VO directing

Voiceover – Tips and Tricks for Audio Production

May 3, 2016 by Dan Friedman

By Dan Friedman with contributors Dan Gustafson and Cliff Zellman

Let’s talk … audio production. While it is easy for a voice actor to think only of their performance and delivery of the copy, it is also important to remember that all of those beautifully spoken words are pieces in a larger audio landscape. For those interested in producing and mixing, or for those VO talent interested in a glimpse into the world of sound design, this post is for you. I’ve offered up a few tips about audio production and asked a few friends to contribute as well.

Check it out and if you have any tips, feel free to leave a comment.

My longtime friend, producer Dan Gustafson of Sonicbliss Productions, (Have you ever noticed how many guys named “Dan” work in this business? Weird.) recently produced my radio imaging demos. He did such a stellar job that listening to my Active/Alt Rock Imaging Demo actually makes the hair on my arms standup. Here he offers some of his production and mixing tips.

Panning, Pitch Adjustments and EQ:

If I’m trying to create a snowball fight scene I’m going to need a lot of elements. Snowballs flying, snowballs hitting things, crowd noise, outdoor ambience, peoples reactions to getting hit with a snowball etc.
The way I would approach this is, for all the various snowball impacts I would use a pitch plugin and pitch them differently so they all sound individual. Then pan them all over the place. One could be panned left to 34, another could be panned right to 57, another could be panned left at 72, another could be panned right at 99 one could be right down the middle in mono. The stereo spectrum we have to play with is so huge, take advantage of it.
In terms of EQ, carve out a space for each item. If I have a track of crowd noise and a track of outdoor ambience on top of each other, I might do a cut at 1800k on one track and a boost at 1800k on the other track. The frequency range can be whatever sounds good to you, the boost one and cut the other is the important thing.

VO Performance:

The best VO talents can take the worst piece of copy in the universe and make it sound compelling. How? Silence, inflection, dynamics and changing pace/intensity.
I think silence is huge but you need to be lucky enough to have copy that gives you room to breathe for that to work.
In terms of inflection, after you’ve read it a few times the way you “think” it should be read, try reading it with totally different inflections, energies and emphasis. It could sound horrible, but, you may find a gem take in there or something that leads you down a different path. These are the things that would help a VO talent stand out in a crowd of thousands.
When it comes to dynamic range, maybe think about a great song. It isn’t all in one dynamic range, it has soft parts and loud parts to emphasize certain points. Spot copy should be treated the same way in my view.
And how exciting is a movie trailer or song when it starts out slow, begins to build in speed and intensity, then hits a crescendo. Change of pace can build drama and that means a compelling piece.

Fine Tuning:

I had a boss once who told me, “Getting it to 95% could take you an hour, but then trying to get it to 100% could take another 3.” That made so much sense to me. As artists, we want everything to be perfect, but 95% of your best effort infused with the passion you bring to the mic every day is going to produce a great piece of work.

I met Cliff Zellman in 2011 and we immediately became good friends. We share similar points of view on nearly everything audio related. Cliff is a grammy winning producer who works in the fast paced world of automotive commercial production through the Texas based company Radiovision.
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Mixing VO with music and sound effects:

I try to carve out the center of the mix a bit, leaving plenty of room for the VO in the middle. I listen for dominant frequencies within the center of the stereo music bed and drop them slightly using a good stereo-linked parametric EQ. Then I use a touch of side-chain compression on the music bed, using the voice as a trigger. Just a touch, maybe -1 or -2 db.

Reading for an audition:

Imagine what the visuals might be doing. Some scripts may have a column for video direction, but most audition scripts won’t. Look for clues in the script. Let the casting director know you understand the “layers” of the script.

Keep it clutter free!

Working in a clutter free environment is much more conducive to creativity then working amidst chaos. Less distractions can keep you in that “creative zone” easier and longer. This also goes for your computer’s directories and files. Just remember KICK (keep it clean, kid).

