female voice over

Top Ten Voice Over Blogs – Debbie Grattan

There are a lot of balls to juggle in running your own business as a voice over artist. Staying on top of industry trends and learning from others who are doing well in the the voice arts is one of those spheres. I regularly check out blogs (and podcasts & vlogs) of some of the cream of the crop in our industry. Now anyone can talk can blog, but not everyone creates insightful content worthy of my (or your time). Earlier this year, I began my To Ten Voice Over Blogs to Follow list and released interviews with people on the list.

Released in alphabetical order, we’ve so far heard from J Michael Collins, Dave Courvoisier, Bill DeWees and Anne Ganguzza. As well as following our next blogger for some time, I recently had the pleasure of working with Debbie Grattan on a national commercial, and as well as being inspired with her talent and skill set was impressed with her kindness and professionalism on set. Without further ado, here is number five from my list of the top ten voice over blogs to follow.

Voice Over Artist Debbie Grattan

voiceover industry artist — Voiceover Artist Debbie Grattan

Debbie, why do you blog about voice over?

SEO is the primary we reason we have a blog. But sharing information and writing articles that show my level of experience, professionalism and knowledge also helps in general marketing. Whether it’s sharing articles on social media or among my clients in an email newsletter, having content to put out is a big advantage when you’re trying to get peoples’ attention and have them check out your demos.

Do you have a theme to your blogs?

We have a couple main categories that are voice over related. Posts are written either for an audience of other voice over talent, or for an audience of people who hire voice over talent. Generally, we prefer to write content that appeals to the latter group, since that is what will most likely generate business. We also like to write about challenges we face and observations we make as small business owners and entrepreneurs. Much of our success in this business comes from maintaining a clear, consistent state of mind, a positive attitude when facing adversity and the ability to improvise when necessary. So we like to write about those topics as well.

Do you plan it out or wait for inspiration to strike?

We do a little of both… We have a planned number of blog posts we intend to publish per month, and we do what we have to do to stay on that schedule. Sometimes we want to highlight a certain topic, for example a specific genre of voice over, and we will write a series of articles on that topic. Other times we just go with whatever topic idea we like, and find ways to skew it in the direction of voice over.

What are your favorite kinds of blogs to write about?

My husband and business partner worked for many years as a personal coach and he often contributes ideas that go in the direction of personal development, success strategies and just noticing what works and what doesn’t. So we like those types of articles, however, the most important topics to cover are those that appeal to the audience of voice talent seekers.

What kinds of blogs have you noticed get the most attention or feedback?

The post that has the most number of comments by far, is a post that my husband initially proposed about annoying speech patterns. Just type in “annoying speech patterns” in google and you should see it at the top of the list. He had been listening to NPR while driving the kids to school in the mornings and was on a rant about how these supposedly professional radio people used some very annoying speech patterns. So, that post started as a rant basically, and we seem to have tapped into something judging by how many people read and comment on the post still to this day.

We’ve also seen a lot of traffic on posts that address “male versus female voice talent.” And another hot one at the time it was written was a post on “Is your website mobile friendly?” That got huge traffic back when Google was updating their algorithms to favor sites that were compatible with smartphones. That is an even more important topic now that Google is using the compatibility metric in search results to an even greater extent.

Do you have anything else you’d like us to know about your blog in particular?

I recommend anyone who wants to get into voice over or improve as a voice over talent, do a lot of reading of blogs written by successful, experienced voice talent. There is a lot of wisdom out there. But keep in mind that everyone’s path is different and what works for one person may not work for the next person. I am not a voice over coach, yet I get contacted several times per week by people looking for guidance on how to be a voice talent. I always refer them to my blog and then suggest they look for reputable coaches and/or do some workshops. I’ve tried to put my “secrets of success” into my writing, so it’s all there for people to read. But, obviously, just reading it won’t make it happen. It takes consistent right action applied over a very long time period.

