hiring voice talent

Key Factors to Consider When Hiring Voice-Over Talent

July 20, 2015 by Debbie Grattan

Continued from Part 1: “Before You Hire Voice-Over Talent, Run Through This 10 Point Assessment”

This article is written for anyone who might hire voice-over talent, but especially for those who may have never hired voice talent in the past, or who have done so only a few times.

In today’s competitive and diverse market, a little guidance can be helpful in finding the best voice-over talent for your current project, and ongoing voice-over needs. These 10 factors can save you a lot of time and trouble, by steering you away from voice-over talent who may not be the best fit for your needs.

Please be sure to read the first five factors in Part 1 of this article!

6. Custom Audition

Another keen way to gauge a person’s vocal range and versatility is to ask for a custom voice-over audition. Ask your prospective VO actor if they wouldn’t mind recording a few sentences of the project in their home studio, and sending over – kind of like a test drive.

Professional voice-over talents will typically offer a custom voice-over audition for you to present to your client for approval beforehand. This way, you and your client get a taste of what the final product will sound like, and can offer any feedback prior to assignment of the final script.

Don’t expect them to record the whole script for you, however. Just a portion of it should be enough to get a feel for how they will sound on the final product.

The question to ask: “Can I get a complimentary custom voice-over audition?”

7. Training

The next best thing after real experience is extensive voice-over acting training from a reputable teacher. The voice-over services industry is packed with loads of fine workshops, and your voice-over actor of choice should have credits listed on their bio or voice-over resume showcasing where or with whom they studied. Voice-over coaching has become more widespread in recent years, providing another avenue for learning.

If you don’t see educational or training credits, ask about them. If your chosen talent doesn’t have a good answer, it may be a good time to move on.

Look for the most reputable names of teachers and coaches which include: Kalmenson & Kalmenson, Marc Cashman, Marice Tobias, Nancy Wolfson, Pat Fraley to name a few. You can also do a quick bit of homework on whomever the prospective voice-over talent has studied with. You should be able to find their teacher or coach online as well, so you can check them out and get an idea of whether they have legit training or not.

While more and more VO coaches and voice-over workshops are popping up, many of them are not instructed by veteran voice-over actors who really know the ropes. Just because a voice-over talent has studied with SOMEONE does not mean they actually received the level of training that you would expect them to have as a professional voice-over talent.

The question to ask: “Is this voice talent well-trained by reputable voice-over teachers or coaches?”

8. Client List

Voice talent that has been working for several years will have a lineup of quality voice-over clients. As an example, I took a head count over a two-year period and found I had more than 500 unique clients, many of which keep coming back. Ask about their current clients. Where can you hear their VO work on radio or TV? Do they have any movie, TV show, audiobook, commercials or other credits? Do they have links to websites where their voice-over work is featured in conjunction with a corporate client? What are some of their recent projects?

Quality is just as important as quantity when it comes to clients. Most voice-over pros have a mix of nationally recognized names and smaller, local businesses. If you only see local mom and pop shops, that might be a clue that the person has minimal experience as a working professional voice-over actor.

The question to ask: “Is there a client list available and does it indicate this talent has worked with many reputable clients?”

9. Recording Studio Specs

Key elements in a high-end recording studio include a high-quality microphone, pristine sound-proofed recording environment, professional-grade software and current technology computer setup. The latter should include quality soundcard, phone patch capability, ISDN (or SourceConnect, ipDTL) – the works.

If you start asking specifics about studio specs, and the person has no clue what you’re talking about, you may want to think twice before taking them on.

Serious voice-over actors often post their home recording studio equipment and specs on their website, so definitely look for it. But a room full of fancy, expensive equipment doesn’t guarantee a good recording. Everything must be set up properly and fine-tuned.

If you have any doubt about the caliber of the recording studio, ask for a sample recording done in their home studio so you can get an accurate idea of the level of quality you’re dealing with.

One listen (just like one picture) can be worth a thousand words. And keep in mind that even with the best of equipment, if that vocal talent isn’t up to snuff, then it’s another reason to move on.

The question to ask: “Does this voice talent have a good quality recording studio and can they deliver high quality audio files?”

10. Acting Ability

Voice actors and voice-over talents can sometimes be a slightly different breed. While both may sound OK on a mic when given specific directions, authentic voice actors have the ability to give you the nuance you need – often with little or no direction required.

Top-notch voice actors come armed with the training, experience and skills required to portray a character, in any given situation or relationship, not just provide so-called “lip service.” This kind of expertise is what will lift the words off the page and take your project from something bland to something engaging.