When mixing demos, commercial spots or working on audio productions of any kind here are some tools that I use as well as some things that I keep in mind:

Layering:

Layers of sounds are critical in audio production as we do not live in a world where only one sound at a time is occurring. Taking environment and sound location (left, right, up, down, forward, back) into consideration are critical to creating a realistic environment. Always listen to the world around you, so you can recreate that world more accurately in audio production.

For drama, sounds such as an explosion (for example) are usually not simply an explosion sound effect. They are far more exciting when multiple layers of sounds are brought together. An audio explosion might include an impact sound, the reflected concussion from the impact, the sound of the low end boom and trailing rumble and perhaps even a subtle musical drone may be layered together to create a dramatic … BOOM!.

Timing:

The seventh dimension of recorded sound is time. Frequent changes in dynamics, tone and pacing hold the listener’s attention and make listening entertaining and fun.

Set limits:

Artists of the past were forced to come up with creative solutions because they were limited by the technology of the time. Now that computers make nearly anything possible in the audio realm, it is important to set limits and know when to call a project “done.”

Audio production requires practice, experimentation, a proper listening environment … and is one of the most fun and creative aspects of this business.

If you have tips, tricks, questions please leave a comment below.

Voiceover – My Winning TEAM! VOAtlanta 2015

March 16, 2015 by Dan Friedman

In best movie trailer voice:

SIX RANDOMLY SELECTED TEAMS … SIX TOP PRODUCER/MENTORS … ONE TASK, PRODUCE A 60 SECOND COMMERCIAL … WITH NO SCRIPT … IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS!

Okay… let’s bring it down a notch. 🙂

VOAtlanta was, once again, an incredible event filled with great opportunities for learning, networking and entertainment (Did you see James Arnold Taylor’s one man show? AMAZING!!)

The greatest thrill for me was leading a team in the first ever VOAtlanta Team Challenge. Our task was to produce a 60 second commercial spot promoting next year’s event. The rules: Must contain the word “Elevate”. Must contain a minimum of three voice actors who each have at least ten seconds of copy. Must (if needed) use music and sound effects found on the audioblocks.com website. The teams were selected at random. No script was provided and all of the mentors were limited to the equipment we brought with us or to what was available at the conference.

Once the teams were assigned, the first challenge was locating everyone on the team. With so much going on, it took awhile to simply get everybody in the same space to begin collaborating. Next, develop a concept and write a script. My team was amazing. Everyone contributed ideas that were instrumental in turning a simple concept into something tangible. Our ideas flowed and our script came together very quickly. We all felt really good about where we were headed.

The voice booth sat in the extremely noisy expo room. While crowd noise was definitely a problem, using that booth during that time period was our only viable option. Once each team member recorded his or her script, it was time to put the pieces together. With nothing more than a laptop, a pair of headphones and (thankfully) my favorite DAW, the work of editing began. The voice actors made this part easy. There were not many takes to choose from, but plenty of great takes from which to choose. AN ENGINEER’S DREAM!!

Next, search for sound effects and music and mix the spot. As a group, we discussed music choices and why one cut of music may be more suitable then another. We also discussed the basics of audio processing. While I had my favorite DAW, I did not have my favorite suite of Universal Audio processors and plugins. But, this competition was all about learning and working outside of our usual routines. Not just for my team, but for me as well.

Throughout the entire process, my primary concerns as team leader were that the process was educational and fun. I believed those goals had been met. I was proud of everyone on the team and happy with the spot we produced … and then something else happened. By Sunday morning, the votes were in … we knew WE HAD WON!!

Everyone on the team received prizes from Sennheiser, Kaotica and FREE REGISTRATION to VOAtlanta 2016. I knew our efforts would be recognized, but this was more than any of us could have imagined.

CONGRATULATIONS to VOAtlanta 2015 TEAM DAN:

VOAtlanta2015 -TeamDan

Lynn Marshall
Keri Horn
Geston Pierre
Camille Hunter
Nicole Alford
Tyra Kennedy

I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with you.

Thank you to Gerald Griffith and the other mentors: Roy Yokelson, Joe Loesch, Abbe Holmes, Everett Oliver and Cliff Zellman. You are all great friends and it was my privilege to share this experience with you.

