbing around the script can unearth […]

With more years as a voice actor than a millennial can claim to be alive, I am often called upon to direct voice over sessions. What is the view from this particular vantage point? Join me for part 1 of a 3 part Insider Series with lessons from both sides of the glass. This morning I directed a voice actor, female, 30ish, to do a narration for a corporate video. Completely bilingual, (French and English) but with more experience working in French than English, she had a light, genuine vocal imprint which appealed very much to the client, for its contrast with the subject matter: a French manufacturer of airplane […]

Podcasts are gaining in popularity, big time. The soniverse (yes, I just made this word up) is exploding with podcasts in multi forms. So, let’s focus the spotlight on their burgeoning heyday and sort out how podcasting hasn’t killed the radio star, but reconstituted him/her onto another platform. As a voiceover talent, podcasts bring many opportunities for my work. I have been hired to provide intros and outros for financial podcasts, special guest intros for news and entertainment podcasts, story lead-ins for relationship podcasts and narrating whole podcasts for the pharmaceutical and health industry.   Stats and Dat(e)s   -A young medium, the first podcast, “Radio Open Source,” then called […]

Your peeps. Your gang.  The guys and gals in your field who support you, maybe sometimes compete with you, but also cheer you on when you succeed. Listen to you, or take you out for drinks when you need to complain. This is your professional community. One of your greatest business resources. But are you using this resource to the fullest? Your relationships with the people in your industry can help you in more ways than just being sympathetic to your problems or sorting out a project together. Here are ten easy hacks to form stronger alliances, become more efficient, help each other stay on track and even help each […]

Is it rare to realize you’ve got a cool behind-the-scenes fact in common with a superstar like Scarlett Johannson? It is for me. And it’s also pretty freaking fun.   In 2014 around Super Bowl Time, Scarlett did her famous and somewhat controversial ad for Soda Stream, the counter top invention that turns ordinary water into soda at home. Here’s her sensational spot:   Just before its release, Scarlett became embroiled in controversy over her endorsement of Soda Stream. Competitors Pepsi and Coke did not like being challenged at the end of the spot. This criticism was looked at dimly, because a lot of people figured the pop powers were […]

I’m addressing a performance art graduating class tonight. A class of musicians, actors, dancers and singers. I remember being in their seats. A hungry-for-life, embrace-the-world, chomp-down-the-nerves and go-for-it young adult. For me, that was a few Presidents ago, and hey, I’ve done it. Continue to do it. I’m a working actor. A voice actor. I love my art and I love my life. What would I tell myself, if I could, when I was the same life-point this graduating class will be tonight?   1. Watch and listen – Your art, whether it’s music, drama, dance or visual arts is the interface between you and your world. Notice people. Notice […]

Ask anyone who knows me in my voice over life. I love video ads. In fact, if I had to choose only one form of voice over to do for the rest of my life, it would be commercials. The kind that sells things to the everyday Jane & Joe. Like this 15 second gem for Sears. Creativity within a Constraint I hanker for a good set of boundaries within which to play. I first realized this during a year long stint on a weather channel, where I had to spiel off weather report after weather report in 4 minute and 50 second chunks over and over again for hours […]

  Once in a while a commercial comes along that gets under your skin. The FGCU Effect produced by Mark Myers or TradeMarky Productions was one such an ad. The footage is gorgeous. Artfully juxtaposed scenes of life as a student at the Florida Gulf Coast University: rallies, outdoor classes in swamps, early morning track, students in co-ops. The school has a video of the making of the spot on their You Tube channel. Of course for me, seeing the footage came later. My intro to the spot was an audition that came up on a pay to play site (Voice 123 in this instance). What struck me was the […]

  An educational eLearning client recently asked me for referrals for sound studios builders. They’ve decided to build a place for their professors to record. This got me, the professional voice actor thinking… Both of my university aged daughters have complained about monotone, boring, bad narration in the online courses they have taken which were narrated by their profs. Why is this happening? Why would a prof  risk everything they have worked so hard to achieve and turn it into something inferior. Is it because they don’t realize that unprofessional narration is worse than no narration, at all? That a monotone delivery negatively affects the brand of both the university […]

  Voice actors are incredibly skilled performers. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a voice artist myself! To have the flexibility, clarity, and enunciation, along with the ability to personify a landscape, an animal, an inanimate drawing is an art form. Then, to not only do that for one character, but to create and breathe life into dozens, even hundreds more? It’s inspiring. Here’s my list of top voice actors. You will recognize the genius behind the microphone in some, but others, may surprise you.   #5 Dan Castellaneta     Dan Castellaneta, of Homer J. fame, is one of the staple reasons why The Simpsons have been […]

  As a voice over actor with over twenty years of experience in medical eLearning-voice-over, I’ve worked on projects targeted to the general public and medical professionals alike. The tone and approach I use for health eLearning is a combination of experience and practice. Although I have no formal medical background, the key is to sound like I do.   Adjust Your Delivery Medical eLearning is all about informing the audience about latest techniques and important breakthroughs, clinical results and indications regarding medicine, nutrition, pharma and anything related. Projects for voice over artists vary widely, so adopting and perfecting a single universal voice for health or medical eLearning is not […]