Being Award Announcer at the WTA Grand Slam of Voice Over

My Voiceovers, Voiceover Styles

One of the things I love about being a voice over announcer are the places and jobs it takes me vicariously or in person. This October, one of the biggest events in the female tennis world was held in Singapore. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals Gala Evening. And though I wasn’t there myself, I was there in voice… performing the award announcements and spinning the stories behind each player. This high profile gig was uber fun. I worked with the WTA team both in the US and UK.

As it was an event highlighting the best of women in the world, personally I thought it was a great choice to hire a woman to voice the awards. Announcing awards requires a different focus and mindset to most other voice over jobs. It’s a celebration, and we’re all here to have a good time!

Elite Voice Over

If you’re familiar at all with tennis, you know the WTA Finals Gala Evening is the big one. It’s a night filled with the creme de la creme of the women’s tennis world, and people travel from all over the planet to be there. I was proud to be a part of it professionally.

Held in Singapore in October of this year, the international event saw many big names and players in attendance. The one thing all of these players had in common is their stories of overcoming obstacles, of strength of spirit and mind, of determination and focus – this is where I, as their Award announcer came into play. As each award nominee was announced before the winning player made her way to the stage, their stories, achievements, and accolades were told. Whether they won an award that evening or not, this night was special. It may have been the highlight of their careers and lives, being lauded among peers, or one in a string of more to come.

Without heavy namedropping, the WTA gave me the opportunity to announce some extremely high profile names in the industry. And the best part of the whole affair was that the team was so happy with my performance this time around, they’ve pre-booked me for next year’s awards. Needless to say, I’m tickled pink.

Girls Rule… And So Do Our Voices

Happily, female voice overs in award announcements are growing. Once, totally a male dominated slice of the industry, advantages of the female voice at events include (still) standing out and grabbing attention. Elements of a great voice for award announcer include warmth, depth and clarity. The delivery must come across as in-tone with the overall evening, and add grace and dignity to the event.

The step away from male voice in Award announcer, may be a step away from the traditional. But it is a step toward more visibility and more representation. This year Danica Patrick became the first female ever to host the ESPN ESPY Awards. While there have been a handful of female Oscar co-hosts (including Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn) there have only been two female Oscar hosts: Whoopi Goldberg (4 times) and Elen deGeneres (2 times). Happily, my colleague and friend Randy Thomas has donned heels and strappy black dress numerous times to be the live announcer of the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Tonys, showing a deep, pleasant, stand-out female voice over has the capability to cut through the clutter and calm any possible chaos during an awards show.

This aspect of the voice over industry differs from others. Unlike much of the voice-over work I do, at award shows, the audience is not just one person. The Award Announcer is talking to a crowd of people. This approach requires a different focus and mindset.

As well as sounding more formal than regular speech, one needs to think bigger in order to sound bigger. At the same time, strike that balance between warmth and professionalism. My voice is there to be clear and articulate, but also captivate and hold people’s attention. To calm and relax nerves, but also amp up the excitement appropriately.

A Celebration of Stories

The key to announcing awards is that while it is a formal event, it’s also an exciting event. It’s a celebration. Announcing the awards for the WTA was very much stylized voice over storytelling. Capturing the attention of everyone in the room and bringing them along for the ride to celebrate the most elite female tennis players in the world.

Many of the players become known in the media for loud or strange grunting noises or what they’re wearing on the court. But during an awards event, the voice-over helps to showcase their achievements, struggles and who they are as a person. As a professional female voice over artist, Award announcing holds a special place among the work I do. It’s an honor to be hired to venerate people, corporations and organizations who’ve gone above and beyond.

Awards Announcing is a Workout

Performing as an award announcer requires a lot of energy. These formal, exciting events are quite the workout. It requires vocal care: good hydration, great storytelling technique and excellent diaphragm control to bring authority and charisma without blowing out your vocal chords.

While the WTA may be one of the highest profile organizations I’ve announced awards for, it’s not the only one. I’ve been the pre-recorded awards voice for educational institutions, non-profit organizations, industry alliances and associations, and everything in between. In every instance, whether it’s red carpet, black ties, sparkles and champagne, or town halls lauding the heroes of the community. I am cognizant of the part I play in bringing it together. Vocally, I represent the brand, the event, and the people behind it – and that’s what I love about working with awards.