For a limited time, you can hear all of the spots here.

Directing Voiceovers… Lend Me Your Words

October 3, 2012 by Dan Friedman

Click Here to Listen!

Effectively communicating with a voiceover talent during a recording session can be a struggle for clients, or for many new directors. Recently, a client suggested posting “a list of words that can be used to help explain the changes they would like the voice over person to modify.” This sounds like a great idea and an easy thing to do… right? Well, yes… and no. While a list may be helpful in some situations, it would only scratch the surface of what may be involved when directing a voice talent.

Contradiction

Much of the language used when directing seems contradictory. For example, “urgency” almost never means to read the script fast and “intensity” does not mean to shout or automatically give a script the monster truck rally treatment….

“SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! YOU’LL PAY FOR THE WHOLE SEAT… BUT YOU’LL ONLY USE THE EDGE!” 😎

While that delivery is intense… it would be inappropriate on an intense commercial for a hospital. Similarly, while “urgent care” in a hospital means to get care quickly, in a commercial for a hospital, “urgent” usually means to read somewhat slowly, with great concern and importance.

Another term that is used frequently is “cool”. Does this mean cool, as in hip or cool as in calm? Contradictory and/or ambiguous language is just one reason why a list of words or certain terminology will not help in every circumstance.

What’s My Motivation?

Because every talent responds differently to different methods of direction, what works for one talent… may not work for another. While some talent may respond well to simple words or verbal cues, others may need background information such as what the writer’s intention is or in what format will the final production be presented (radio/tv commercial, boardroom presentation, classroom presentation, etc.). Many voice talent like to know the environment in which a scene takes place… for example a coffee shop, city street corner, or bedroom. The same dialog can take place in any of these locations but each may require a different delivery. A voiceover talent may want to hear the music if it has been chosen, or be given specific guidance on inflections or even where to stop and take a breath. The possibilities and combinations of factors are seemingly endless.

Directing, like most things, is much easier after gaining experience. But, the best way to do any job… is by not having to work hard at it. Thankfully, there are a few ways to help you get the delivery you desire with minimal effort and without the need to do much directing. Like many other professions, using the right tools and having the right team can make the difference.

The Tools and the Team

The first best method for getting the delivery you want, is to have a well-written script. Good scripts provide road maps for the voice talent. Proper punctuation, grammar and formatting are helpful, but more importantly, the use of descriptive or illustrative words allow the talent to capture the mood and feel of the message. Unless you are seeking a delivery that is intentionally counterintuitive or completely unique (a character voice for example), the tone of the script should be obvious to the voice talent.

This brings us to the second best method, which is to choose the right talent for the job. Here is where things can get very tricky. A voice may sound great on a demo, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the voice talent is the right choice for your script. Time and time again… big announcer voices are hired for their vocal quality, but are asked to sound conversational. This usually requires additional time and effort for the delivery to sound believable (as though a “real person” is presenting the information).

Some voice talent are more suited to announcer reads, others are great at sounding conversational and others are good at narrating or story-telling. Some talent can interpret copy flawlessly, while others need extensive direction, instruction and line reads in order to achieve the delivery you are seeking. Some talent can interpret copy very well while acting as a character, but have great difficulty when delivering the same material as themselves. The trouble is, as the client acting as director, you often don’t know what your chosen talent’s strengths and weaknesses are… until after you’ve hired him or her.

With a well-written script, it should rarely take a voiceover talent more than four attempts to get the tone of the delivery correct. The first take should be left to the talent’s interpretation of the script. A good voice talent will usually get reasonably close on the first pass. The second take is used for dialing up or dialing down the energy or for any clarifications on tone or characterization. The third take is for fine-tuning any changes made in take two. By take four, the over all tone will ideally be dialed-in.

No Substitute For Experience… or Great Ears.

Great voiceover talent don’t need much direction and a good script will provide most of the information a voice talent should need. But once the tone and delivery are where they need to be, tweaks and fine-tuning may still be necessary to help the talent provide the best performance possible. This is when experienced audio producers and engineers become an increasingly more valuable part of your team.