Just like this Porifera named Bob, children are like sponges. Sometimes we forget how quickly and how much they pick up and next thing we know, they’re repeating words we may not think they should incorporate into their vocabularies just yet. They absorb more information than we realize, and their education doesn’t stop when the school bell rings.   And of course, they are extremely comfortable with electronic environments. This plus the fact that schools are overcrowded and underfunded, is it any wonder close to 50% of the growth in eLearning in the US in the last couple of years has been in the K-12 market. Ergo the profusion of ELearning […]

You receive a voice over script for a new commercial for toothpaste, insurance, or maybe it’s shoes. You’re want to deliver the perfect sound to match the product, but there are no tags or directions to guide your delivery. How do you get started? Even the most seasoned voice actors need to do a little digging. As a voiceover coach, I tell my students, many of the clues and questions to ask are in the text itself. An experienced pro might take it further and do a bit of research, too. Whether you’re new to narration or a venerable veteran, here are three simple script analysis tricks to bring your commercial […]

eLearning is hot stuff! This $35B market is expected to reach $350B by 2025. (Nasdaq) Sizzle. Sizzle.   What’s driving this growth? Digital technology, the speed of Internet and the ubiquity of wifi, mean learning no longer has to happen in a physical classroom with an instructor and (sometimes) somnolent lectures. Huge growth in the developing world and a shortage of teachers is a propelling global  force. Stats reveal eLearning saves money, increases learning retention and the amount of material students are able to digest, takes less time and even saves energy! eLearning is interactive, incorporates gaming, even wearable technology. It’s essentially any online environment where students take lessons, complete assignments, […]

For eLearning voice over actors new to the increasing ‘virtual office’ and ‘home studio’ reality of this industry, just how technical our job has become may shock you at first. But if you want to make it in this industry, put on your techie hat. Not only will you have to invest in professional sound equipment and software, you also have to know how to use it for optimal performance. No need to panic though, you don’t have to have a degree in audio engineering, but you must know enough to record and deliver high quality work every time you step into your studio.     Whatever equipment and software you […]

Narration jobs for eLearning courses are a great source of income for voice over artists looking for steady work. This is no surprise considering that online or distance learning is becoming a mainstream and accepted form of education. People can receive entire degrees from the comfort of their home, and further careers in their field of study.   Voice over actors can benefit from this growing trend in modern education, by bringing their talent to course curriculums. If you’re considering a career in voice acting, or you’re thinking about adding eLearning to your voice actor’s toolkit, here are a few reasons to take advantage of this steady demand.   Factor […]

Voice acting is conjuring up an amusing voice, laying the track over a cartoon character, crossing your fingers and hoping it works. Not! Voice acting is way more than that.   No one describes it better than the woman who is number one on this list (no peeking!): “I love everything I do with all of the parts that I do because there’s a little bit of me in all of them. We all have anger and jealousy and love and hope in our natures. We try to communicate that vocally with just sketches that you see on the screen and make it come alive and make it human. That’s […]

  Car commercials are known for being expensive, well-crafted, quality productions. Their budgets are usually generous because, unlike some industries, car companies market their products by marketing lifestyles. So, it’s no surprise that these brands vie for our loyalty by employing well-known actors. It’s part of the seduction.   Using famous voices to sell cars is not a modern marketing tactic. Sam Elliot’s iconic smoky, all-American voice sold us on Dodge Rams long before Jon Hamm used his Don Draper charm to draw us into buying a Mercedes Benz. Mazda is no different. But who is the voice of Mazda? It’s probably not who you think.   While many people […]

As an experienced voice over actor, I’ve lent my talent to thousands of narrations. A particular passion of mine lies in informing and educating students of all ages on a variety of subjects, so I am especially proud of my eLearning voice over work. eLearning is not simply about regurgitating information. It’s an integral part of the listener’s education, whatever it may be. eLearning continues to broaden its scope, and I’m happy to have not only represented so many facets of the industry from onboarding and compliance to pharma/medical work, university courses and heaps more, but to also coach others how to do the same. Types of eLearning Voice Over […]

  The beauty of eLearning is that it’s timely, self-paced and cost-effective. The medium itself improves learner retention by around 45%. Scholarly articles indicate a good professional voiceover can increase that percentage by an extra 20 percentage points or more. Here’s why good eLearning voice over work is important to any educational project. Setting the Pace for the Curriculum Your voice over artist is not only the teacher but often the most human component of your eLearning program. Correct pacing and rhythm is important to guide students through the course material.  It’s up to your narrator to speak at the right speed and find the balance between ensuring every student […]

