Behind-the-Scenes: Voice Over for Video
What goes into the making of a professional quality video? More than you might have suspected! This is the first of a new series of posts where we take you behind-the-scenes – you’ll get insights from the many professionals involved in the making of quality video. We thought we’d start by giving you a sneak peek at a major component of many video productions: voice overs.
We asked John and Mary of MarySaysItAll™ Voiceover Productions, a company we trust for quality voice work, to explain the art and craft of voice over for video.
It’s fairly common for voice overs (referred to as “VO”) to be a part of video. Undoubtedly, you’ve heard VO as narration for an entire explainer video, or even as a bridge between interview clips. (We’ve included a sample below just in case you need a reminder – and, yes, that’s Mary’s voice you hear!)
Thanks for reporting a problem. We’ll attach technical data about this session to help us figure out the issue. Which of these best describes the problem?
Any other details or context?
John & Mary, you’re a VO team. What are your roles?
John: We are a dynamic duo. Mary is the talent while I’m the sound engineer/Foley editor and run the business side.
Who needs VO talent? Why?
John: Any business owner who wants to sound polished and professional – a positive reflection in how they are running their business – needs voice talent. From their telephone answering system and hold message, to radio, internet or television advertising, no business is too big or too small to need a professional voice representing them.
What kind of training do you need?
Mary: One word – ACTING! Believe it or not, sounding believable and natural while reading and recording a script is difficult without acting ability. It’s easy to tell when a voice lacks acting skill. When you hear words being simply read off a page, it’s actually distracting.
What do you wish clients or even your friends and family understood about doing VO work?
John: Doing a professional VO right takes time. It’s much more than talking into a microphone and saving it as an mp3. From script development to actual recording, everything takes much longer than one would anticipate. Start to finish, we budget about one hour of production for every one minute of finished recording. Invariably, there are recording and production issues that have to be fixed to ensure the message is perfect.
What has been your most interesting VO job and why?
Mary: I auditioned for and was selected to be the voice of SOS Children Villages, a European organization very similar to the Red Cross. However, they wanted me to record at BAM Studios in downtown Chicago. Not only was it an honor to educate potential benefactors on the work of SOSCV, but it was also very cool to see the photos of hundreds of superstar actors that had recorded in that same venue!
What is the biggest challenge in your work?
Mary: There are many challenges. Trying to get the correct “feel” for the client’s production, properly pronouncing unique words (especially medical terms), to pacing the tempo of my voice to match a music bed and more. To help ensure we meet those challenges, we use a phone patch system very similar to what is used in a radio station. Using a phone patch, our clients listen as we record and can give direction and immediate feedback. The result is time saved and a perfect production!
What should clients be looking for when seeking out someone to do voiceovers for their video project?
Mary: When selecting an artist, a client needs to consider several variables and whether or not that artist can deliver on those variables. Things to consider are the “feel” of the production – is it heart-wrenching, purely informational, funny, conversational, “voice of God”, or something else? Who’s the audience? Are you reaching out to a demographic that will hear your VO artist’s words (a woman’s voice appeals to virtually all demographics, young, old, male, female – even sports fans!). Do you have any words that require particular attention or pronunciation? This is especially true in technical productions. Do you have a music bed selected? If so, can the VO artist match the tempo and feel of the music? Music has a huge impact on the “feel” discussed earlier and significantly affects the approach to a script. If you intend to use a VO artist without the ability to address these and other variables, don’t expect to get what you’re hoping for! Instead, work with a company committed to ensuring you get exactly what you want!
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Mary! Thanks to John and Mary at MarySaysItAll™ Voiceover Productions for a behind-the-scenes look at making a VO.
Suggested reading: Don’t Hire a “Video Guy”