Professional audio engineers, who specialize in voiceover, often take on the role of director. They often work with many voice actors and have experience knowing not only what buttons to push on the equipment, but also which buttons to push within the talent that will produce the desired delivery. They may also be responsible for the assembling the final mix and will develop a “vision” for what will help the final production sound best. When you find an engineer who shares your vision, do not hesitate to allow him or her to interpret your needs and communicate them to the talent if you are having difficulty.

Lend Me Your Words

Clearly, there is a great deal involved in directing a voiceover session. While a list of words may not always be helpful or simple to create, there is no reason why we shouldn’t try. I’ve included a few words with their possible meanings in this article. I invite all of you (talent, directors, engineers, coaches… and everyone reading this blog) to add some of your own in the comments section and I’ll compile them for a future post. I look forward to seeing and hearing what you come up with.

The Space Between the Lines Affects the Listener Too

June 6, 2011 by Dan Friedman

A radio or television commercial is more than just words. The space between the lines helps to determine pace and establish mood. Space allows the mix engineer to create an environment in which the voice exists and where music and/or sound effects can be placed to help tell the story and communicate the message. This space and these elements are often key to the production.

Scripts often indicate that sound effects and music will play a key role at certain points within in a radio or TV production. These notes are great for the producer or engineer who mixes the spot. They give the mix engineer a clear idea of what the intentions of the client are and what the client is expecting to hear when the spot is finished.

However, what happens all too often is that the script is over written, leaving little or no time available for these elements to develop. They simply can’t have the impact they were intended to have. If a script, read out loud, is taking all of the time available, then what time is left for the music and sound effects to perform their role? Worse yet, the voice talent may feel forced to alter their speed or delivery to accommodate these elements. This may prevent the voice talent from communicating the message in the most effective way possible.

While there is little doubt that the message (the actual spoken words) should be the focus of most commercial audio productions, writing less copy provides space for music and sound effects to help communicate that message. In fact, these elements combined with the delivery of the voice talent, can often do more to communicate the overall message than including additional words in a script.

Radio and TV spots must fit into a specific time frame, usually :30 (:29.5 for TV) or :60 seconds. While these times are important, taking the time that will be needed for music and sound effects into consideration while writing and preparing a script can also be critical to your bottom line. The time saved in the studio by having a carefully written and timed script before recording begins, is time and therefore money saved.

Clients may insist on getting all of their critical information into a spot. But ultimately, clients want people to act (or buy something). Creative “ear catching” commercials are often more memorable and influential then a long string of words being forced upon a listener. The space between the lines, allows creativity to flourish.

Even if additional elements are not part of your radio or TV commercial, proper spacing and pacing will allow the listener to think about and hopefully act on what is being communicated to them.

Directing Voice Talent: Better Communication, Better Results

February 18, 2011 by Dan Friedman

You’re about to begin directing voice talent. You may be producing a TV or radio commercial. Maybe you’re producing a corporate presentation or program narration. Whatever the project is, your goal will be to get your chosen voice talent to communicate your message(s) to your audience. Your message could be many things, but one thing is almost certain… it is probably more than just the words written on the page. Directing voice talent to communicate both the written and unwritten messages within your script takes skill and flexibility. You must also be certain as to what your message is meant to communicate. Furthermore, it helps to have the ability to communicate effectively yourself and a willingness to allow your talent and your engineer/producer to help you achieve your goal.

Who Will Deliver and How?

The most important thing to know and understand before beginning is… your message. What do you want your message to be? What emotions are you trying to evoke in your audience? The answer to these questions will determine how you want that message delivered and who will be best at delivering it. Your choice of talent is critical. Often a voice talent with a bold announcer’s voice will be chosen to do a role that would be better suited to someone with a regular-guy/gal voice, and vice-versa. These contradictions make it difficult to hear the message beyond the voice. Simply hearing a nice voice speak your written words is not enough. The emotion comes from how those words are delivered. As the director, you need to determine what voice is right for a role, as well as the type of delivery that will communicate your message and elicit the desired response from your audience.