The question to ask: “Does this voice-over talent have any acting training and ability, just in case that is needed for my project?”

While these 10 questions give you a strong foundation for choosing voice-over talent, they are certainly not the end-all. You can ask about a person’s level of professionalism and confidence, however, their true levels of both will be apparent through your interactions.

You’ll want to choose someone who not only says they’re the best, but can prove it with prompt replies, strategic input, a professional manner and a great vocal performance. The full package is something that only comes from an authentic pro.

Before You Hire Voice-Over Talent, Run Through This 10 Point List

July 10, 2015 by Debbie Grattan

You liked the sound of the voice-over demo, so you hired the talent. But something happened on the way to the final video, and now your client is upset over the less-than-ideal voice-over recording that was supposed to be the perfect fit for their project.

You found out the hard way that a good-sounding demo is not the only factor you should consider when selecting voice-over talent for your project.

In the Voice-Over Market Today, It’s Buyer Beware

Because there is an influx of new voice-over talent flooding the market with minimal experience and skill, it is imperative that you as producer or business person who hires voice-over talent can tell the difference between a seasoned professional VO and someone who is going to ultimately be disappointing to work with.

Ideally, you want a voice talent who has been through the trenches for many years and has built up the skills, experience and professionalism needed to get your voice-over job done right the first time.

It’s important to dig deeper than just their voice-over demos.

In fact, demos can actually be misleading since they’re created under the best of circumstances. There’s no deadline pressure and they can be re-recorded as many times as it takes to get just the right sound – even if it takes days.

Going beyond the demo involves looking at the following 10 areas that can help you separate the legit voice-over talents from those who are probably not ready for prime time. Pay particular attention to the top three on the list:

1. Professional Voice-Over Experience

Experience reigns supreme when it comes to honing talent, skills and professionalism. A more experienced voice-over actor will most likely be able to deliver a high-quality final product, especially when compared to a voice-over talent with limited experience. While some voice-over jobs may require more finesse than others, some solid acting experience is also always a plus. A voice talent’s level of experience should be evident in their completed work showcased on their website and on their voice-over bio or resume.

If a voice-over talent has been in the business for 12+ years, this is a definite sign that they know what they are doing. You cannot fake long-term success. Nor can you fake the professionalism and ability to work efficiently with clients that only comes after years of doing so.

You have to be very good at what you do and be able to provide quality voice-over service to hundreds of clients to be successful over such a long time-frame.

The question to ask: “How much experience does this voice-over talent have and how many years have they been doing professional voice-over work?”

2. Timely, Reliable and Consistent Service

In addition to checking on what their experience level is like, you will also want to determine how good the voice-over talent is at being reliable, consistent and keeping their word when it comes to deadlines.

A prime way to check this out before hiring is to look for client testimonials and reviews on their website. See if the reviewers’ comments mention these kinds of factors as being strengths for the voice talent.

If you end up hiring a voice-over talent for repeat work, you will get a sense of their ability in these areas over time. In my experience, many of my jobs require some kind of turn-around time, commonly 24 to 48 hours. I personally work very hard at making sure I always hit those deadlines because I know how important it is to my clients. And, I know that NOT hitting a deadline is a surefire way to lose a client’s trust and future business!

The question to ask: “Are there any reviews of this talent and do they point to strengths in the areas of reliability and timeliness?”

3. Range and Versatility

Make sure the VO talent’s vocal range suits what you’re looking for and, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, go for someone with a wide range of vocal ability in their voice-over demos and clips. High-quality VO pros will have sample recordings that showcase their full range and versatility on a wide scope of different jobs.

This is not only demonstrated in various demo offerings (commercial, narration, promo, etc.) but could also be evident on their website or YouTube or Vimeo playlists, where completed client projects are featured for prospective buyers.

The question to ask: “Does this voice-over talent demonstrate a suitable amount of range and versatility in their demos and samples?”

4. Availability

This question is especially important if you are looking to hire voice-over talent for an ongoing work project that will require them to record on many occasions over the course of a month, a year or even longer. Generally, it is much easier for a full-time voice-over talent to be on top of this area, because they are committed full-time to servicing their clients.

Part-time voice-over talents are more likely to NOT be able to consistently hit deadlines (or be available on very short-term notice) because they are doing something else for a big chunk of their day and are not in their home studio on a full-time basis.

Find a full-time voice-over actor and you’ll find someone whose total energy and focus is on meeting the needs of their voice-over clients.

The question to ask: “Is this talent working as a full-time voice-over talent or part-time, and what can I reasonably expect for availability?”

