More and more, people are finding themselves in need of a voice — for their phone system, their web video, their advertising, their training videos, their podcasts — and they decide to hire a professional. So they search the Internet and they find me, or another professional voice talent’s website, or they go to a voiceover marketplace like Voices.com or Voice123. Here is where many times expectations and reality collide, as some voice seekers are surprised at the cost for someone to just read their little script. Why should we get paid that much “just to talk?”
My goal always is to charge a rate that is fair — fair to the client, fair to me, and fair to the industry as well. As voice talents, our hope (dream maybe) is that the best voice for the job always wins. Unfortunately, in the age of the Internet, where anyone with a computer and some sort of microphone can call themselves a “voice over talent”, we sometimes see the cheapest “bid” win instead.
So, in an effort to educate potential voice seekers or buyers, as well as to convince true professionals of their own worth and keep the voiceover marketplace fair, let’s take a look at “The Making of a Voice Over”.
I’ve just been hired to record a voiceover for a corporate video. I receive the script via email and open it, but before I can print it, I must take the time to reformat it into something that I can easily read (font size, spacing, no sentences are broken up from one page to the next, etc.).
Next, I print the script and read all the way through it once to get a general understanding of what is being said, and I look for any words that may be unfamiliar to me or pronunications I may be unsure of. If there are terms to look up, or if the script is poorly written, I must take more time to get a grasp of what is intended. If I see real problems with grammar or incorrect words being used, I must decide if I should make those changes, or if I need to bring it to the producer’s attention.
Once I am familiar with the script, I must be sure I understand the intended audience as well as any specific direction given by the producer. Believe it or not, a voice over is not really as much about the voice, as it is about the delivery. This process requires me to read through the script again (aloud). Also, if timing is important to the script (which it often is), I must make sure that my pacing is correct in order to read it within the time allotted.
Now it is time for me to open my recording program and set up the session. I then go into my recording booth and read a few lines to check my levels. Keep in mind, that this requires not only time, but also the knowledge, skill and expertise necessary to operate professional audio recording equipment and software. Much time and expense has gone into the purchase of equipment and learning to use it properly.
Once that is all set, I begin recording the script. Often I will record straight through at first, then listen back to decide if I got the delivery style right. Best case scenerio, it sounds great the first time with no mistakes whatsoever, but that is not likely. It’s pretty safe to say that at least a few places will need recorded again (and again).
At this point, I am usually required to at least edit out my mistakes and provide the client with an audio file that is just their script, read straight through with no flubs. Again, the time it takes for me to do this depends upon how much editing is needed, so this can vary greatly.
If the client is working with an audio engineer to complete the mix, then my job is almost done. I still need to export my audio file, convert it into the proper format required, and name and tag it. Then it will need to be uploaded to my server or to the client’s FTP for them to download.
If the client wants an edited and finished audio track, ready to use “as is”, then I take the time to edit out breaths, check for timing and mix any desired processing to the file before the conversion and upload.
So, as you can see, although the script may have been only say, 5 minutes, there was a little more than “just talking” involved in the process.
Ever have an experience where minutes seemed to last for hours?
It happens to me all the time. ;- )