Professional voice talent should be able to look over your script and know reasonably quickly what type of delivery is required. Most often the words will dictate what the message should be. However, as the talent reads the script aloud, the director maxalt max should be listening for the nuances in the delivery. There is more than one way to effectively communicate a message and the director should be sure to listen carefully to those nuances and determine which communicates the message best.

Keep it Simple and Clear

When offering direction to voice talent, keep it simple and succinct. The more direction you offer at one time, the less likely you will be to get everything you need or want.

Lots of directions… often lead to contradictions. These contradictions lead to confusion. This invariably means that it will take more time to get your message where it needs to go (which possibly means spending more money as well). Directing a voice talent is analogous to being a passenger in a car and telling the driver where he or she needs to go. If the passenger tells the driver to go both right and left at the same time and at the last possible second, the driver is likely to crash. Even when the direction is clear, offering too much direction or too much explanation, can also present a problem. Going back to the passenger and driver analogy; if the passenger tells the driver he’ll have to turn right but then continues to explain the right turn or begins to discuss what will happen after that (or really just about anything that takes the drivers attention away from the road), the driver could miss the turn entirely.

Using descriptive and unambiguous terminology is another key factor in hastening your success. Telling the talent to make it “flat”, for example, could mean many things. Does it mean to read without emotion, without inflection, or to simply read the script conversationally and not sound like an announcer? Terms such as: “dramatic”, “forceful”, “proud”, “nonchalant”, “conversational”, with “more/less energy”, or “more/less smile” are much easier to understand. Books about voice over (the same books that voice talent read) can be very helpful when directing. Many offer a more comprehensive list of terms and also explain delivery styles.

Trust Your Engineer

Some voice talents respond very well to concepts. They may want to know who the audience is or what the setting will be. Others need details, such as simple directives about inflections or emphasis on a line or word. Usually a combination of these things will be most effective. If you do not have experience directing or are unfamiliar with a particular voice talent, the engineer or producer can be a tremendous asset. Allow them to help you. One of the great things about working with an engineer or producer who is experienced in voiceover is that they often work with many of the same people on many different projects. They get to know the talent well and know how each responds to different ways of directing. If you are having trouble explaining what it is you want to hear, the engineer or producer may be able to interpret your needs and convey them to the talent in a way that the talent responds best.

Line Reading… The Last Resort

Still not able to get what you want from your voice talent? As a last resort… offer a line read. It is rarely a good idea to start a recording session by offering a line read. Line reading is usually unnecessary and can be misleading. After all, the talent was hired for more than just their voice. They were also hired for their interpretation skills. William Shatner famously coerced a director to line read for him after the director gave Mr. Shatner several unnecessary directions about his delivery. Needless to say, the director couldn’t begin to deliver the message like William Shatner, and Mr. Shatner was quick to let him know it. That session is legendary in the voiceover community and the audio is available here.

This director surely learned that line reading can lead to big problems. Thankfully, most voice artists will not be as brazen as Mr. Shatner was with this particular director on that particular day. Many voice artists will kindly ask for a line read after they’ve made several attempts and still aren’t delivering a line the way you hear it in your head. Most voice talents are very appreciative to have been chosen to deliver your messages. They are more than willing to do what is necessary to give you the read you want. That being said, it is still a good idea to save line reading for small parts, pronunciations and when all other methods of communicating your needs have failed.

Directing voice talent can be the easiest and best part of your workday. If you understand your messages and communicate them to the talent and the engineers/producers as simply and clearly as possible; you’ll be able to sit back, relax and allow the talents of your chosen voice artist, and engineer, communicate your message to the world.

Voiceover – Tips and Tricks for Audio Production

Voiceover – My Winning TEAM! VOAtlanta 2015

Directing Voiceovers… Lend Me Your Words

The Space Between the Lines Affects the Listener Too

Directing Voice Talent: Better Communication, Better Results

Who Will Deliver and How?

Keep it Simple and Clear

Trust Your Engineer

Line Reading… The Last Resort

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