5. Rates and Pricing

Money is not always the bottom line, but rates can work as a clue to decide if the voice-over actor is the right one for you. One red flag would be rates that are unbelievably low, which could be the mark of a novice. Other talent rates may be too high for your budget, although you can always attempt to negotiate.

Competitive rates are usually the mark of a pro, as is someone who sounds knowledgeable when quoting rates.

They will have the experience to understand the market rate on any given project, taking into account the important factors like broadcast vs. non-broadcast, usage period, buyout options and other factors that can come into play. This knowledge indicates they have a good idea of the work involved on a specific project and are striving to set a rate that’s fair for their time and talent and affordable for you.

But, don’t expect voice over talent to publish their rates on their website unless they only do union work. Many non-union jobs have multiple factors involved and need to be priced on an individual basis. It is impossible to realistically quote a job without having the key details first, and therefore, usually not practical to publish voice-over rates on voice talent websites.

Always keep in mind that in voice-over, like most other businesses, you usually get what you pay for. Beware of quotes that don’t appear fair or can’t be backed up by sound reasoning. Also beware of prices that sound too good to be true.

The question to ask: “When you ask for a quote, does the voice talent provide pricing that seems reasonable for the job, and knowledge on how they arrived at their quote (i.e. usage, broadcast market, word count, etc.?”

Keep reading for #6 through #10 of this ten point assessment…

Voice Over Marketing Tips From Producers Who Hire Voice Talent

March 15, 2013 by Debbie Grattan

Female Commercial Voice Actress Debbie Grattan reviews the highlights from her ongoing “Think Like a Producer” series of articles. In Part 2, she looks at some of the best marketing tips that have been shared in recent articles. Check out Part 1, “Voice Over Actress Tips From Producers Who Hire Voice Talent” to see more great tips!

1. A website is a must and a blog is highly recommended. It’s a great way for people to get to know you better as a voice talent and it will help immensely with your search engine results.

2. Email newsletters are good, but they can often be burdensome to read. So, sending an email once a month mentioning some of your latest work is a very good thing to do and will keep you “top of mind” with current and prospective voiceover services clients.

3. Think about sending out postcards once in awhile. It’s nice for producers to connect the name and voice with your face, and it’s a channel of communication that often goes under-utilized in today’s digital age. That means the chances of your postcard getting noticed are better now than they were when more people were sending direct mail.

4. Most producers we’ve talked with are very open to receiving an occasional email contact message from voice talents.

5. Consider sending an MP3 voiceover demos when contacting new producers by email. That often will catch their attention better than a website link.

6. No matter how much marketing you do and how much you put yourself out there, there’s still more people who DON’T know you than who do know you.

7. Several producers commented that they didn’t actually receive very many direct contacts from voiceover talents wanting to make an introduction. They all seemed open to that, but were surprised that they didn’t get more direct solicitations from voice talent.

8. Get your demos listed on as many voice talent sites on the internet as possible. And not just Pay-to-Play sites like Voices123 and Voices.com

9. We live in an instant age. You have to be able to respond very quickly to emails and phone calls. If you’re not around when a prospective client has a need for your services, he is likely to move on to the next voice talent on his list.

10. In cases where clients need very fast turnaround, you just have to be able to deliver that consistently to be hired by the people who are looking for that level of service. This can be very important if you want to be a “Go To” voice talent for a production company that produces a lot of content.

11. The internet has changed the face of the voiceover industry. It’s important to align with the reality as it now exists and to be flexible in meeting the needs of the people who hire voice talent.

12. The need for voice talent services will keep going up, since video production continues to skyrocket as the preferred medium of communication. So there will be no shortage of work for voice talents. The trick is being able to be one of the talents who can capture the really big piece of the pie. This is where skills in marketing, customer service and business management can make or break a voice talent career.

Read Part 1 of this article at: “Voice Over Actress Tips From Producers Who Hire Voice Talent“

Voice Over Actress Tips From Producers Who Hire Voice Talent – Part 2

February 15, 2013 by Debbie Grattan

Female Commercial Voice Over Actress Debbie Grattan reviews the highlights from her ongoing “Think Like a Producer” series of articles. In Part 1, she looks at the tips that have been shared around the Art of Voice Over.