Advertising companies know if you want to reel in a buyer, use a joke for your bait. ‘Cause, let’s face it—commercials aren’t really what audiences tune in to see or hear. That’s why the best advertising is concise, clever and tend toward the comical. Is it any wonder that 30-second Super Bowl commercials, which agencies spend millions of dollars producing and airing, are some of the more entertaining ads out there? If you’re auditioning for voice over work for a funny commercial, you don’t have to be a comedian, but there are some ways to help you sound like one. It’s about Time A well-delivered joke is 10-20% content, 80-90% […]

  So you want to become a professional voice over actor. Maybe everyone says you have a great voice, or you have a talent for imitating foreign accents or famous stars. Whatever your reason for heading down this path, here are some things to know before launching your career as a voice artist.   #1: Commercial Voice Over Acting is Real Acting Don’t assume that since the genre doesn’t call for a camera and crew that you don’t need strong acting chops. There’s a reason why many Hollywood stars make wonderful voice over actors. Good acting requires being able to emote – with voice and body. If your acting skills […]

Voice actors dream of scoring the elusive national TV voiceover ad…all markets, double scale, with buyout. While that may be the Powerball of VO, give me a solid faithful weekly retail client any day and I’ll be a happy voice over actor.   In fact, my happy meter has been set fairly high over the years. A 20+ year stint as the voiceover brand for a regional pharmacy, a decade as the voice of several national L’Oreal, Milk and Hershey products and a couple of five year packs as the voice of various grocery and clothing chains kept me in studio, on air and able to write “working voice actor” […]

  I had a particularly stellar Monday last week as the guest on the LA vlog show, Voice Over Body Shop on Mar 27th, hosted by Dan Lenard and George Whittam. We jawed on about a lot of things voice over talent chat about. How did I get started? My early days wove back and forth between theatre/film and radio/ TV. How I became one of the top ten female voiceover artists in Canada. Hard work, marketing, great relationships and always working the craft. How does the eLearning coaching I do differ from commercial or corporate narration? It’s about finding the best way to help your listener retain the info […]

I can’t wait for every Wednesday at 8 p.m. I marinate and soak in a total a love fest, complete with slobbery cyber kisses and virtual hugs and goofy grins, chatting with 5 other voiceover artists for an hour. Our mentoring and accountability (M&A) group is our regular check in to revel in each other’s success, mete out advice if we have any to offer and gently, but firmly hold each other accountable to complete or report in on the status of tasks from the previous week.   The go-getter millennial in our group, Samuel Fleming launched Let’s Do This (as we dubbed ourselves) just before the first days of […]

Want to be timely? Want to be heard? Ask your male or female voice over actor to make it conversational. A recent voice industry trend report says the most sought after type of narration read now and for the foreseeable future is flawed, imperfect, and sounds a lot like your best friend. It’s erratic. The words come in fits and starts, punctuated by fast flows of phrase and occasional plodding pieces of prose placed here and there for emphasis. A conversational read, also described as genuine, believable or natural, exposes the haphazard bits and bites of thought our brains let us burp out into the world.   So why not […]

You’ve got a trainer to keep your body in shape and a financial planner to keep your finances in check. Your primary tool for emotive expression to the world is your voice, and you use it every day. So, how can you keep it from getting hoarse at a concert or a game; or cracking it or losing steam during a presentation or speech; and, in essence, always have it strong and clear when you need it? Commercial voice over talent doesn’t come easy. Here are some tips to help make it last. Do’s Belly breathe. Speak from your diaphragm. A lifeguard in my teens, I called it my “pool voice”. […]

A great question came up while I was coaching an eLearning voiceover workshop yesterday: Should your narrator read the script before recording? My answer? It depends. This fall, I recorded the “Quick Guide” of fourteen videos for the Options Industry Council. Despite having recorded almost 4,000 eLearning modules over the past dozen and a half years, stock options was material outside my scope of reference. Give me a medical, law or compliance script and I can read it cold with aplomb. Wading into the world of the Protective Put, the Short Strangle and the Long Straddle was fascinating, but to narrate it well, I needed to not only read the […]

When I was contracted to do an eLearning voice over for an off-the-shelf Online course by content development company Taimma Communications (now known as Ebix), I didn’t quite get all the hullabaloo. Off the shelf—that’s like off-the-rack, right? Yes! It was right at the point when eLearning content developers began tinkering around with the idea of going from being custom tailors to direct wholesalers. As former owners of the company, Soula Chronopoulos and Thierry Semoff rode the crest of this cutting-edge wave by reinvesting in creating a vast library of online medical courses—and I was their voiceover gal. For me, a veteran eLearning narrator who jumped aboard the multimedia bandwagon […]

Jumbo shrimp. Climb down. Constant variable. Pick your favorite oxymoron…I just lived another…a four and a half minute online video on the Effective Use of Audio in eLearning featuring narration by a computer! Central to the AI’s discourse was a resounding, albeit mechanized, “Yes”; audio narration does affect learner retention rates. The key takeaways: it should…     supplement the learning sound like an expert have proper inflections There were other tips Hal, the Annoying computerized voice, had to share, but I couldn’t get past the broken, irregular sound that, had I been a learner, would have not only disconnected me from the content, but would have prevented me from […]