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Want to make your voice talent happy? Want to make your next voice over session go more smoothly, perhaps saving you some money in the process? Take an extra minute and examine your voice over script. Following a few simple rules can make your script easier to read, easier to interpret, and ultimately get you better reads in less time from the voice over talent you have hired. Read more on voice over scripts >>>
Recently, ProComm helped produce a fun series of spots as part of Subway’s “Brinner” (”Breakfast right on through dinner”) campaign in North Dakota. These creative spots were written by Lee Ziegler @FlintGroup and featured ProComm voiceover talent Joshua Swanson & Jaz Adams, with John Oliver as the announcer. Apparently, you can get breakfast all day in your dreams…
Subway Brinner spot 1
Subway Brinner spot 2
Subway Brinner spot 3
Subway Brinner spot 4
Subway Brinner spot 5
Subway Brinner spot 6
The ability to use proper microphone technique to bring out the best in your voice is indicative of a true voice over professional. Learning and utilizing proper microphone technique is incredibly helpful when it comes to editing, mixing and producing great voice overs. For a voice talent, knowing how to: avoid plosives, adjust for dynamics, and “work” the microphone so that it will enhance the emotion of the delivery are essential skills. Expertly applying these skills helps a recorded voice track fit into a mix almost effortlessly. Read more about proper microphone technique >>>
Every now and then a commercial comes along that hits the air and captures everyone’s attention. Right now, it seems like everyone wants to know who provides the southern voice behind that charming-but-a-little-ditzy pothole in the latest GEICO commercial. It turns out it’s Dayci Brookshire, a SAG/AFTRA actress who hails from North Carolina but currently resides in New York.
….love that voice – nicely done. Now, the only question is whether she’ll get an extended 15 minutes of fame like the GEICO Cavemen?
A client came to ProComm the other day with a project that’s becoming more and more commonplace. Fred Baier of Delta T Engineering had created a video in Camtasia to demonstrate his software, which provides temperature monitoring for electrical systems in commercial buildings. The video was a basic screen capture walk-through of the software, which Fred narrated himself to demonstrate the features of the product.
The audio was very low resolution and Fred was interested in having a professional voice over replace his narration to take the piece to the next level and give it a bit more polish. However, the voice still needed to sound conversational and the listener still needed to feel like he was being shown the software by someone with intimate knowledge of how the product worked – in other words, it needed to be Fred… just not Fred. read more about replacing voice overs in a web video ->
The internet is a wonderful thing. (Stating the obvious is a strength of mine, btw.)
But seriously, we take for granted the fact that any question or random curiosity that pops into your head at any given time can probably be answered with a couple keystrokes. This comes in handy for just about any business and the business of recording and producing voice overs is no exception.
The other day, I was thinking about some of the sites that I use on a regular basis for voice over sessions and thought it would be useful to share, and perhaps find out what sites others rely on. I also took an informal survey from some of the other engineers here at ProComm to see what sites they use in the voice over studio. read more about voice over reference websites
As a voiceover artist, it is critical that you choose the right microphone for your voice, your room and your budget. When it comes to determining which microphone is right for you, there is only one good way to go about making this very important decision.
Before buying anything, YOU MUST LISTEN AND COMPARE FOR YOURSELF.
Typically, when voice talent begin their career or begin to invest in a home studio they choose a microphone based on one or more of the following: advice from friends or associates, familiarity with something they’ve used previously (perhaps an Electro-Voice RE20 from a radio station), what the sales person at the music store sells to them, or what they can afford. Although all of these factors should be taken into consideration, they serve as merely a starting point. read more about choosing a voiceover mic...
ProComm recently had the pleasure of working with a client on voice overs for a new video game that has just been released. ‘G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles: Phantom of the Renassaince Faire’ includes voice over work from Kiley Ayliffe, Grace Cantrell, Judy Corcoran, Saundra Cuyler, Rowell Gormon, Mike Harrison, Jason Jones, Bob Jump, Jim Kincaid, Anne Lalley, Chandler Smith, and Angel Tolentino.
Wanted to thank you again for the help with vocals for our game. During the testing phase of the game, the feedback was really positive about the character voices. The whole process went extremely smooth and we will definitely use your studio for future voice over projects.
- Mike/ Aisle 5 Games
The game is also getting nice reviews in the gaming community…
….Rounding out a solid package is the story telling. As you make your way through the park, you’ll meet a host of characters, alive and otherwise, that stitch together the animosity riddled strife that hangs over the renaissance faire. The ghosts genuinely feel put off by the new mischief making spirit, whilst the living inhabitants gossip with an almost morbid glee about the melodramatic plot regarding the park’s ownership. Strong writing and good voice acting seal the deal here.
- Kyle E. Moore/ www.jayisgames.com
Hats off to everyone involved and happy gaming!
As an editor of voice overs and a voice over talent, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to voices, and not just the ones in my head. Each and every one has their own unique tonal quality, interpretation style, phrasing patterns, and emotional palettes. But the one thing they all have in common is that they all have to come up for air once in awhile. Shocking, I know – voice talent actually breathe! (more…)
Using testimonials in advertising has long been a tried and true device for creating a relatable and personal message. Hearing a story from the perspective of someone who’s ‘been there’ can be very effective, whether it’s relaying a positive customer service experience, touting how wonderful a product is, or telling a personal story about a company’s merits. If you can bring that true emotion to life you can effectively connect with your audience. However, if you miss the mark, the results can be most uninspiring. In fact, there’s nothing worse than a phony sounding testimonial commercial. (more…)