If you’re looking for a professional female voice-over artist for your own awards event, please get in touch. I’d love to discuss working together!

Why Voice Over is the Key to a Successful PSA

My Voiceovers, Voiceover Business

Your craft, profession or career, presents opportunities to be of service. To give back. For a voice over artist, performing the VO on public service announcements (better known as PSAs) hits that sweet spot for me. I’m currently sitting in a friend’s living room in LA, here this week nominated for an Award for my narration on a PSA, I’m also struck by the plights they serve. Top of mind now are the horrible wildfires devastating property and lives so close by. PSAs offer solutions. They prompt us to necessary action. The key to a successful PSA is connecting honestly with the cause. When I take on the voice-over for one of these, I feel like I’m helping the world in my own way.

Like any voice-over character I take on, there’s a real art to capturing the tone and meaning of the PSA vocally. Most PSAs tend to revolve around serious and sensitive topics, and so it’s important to come across as believable. If I’m working on a PSA to encourage people to quit smoking – happy, healthy, and excited is not the sound I’m going for. Voice-over acting means embracing the anguish, ordeal, hope and joy of others. It’s something I work on every day in the voice-over game.

PSAs Are Effective

If you’ve ever worked for a not-for-profit or government organization… or you’ve ever watched TV or listened to radio for that matter…PSAs are familiar to you. They’re not a new idea.

In fact, PSAs have been around the United States since World War II. As an article on GovTech.com states, around that time advertising agencies and radio broadcasters put out messages like, “Loose Lips Sink Ships”, and “Keep em Rolling”. This was done to encourage the purchase of war bonds, for which they needed the help of the public. To do that, they needed to capture public attention in one simple message.

Today PSAs are almost a part of TV culture, and we tend to remember the bigger nationwide campaigns for their tagline or character. Remember “Smokey the Bear”, or “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste”? Both clever examples of public service announcements which, since we still remember them, were quite effective.

The reason this type of promotion is still effective, even generations later, is because they always strike a nerve with the audience. Agencies make PSAs with the audience in mind — and as the audience changes, so does the content of the PSAs. The only things that stay consistent in the mix are the ingredients themselves. A compelling tale told via story telling style by a strong, believable voice over character. Like with much of my voice-over work, the voice-over narration in a PSA is the element that holds the most power. It’s crucial to striking that nerve with the audience. And without it, they are much less effective.

PSAs Are All About Empathy

As someone who works on a lot of PSAs, the main thing I’ve learned in this line of work is that PSAs walk the line between a number of emotions. They’re touching, they’re uplifting, and most of all, they’re hopeful.

The idea has always been to inspire someone to help, or live a better life of their own. We rarely take a negative approach to the matter, and always an honest one. And that’s why it takes experience and character to perform PSA voice-over: it requires digging into empathy and performing the role as if you’re the one affected. The thing is, no matter who we are or where we come from, we all have issues. PSAs are a matter of scratching the surface and getting into what’s underneath. They’re about talking human-to-human to those who may need help or encouragement.

Below I’ve included a couple of examples of PSAs I’ve worked on. Have a listen and you’ll see what I mean about the voice.

Case Study: Easterseals Mission

I suppose the nice thing about working on any PSA is that it’s always for a real cause. In saying that, Easterseals Mission was quite a lovely project, since the company brings such positivity into the conversation. They’re all about “taking on disability together” and helping all those affected by disability to achieve quality of life. The trick to getting the voice-over narration right for this PSA was to convey a happy, positive voice without becoming over-the-top excited and keeping it real.

Case Study: American Red Cross

It’s funny sometimes how the little things can have such a big impact… and the PSA I worked on for American Red Cross is a great example of this. The PSA itself aims to encourage those with Type O blood to donate. And it does this with minimal words and imagery, and a clear CTA, or call to action. For this voice-over, my aim was to appeal to the heart and to speak in a way that would inspire universal donors to help.

