Edge Studio VO Tip #1
Reduce the need to edit, and if you must, make it imperceptible: In making this our first tip, we’re kind of backwards, because editing is a “post” process. But it’s also one of the first things … because a great take needs little editing, or none.
There’s nothing wrong with editing two or more takes together – IF the edits are imperceptible. Otherwise, a bad edit is a strike against you: you didn’t show good editing skills. Practice editing in your DAW, and let a friend tell you where they hear the splices. This includes deletion or minimizing of breaths; the final result should sound natural and consistent.
The irony here is that if you’re really skilled at editing, no one will know it. But that’s the point. Imperceptibility is always important, and especially with telephony … If you can’t get even a few sentences to sound cohesive, why would LG hire you to record a long string of concatenated phrases that must match up?
Edge Studio VO Tip #2
Audition screeners want to hear you at your best. Just you. We suppose it was the Telephony nature of this month’s script that apparently caused some people to run their recordings through a “telephone” filter – you know, a tinny, hollow sound. Don’t do that. In fact, in any audition, unless requested, do not add music, sound effects, unnatural voice processing or anything that interferes with the audition team from hearing the real you or your real character voice. If you’re hired, your voice might be tinny when heard by callers, but it’s not what audition screeners listen for. They want to know what’s going into the process, before the audio is equalized, compressed, dithered, run over the Internet, reproduced by a tiny, tinny speaker, and whatever. High-quality sound going in will help them have better sound coming out. So make your audition sound as high-quality as you can.
Edge Studio VO Tip #3
Know what words to “hit,” and adjust your choices to the situation. There are various rules on choosing words to emphasize. Among them, what word best conveys the point of the phrase or sentence? What word or phrase is new in the script? What’s the client or product name? But – hold on. Sometimes there’s an exception. For example, with an incoming phone call – the caller is already aware of LG. In fact, they’re literally connected. So this is a time when hitting the client’s name isn’t so important. What IS important is that you say it with clarity and pride. Some people sloughed through it, smushing the words “here at LG” together. And some people let it trail off, rather than observing that it has an exclamation point! So you don’t always need to hit it. But never throw the brand name away.
Speaking of emphasis, on the word “details,” which syllable should be emphasized? (Or, as we said in school, which is accented?) Most people said “DE-tails,” accenting the first syllable. But dictionaries also show it as “deTAIL.” When two pronunciations are given, the first of them is generally preferred or more common, and that’s usually the one to use. And in several American English dictionaries (Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Collins), “deTAIL” comes first. (If an international situation, preferences vary; check a relevant source.) But there’s another reason you might want to go with “deTAIL.” It slightly changes the listener’s takeaway. By emphasizing the first syllable, you’re hitting the word. Do you really want the listener to think, “Wait a minute, there are details?” On the other hand “deTAILS” sounds unstressed — and therefore lets other words take the spotlight. Which choice to make? Depends on the situation.
Edge Studio VO Tip #4
Above all, do what the director requested. The direction this time was pretty simple. Have a calming voice and hold the caller’s attention. That’s often not what we got. Some people sounded neither calm nor calming. Also, many people rushed the script. Some sounded used an announcer style. Others a stronger tone of voice. EVEN OUR 2nd and 3rd place winners did not use a calming voice.
To sound calm:
· Don’t rush. This is advice applies to a wide range of scripts. Different genres sometimes have different tempos. But sounding rushed is almost never calming. Rush only if you mean to sound rushed.
· Don’t sound tense. Before you start, relax. Over time, you might even want to learn relaxation techniques – different things work for different people. If your everyday voice sounds tense, you might want to work with a vocal coach.
· Smooth it out. Don’t pause unnecessarily. Don’t sound choppy. And … avoid glottal stops. A “glottal stop” is a momentary closing of the throat before an initial vowel. Some people even insert them even inside certain words. (For example: “dih’nt” instead of “didn’t.”) It’s a pause, and when they accumulate, subconsciously they impart tension to your read. Tension that your listener will sense. It’s also tiring for the listener over a long read, and some people (even people not trained in VO) find them annoying.
Edge Studio VO Tip #5
Check your levels. If the client can’t hear what you’re saying because your volume is too low, they’re likely to move on to someone else. Yes, they could adjust their playback volume, but that’s annoying, and more importantly, poor volume tells them your recording skills are not ready for prime time. For detail, see previous contest articles.
