You mean besides the fact that they like to work alone in vocal booths all day, in many cases without any natural light? One might assume voiceover artists are just a bunch of introverts. Or vampires. I'll admit to one of those.
All joking and speculation aside, here are 5 things great voiceover artists have in common.
They are great listeners
No duh, Jaren you might be saying. But hear me out for a second. In order to succeed in this business, you have to listen to what the client wants (obvs), and I don't mean just the outlined specs.
Take a look at the following audition request, for example:
Audition for a diaper brand. Looking for a woman, 30s - 40s, conversational, caring, but down-to-earth. Not commercial. 30-second paid social spot.
It would be so easy to do something really commercial like this:
But a great voiceover will read between the lines. Diaper brand...not commercial...
conversational...down-to-earth.
Sometimes we have to guess what kind of company we're auditioning for based on the limited info we are often given (especially if we're working for pay-to-play sites like Voice123 or Voices.com). One might infer this is for an eco-friendly baby company or an up-and-coming kids' health brand. Eco-friendly brands and new brands tend to lean on the more "casual" "as if you're talking to your best friend" side of things. More so than their super mega brand counterparts, I find. I've also found, in my years of script reading, that when a client is asking for a sound that is more casual or conversational, they're trying to connect with a market as a friend instead of as a product. I mean, who would you trust more to tell you about what product to use - a brand on TV, or a bestie?
So, back to the example above. A great voiceover artist might google "eco diaper company" and see what comes up. Or "kids health brand". Based on visual branding cues, a great voiceover will put two and two together and perhaps come up with something more tailored (we hope) to what the client is looking for in an audition. Like this:
Do you hear the difference? No? Yes? Let's continue.
2. Great voiceovers do their research
When presented with a script that contains words that are difficult to pronounce, or perhaps cities with names that could easily be pronounced differently from state to state (for example New Orleans), a great voiceover artist will use sites like Forvo.com, YouTube, or other online pronunciation tools to make sure they get it right. Remember, you've got one shot to make a first impression. It's better if you don't mispronounce the word uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in your 30-second medical demo read. Know what I'm sayin'?
3. Great voiceovers are influenced by the client's brand image
I mentioned earlier that voiceovers can use visual clues to improve their audition submissions.
NOTE: There is an entire community of voiceovers who are not sighted and who are extremely gifted at picking up auditory nuances - superhero level. For the rest of us, we might use some extra help, like this as an example:
Let's say I get an audition for a high-end clothing company. The audition specs read as follows.
This is a 30-second spot for DesignHouse Dresses. Female. 30 - 40 preferred.
Uh...that doesn't give us a ton of information at first glance. But the brand is written right there in the notes! So, pretend I google DesignHouse Dresses (which is a brand I just made up) and the image below pops up. The dresses offered on the site are dreamy and flowy like this:
This image will shape the way I deliver the audition script. The tone, accent, and sound of my voice will be very different than if I auditioned the script using brand imagery that looked like this:
In the former picture, I would use a more sophisticated tone. In the latter, I'd use a more lifestyle/commercial tone. But hey, that's just me. You do you.
4. Great voiceovers COMMUNICATE
And I don't mean through ads. I mean with their clients. If you have a question about a project you've been hired to do, or you're a little confused, don't hesitate to ask! I've had calls with clients that go like this: "Remind me, is this a :30 or a :60?""Would it be possible for the director to send me a voice memo recording of themselves reading the script so I can nail it?" ( <-----in the case that there's been no directed session and the client is short on time
Sometimes we feel silly for asking questions, but let me tell you - clients prefer you ask. It gives them the impression that you really care about their project (which you do!) and that you want to make it the best it can be. It also gives them confidence that they hired the right person for the job. Just make sure to keep your questions brief, get the information you need, and then act on it. You don't want to spend 15 minutes interviewing the client for a long backstory and anecdotes. Unless they think it's important for you to know for the job, of course.
5. Great voiceovers are organized!
I don't know about you, but I can do anywhere from 1 - 27 auditions in a day, depending on the length. I mostly do commercial work, so it's more manageable. But all those auditions feed into a pipeline that once I start booking, I need to keep organized. I use two systems to stay on top of jobs. A standard XL spreadsheet that includes information like; project date, name of the client, company name, project name, whether or not I have recorded the project, how much the project is, whether or not the project is invoiced and paid, and notes of various sorts, etc. I also use WaveApps (this is not an ad - you could use Sage, QuickBooks, etc.) which allows me to follow up with my clients easily and regularly so that when I need to do punch-ins, line corrections, etc., it's easy and quick. I know which file to open, I don't have to search all over the place, badah bing badah boom.
If you'd like more specific information on how I keep track of my work, contact me and let me know. Maybe I'll put together a video.
There you have it! My thoughts on the 5 things great voiceover artists do. You do them all already, don't you. I knew it.
Thanks for reading! Over and out!