As a working voice over actress, I have a pretty fun (and extraordinarily challenging) job and I get to talk with a lot of very interesting people. It’s been a great experience to have the opportunity to interview several professional producers, marketing and advertising execs, recording engineers and voice over pros during my “Think Like a Producer” series. I plan on continuing this series through the end of 2012 and perhaps beyond. Looking back over all of the interviews we’ve completed to date, I was struck by how much knowledge, wisdom and good advice has been shared. So, I wanted to take stock of what we’ve covered so far and provide a summary of the best voice over actress tips and advice we’ve heard to this point.

Some of these items might seem a bit obvious, but just because they are obvious doesn’t mean you should dismiss them. Sometimes, one little tip can make a world of difference for a humble voice over actress.

Tips On How to Be a Successful Voice Over Actress

1. Be professional: Be open, be on time, be prepared and be totally dedicated to doing that particular project at that particular time.

Consistency is very important. Especially when being hired for a project that may require changes made weeks or months down the road. Everything has to match and line up pretty seamlessly. (Dave Louis of Audio Images)

2. Video production is where it’s at these days. As a voice over actress you need to be able to show your strength in two to three minute videos that have a range of emotion and excitement. There’s a particular skill in knowing how to get into something, drive it along for three minutes and be entertaining at the same time. (Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc.)

3. Producers love to hire a voice over actress who can deliver a read that’s even better than what the producer had in mind. This usually requires solid training, experience, versatility and good instincts.

When in a session, keep things business like and don’t spend unnecessary time trying to socialize and chit-chat with the producer. It’s fine to do that a little bit, but many times that producer is very busy and has several things to do after your session, so don’t keep them on the phonepatch or ISDN line longer than you need to. (Cheril Hendry of Brandtailers)

4. Very few voice talents can do everything. Play to your strengths and only put your best work on your reel. Develop a thick skin so that you can easily take suggestions and criticism. There is a lot of competition and an enormous amount of rejection built into the voice over actress profession. You have to be able to deal with that on a daily basis in order to have a successful voice over acting career. (Joel Newport of Harvest Creative Services)

5. Be yourself as much as possible when reading copy, whether it be for an audition or for a job. The more truly authentic and real you are, the more attractive you’ll be to the listener. There’s going to be that person that hears some characteristic that appeals to them, whether it’s the tonality, the way you deliver, or how you inflect.

Part of the reason we hear well-known celebrity actors doing so much voice over work is because they instinctively know what is needed to drive the spot and they understand the copy. They have the acting training that delivers the nuance advertisers are looking for. There is also, the credibility factor, which is huge. (Ed Victor, Voice Over Talent and former Advertising Exec)

Read Part 2 of this recap “Voice Over Marketing Tips From Producers Who Hire Voice Talent”, which covers some specific marketing tips that have been shared.

Why You Need a Pro Commercial Voice-Over Artist for Your Next Commercial

January 30, 2012 by Debbie Grattan

Professional Commercial Voice-Over Artist Debbie Grattan offers her thoughts on the advantages of hiring a Pro Commercial Voice-Over Talent versus someone who is newer to the voice-over business.

.
Being a full-time commercial voice-over artist, I always have my ear tuned to commercials. Whether it’s on tv or radio, I find it amusing how just as many listeners are taking their attention away from the program (as it goes to commercial break), I am unconsciously tuning in.

Living in a relatively small media market in the Midwest, I see and hear a wide range of quality in the radio and tv commercial spots. Occasionally, I say to myself (or my husband if he’s in earshot), “What were they thinking? Who approved that read?!”

Perhaps I’m overly sensitive because I grew up in the monstrous market of Southern California, where nearly every single spot (in prime time anyway) is extremely well crafted. And where radio commercials are perhaps even more important than television commercials in attracting listeners and customers, since capturing the ear of all of those drivers on the freeway is essential. I find that a good commercial voice-over track and script can make up for a lot of subpar stuff that may be happening elsewhere in the spot.

So, choosing a quality commercial voice-over talent and making sure you have a well-written script are of paramount importance when you’re trying to make that strong, positive impression on your audience. This holds true for both radio and television commercials when choosing which pro voice talent to hire.

As I’ve mentioned in other commercial voice-over business articles, there are a whole lot of voice talent newbies out there who have jumped into this business thinking they’ve got what it takes to do this for a living. What they usually fail to realize is the subtlety and nuance involved in reads, and how one little change in inflection can completely change the meaning that is conveyed to the audience.

I find that without some solid acting training and script interpretation skills, it’s very difficult to have the foundation to be able to provide the array of vocal options that clients often want to hear, so they can choose the best take. Most of the time, that foundation comes only after years of experience.

If you’re going to the cost and effort of producing a tv or radio commercial, I strongly suggest you don’t cut corners in the voice talent selection part of the process. The voice talent can make or break the success of your advertising spot.