Happily, it seems I succeeded — since the next thing I knew, I was nominated for a 2018 ‘Outstanding Commercial — TV or Web, Best Voiceover Award by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences! A top accolade in my industry it was an honor to be nominated for such an award.

Casting a Voice-Over for Your Own PSA

Performing for a public service announcement can be challenging for a voice-over artist. But having worked on hundreds (and been nominated for an award), it’s a challenge face confidently. Each PSA requires its own story and character, finding that perfect tone and digging into my empathy to tell the perfect story.

Have you been looking for the perfect voice over talent to announce your own brand’s story to the public? Kim Handysides Voice Over is your gal — I’d be thrilled to help. Get in touch today and tell me more about the project.

Furthermore, did you know I also give away a free voice-over for a charitable event or campaign every six months? If you’ve got a cause to support, enter here for your chance to have me help, pro bono.

Unlock Social Media Super Powers with Voice Over Animation

My Voiceovers, Voiceover Styles

Say “animation” and most people think of series like The Simpsons or Family Guy. Both are definitely hilarious animated TV shows (and contain equally fun voice over characters). But the kind of animations that lengthen website visitor time and unlock your social media super powers are bite sized, often fun snippets that showcase you or your company.

We’re talking about animated videos for your brand. The type of video that, once paired with a voice-over narrator, is shareable on social media. The reason behind their popularity is simple: we live in a world now where storytelling is everything. People don’t just want to buy a product or service – they want to buy into a brand too. They want to know the brand’s character, story and hear the brand’s voice. And that’s exactly where animations, matched beautifully with a voice-over artist, come into play.

I’ve worked on hundreds of this type of animation, and apart from being fun to work on, I also see their value. The internet is packed to the brim with wordy, fluffy content. So now, social media users and agencies are striving to put stuff out there that’s different from the rest. Animated videos are a perfect example of visual and voice coming together as one, so it’s kind of a no-brainer that this is what more and more brands are seeking.

Storytelling is Key to Great Voice Over

I read an interesting article in Psychology Today that talks about the importance of storytelling and why it’s become such a thing on social media now. The author says that humans have always been storytellers. Since the beginning of (our) time, we’ve used stories to both educate and entertain. Whether by rock paintings or poetry, it’s always been a thing. It’s just that now, that thing has evolved into animated videos with voice-over characters.

The other thing to consider is that as humans we’ve also evolved to want more from our storytelling than rock paintings. It’s not so much about what the story is anymore, but how it’s being told. And that’s where commercial voice-over artists like myself come into play. I take on your brand’s character and tell your story to your intended audience in a relatable way.

Not Just a Pretty (Sounding) Video

Not only do animated videos sound and look good, but they also achieve quite a few goals in the process. An article on Medium.com suggests that whether you’re trying to explain how something works, bring in new customers, or simply reiterate a fact to the database you already have, an animated video is the way to go.

Explainers and videos are important on websites, in fact, people spend 100% more time on a page that has a video. Surprisingly, 59% of senior executives would rather watch a video than read text. These senior executives aren’t videophiles out of laziness, but rather because of pressures of time (or lack thereof). Packaged, visually and vocally appealing info is quicker and easier to digest than a wall of words.

Another great benefit of animated videos, is their shareability on social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and their ability to heighten your Google ranking. Perhaps the biggest bonus of all is that animated videos do exactly what storytelling was created for: to entertain and educate, at the same time. They use funny characters with their own personified voice-over narration, unique animations, and a quirky and offbeat tone. And by doing so, they capture your target audience and hold their interest long enough to get the point across.

To show what an end result should sound and look like, I’ve included a few examples of animated videos I’ve worked on below. Sometimes friendly, sometimes quirky, they’re always effective.

Case Study: SAGE Event Planning

Eventsage.com is an online event planning service, and this animation educated people on why their service was needed. In this video, I helped paint the picture of someone getting super stressed with their own event planning. More importantly, I explained why they should turn to a professional service for help. The emotion we were playing on here was stress, which is harder to convey in text, yet risks coming across like an infomercial if portrayed by a screen actor. The emotion in my voice paired with quirky and clear cartoons, however, captures and resolves it rather nicely.

