About The Business: Approaches to Voiceover Projects
Maybe you are a retired radio personality now doing fulltime voiceovers. Maybe you are still working in radio but do voiceover production as a side business. Maybe you’re a voice actor. In all cases you’ve found yourself having to take a specific approach to a project. Different clients with different spoken word projects need different approaches to the work.
Narration is a word that means different things to different people. A narration or narrative can be an 8 minute read for a corporate video, a 3 minute web audio introduction, a documentary film, a talking book or myriad other spoken word uses. Each deserves a specific treatment…an approach. The corporate narration is usually calling for straight ahead voice over…which means a voiceover that is mature, business-like. In other words, sounding like you know what you’re talking about as a spokesperson for Company X.
A web site narration is probably more stylized not only in read but also in audio treatment. The voice talent needs to be close to the mic and deliver a read that is inviting and low key. Depending on the project, this voiceover or narration is styled appropriately. The listener in this case is not a radio audience and can’t be treated as such. For non-podcast web sites there are a few listeners at a time and the assumption is they are not together. It makes this communication one-on-one with the listener. Armed with knowledge of how the project is to be used can give you a workable approach to the read.
Documentary voiceover or narration is unique in that it is in part an explanation…it is carrying words of compliment to the images. The voice is one dimensional…the delivery style would not vary. The voiceover is a needed part of the program required only to transition or carry the story from one place to another. The visuals show the story…the voice tells of changes. Some documentarians wish to use no narrative in their stories and some do lend themselves to allowing visuals and sound design without voice to carry the message.
The two senerios above are examples of coming to your voiceover or narrative project with an approach or style that will help you work your best. Think about the audience and the delivery of your spoken word to that audience. By the way, you should be able get good input from the producer who has brought you the script. Hear what they have to say...then work your magic.