Case Study: Dun & Bradstreet

Interconnected systems by Dun & Bradstreet aren’t necessarily the easiest thing to explain… but we achieved it in this animated video matched with my kinda quirky voice-over narration. I particularly loved the clean good puns in this explainer video. If you get to the ‘nutshell’ part, you’ll see what I mean.

Case Study: Xpertdoc

This video I worked on for Xpertdoc isn’t necessarily as quirky or funny as other brands’ animations, but it is still an very effective tool for their business. It’s clear, it’s concise, and it informs the viewer of the service in an engaging and easy to follow way.

Need Help Telling Your Own Story?

In my time as a voice-over artist, I’ve voiced thousands of characters. Not necessarily always the type from The Simpsons, but brand characters instead. Whether you’re looking for a tone that’s serious, or funny, or something in between, performing great explainer video voice overs is one of my personal super powers.

Looking for a voice-over talent for your own business or brand’s animation? Contact me and let’s chat about giving your project a voice.

Voice Over, An Insider Take on the Exploding iGaming Industry

blogs, Voiceover Business, Voiceover Styles

Aside from buying the odd lottery ticket (’cause a gal can dream!), I wouldn’t say I’m much of a gambler. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be part of the ever-growing iGaming industry. I work as a voice-over talent for many clients in the online gambling industry. This photo is actually of me backstage for a on-cam lottery commercial I worked on recently. As you can see, I totally milked it 😉

As a voice-over artist for many types of video, I’ve worked across a whole bunch of industries, and my take on the iGaming industry is that it’s one of the most versatile. In the last few years, I’ve seen the game (see what I did there?) evolve like crazy. In early days, it used to be a group of (probably) socially-awkward poker players on the internet trying to make a quick buck. It’s gained on cool factor since and is now a social and super interactive community of people. They love high stakes, the thrill of the win, and most importantly, having fun.

As a result, many iGaming companies are now creating engaging social content to share in the online community. Branding is key – and who better to give a brand a voice than a professional voice-over actor like yours truly?

An Industry to Listen Out For

I’m not the only one to have noticed the change. Businesses in iGaming have had a fun time constantly reshuffling their marketing teams over the last few years to adapt. There’s been a lot of talk about it, but I think Business Matters Magazine puts it best. In their article, they touch on a few points like online reviews, expansion and more. But their main point is that in a world where everyone loves sharing online, why would online gambling be any different?

I tend to agree with this statement. Plus, I think it’s exciting to see a previously quiet industry take an interest in developing brand personalities and voices. From traditional announcers, to sexy molls, to zombies, pretty much anything goes. The extent of use of voice has gone beyond a myriad of “oohs, “ahhs” and “yays” to lean into gaming industry territory and give voice to characters. The industry has changed its structure to create more work for commercial voice-overs.

One Industry, Many Voices

Source: Steve Sawusch

One of the things I love about working for the iGaming industry is the diversity in its jobs. When I take on a job for a PSA, I have a rough idea of the tone of the voice I’ll need… similarly to when I perform work for eLearning narration. There’s a tone and a style that come with some industries, no matter the content. With iGaming however, it’s very much like a box of chocolates (cue Forrest Gump reference).

For example, as a female voice-over I’ve done many a presentation video for Pear Fiction. These guys are producers of premium casino games, and they used the presentation videos to sell the games to casino sites. Since this is very much a B2B-type situation, the tone of my work here, required an upbeat and animated voice-over narration, while still sounding professional as if talking to prospective buyers. When it comes to social videos however, a more personal tone suits the concept better. These videos need a real, authentic voice from someone who sounds like they’re genuinely interested in what they’re selling. This is what’s engages the online community, and this is what works.

Tipping the scale completely are lottery videos (a necessary expense for most licensed casino companies), which is when voice-over acting gets really exciting. I actually read the twice weekly winning lottery numbers on TV early in my career, (when I still resembled a young Vanna White) and like so many other voice over situations, the job called on empathy. For people watching and listening, it’s a little highlight in their week. The thrill, the hope, the possibility. Reading the lottery numbers as a female announcer is what it feels like when you’ve had three coffees back to back. It’s all about enthusiasm and genuine surprise when we draw the next number. After all, this could be the moment I call out the number that could completely change someone’s life… and that’s pretty darn exciting!

What It’s All About

Speaking of various types of voice-over work for iGaming, it’s important to mention the games themselves. Because online gambling is seriously similar to online gaming. People play these games to have fun. To relax. To forget. To feel a little control. And a little risk, too. It’s a release. They play these games to win money too, but let’s face it, there are more solid investments out there to be made.

Just like video games, online casino games have themes and characters and purposes too. People can take them quite seriously, and as such the voice-over work should be much the same. As a female voice actor, I’ve performed for game characters before, as well as for the promo videos and trailers. I love that this industry allows me to get into the zone and do something out of this world (literally). Whether it’s battling aliens from outer space, crawling across trenches in WWI or flying dragons across sea monster infested waters, it’s storytelling. And acting. And helping others vicariously really get into this world of thrill and risk and fun.

I take this whole gaming thing very seriously.

From the Best Corners of the World

If you’ve listened to any of my previous work (like, ahem, the video above), you’ll know I’m a Canadian-American voice-over. So does that limit me in iGaming work? Absolutely not.

One of the first things I learned about the the industry is that it’s literally spread across to all the best corners of the world. I’m talking Malta, Gibraltar, Manila, Curacao, and a handful of other amazing tropical islands. That includes, of course, the perhaps not-so-tropical-but-equally-amazing island of Montreal, which I call home. And as much as I’d love to be flown around the world for work, this is the era of the virtual office, so I do it from my own broadcast quality professional home studio. That makes it pretty easy to team up with agencies in the iGaming world, since in such an international environment, requesting and completing work online is old hat.

Have you got an iGaming project of your own that could do with a voice? Serious, excited, personable – I’m ready to be your voice-over talent. Get in touch now and let’s talk fun, wherever in the world you are!

How to Find Voice Over Talent You’ll Love: Voiceover.Biz

Introducing..., Voiceover Business

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 pro’s. Voice actors here have undergone a rigorous peer review process.

And generally, so has the quality of the audio they send you. The voice actor’s demos will give you a smattering of the sound quality they are able to provide, but better than that, WoVO has a Technical Standards Committee made of sound engineers, producers and established voiceover talent that offer members a voice booth certification process for quality and clarity, that ensures members send out only the best quality sound.

How to Find Voice Over Talent You'll Love: VoiceoverBiz.Com — Credit: LinkedIn.com

You don’t have to pay anything to access them. There is no middleman. You can contact the talent directly. In most cases (like over 99% of the time) the pro’s on this site will be happy to give you a custom audition for your project. Your communication and negotiations are private.

In terms of rates, and in the interest of maintain the professional rates of the high quality of voiceover artists allowed on the site, projects proposed on voiceover.biz must meet a minimum budget of $250 (US) for narration and be of fair market rate for broadcast (TV/radio vis a vis media buy and cycle length). Most talent listed here use the GVAA rate guide as a benchmark for what they charge.

Looking for Union voices? A great percentage of the talent are Union affiliates. Pretty much all those on voiceover.biz will also work non-union (either converting the work through a Paymaster, to guard their status) or are fi-core, which means they can work both sides of the fence.

Search capabilities on the voice talent on the site, are by genre (audiobooks, animation-anime, business narration-industrial-corporate, commercials-TV-Radio-Web, documentary, eLearning, medical narration, explainer videos-mobile apps-websites, political spots, telephony-IVR-On hold-voicemail, trailer-promo-imaging, or video games. You can search by name, gender, languages performed, accents, or delivery methods.

I’m a female voice over artist inviting you to check voiceover.biz out. Let me know if you think they live up to their claim, that they are “better than a voiceover casting site.”

514-803-2296

kim@kimhandysidesvoiceover.com