I know not everyone realizes this. Some people are very visual, others are kinesthetic and still others are auditory. It’s essential to cover all three bases (and look/listen) to your spot from all combined perspectives, to make sure you are sending the desired message on all channels

Debbie Grattan is a professional commercial voice-over artist who has been in the voiceover business for more than 20 years. She’s been the “go to” artist for many production companies and recording studios across the US. Check out her commercial voice-over demos, and request a commercial voice-over audition to hear what kind of quality Debbie can deliver.

Why Hire a Female Voice Actor Over a Male Voice Actor

January 15, 2012 by Debbie Grattan

Female Voice Actor Debbie Grattan covers some of the pros and cons to consider when hiring a male and female voice actor for a voiceover project. I read recently that over 3.3 million commercials are playing each day, just on the radio alone! That number is staggering, but it’s good news for me because every one of those spots needs a voice talent.

I find most people don’t pay all that much conscious attention to commercials. We’ve gotten very good at tuning them out (I bet the advertisers hate hearing me say that). That’s why we are being bombarded with more and more advertising messages each day. The average person sees and hears anywhere from 300 to 3000 individual daily ads in various media formats. It’s a numbers game. The advertisers know only a few messages will get through, so they have to throw more and more messages at us in hopes the right ones will stick. Talk about a competitive environment!

It’s very interesting to take a look at the factors that most influence the effectiveness of a radio or television commercial registering with its intended audience. One component which sometimes gets overlooked by the average consumer is the voice talent doing the speaking.

Celebrity Voice Overs On the Rise

These days, you can hear a wide variety of celebrity voiceovers on commercials selling everything from milk (Holly Hunter), orange juice (Donald Sutherland & Tom Selleck), credit cards (Morgan Freeman), cars (Jeff Bridges, Tim Allen, Peter Coyote), and the list goes on for quite awhile.

Why choose these voices? In the case of many of them, they actually have very distinctive ways of speaking that would probably not translate into big bucks if the average voice talent had the same way of speaking. Their voices are recognizable to the average person, but I don’t think most people realize who the voice is when they hear it. There is a comfort and familiarity that is largely unconscious. And, advertisers LOVE to do things in the unconscious part of our brains. That’s how they get us to take action, by pushing buttons that we don’t even know we have.

So the famous voice actor can have some effect on the average listener, but what about the basic difference between an unknown female voice actor versus an unknown male voice actor? Does it matter which sex you hear on the spot? Sex sells, but which sex sells better? Of course, that depends on who you’re talking to.

Do Women Prefer Hearing a Female Voice Actor?

Here’s one theory, which is based solely on my real life experience living with my husband. Women are much more “shopping” oriented than men. Duh, right? But, let me elaborate a bit.

My husband doesn’t shop. He goes to the store when he actually NEEDS something. I rarely see him come how with something he didn’t intend to get when he left the house. I’ve seen other men do this too and I find it mildly intriguing.

I, on the other hand, have a hard time NOT getting things I don’t actually need. Especially if they are marked down 50% or more. My husband and I have had some interesting discussions around this, and I’ve learned to control some of my urges in this area, most of the time.

I think that women are much more “suggestible” when it comes to getting them to buy stuff they don’t actually need. And, that’s often what the advertisers want all of us to do. Heck, if everyone only bought stuff they actually needed, this country would be in a world of hurt. Just look at what happens when people stop consuming so much… Our economy takes a dive pretty quick.

I firmly believe that for most products and services, your odds of selling are better if you target female buyers. Simply because female buyers are, on average, more prone to want to shop. And more shopping automatically leads to more buying.

One great way to get a woman to listen is to have your commercial sales pitch delivered by a female voice actor. We, women, tend to trust each other. We have a special bond that men just don’t get. I notice I am much more tuned into ads with a pleasant-sounding female voice actor than with a man’s voice. I may still listen to either way, but I feel more comfortable and at ease with a woman’s voice in general.

Reasons Why a Female Voice Actor Can Be a Better Choice:

1. Women pay more attention to radio and TV commercials. Because of that, advertisers often target the female audience. Watch an hour of prime-time television (other than sports) and ask yourself for each ad, “Was that ad aimed at a man or a woman?” You’ll find most ads are aimed at women.

2. Women can be more believable in a voice over, in general, they are perceived as less aggressive, softer, and more easygoing than a male.

3. Women can speak to other women (trust factor, friend to friend, confidant) AND also to men, with the sexy, sultry style that is attention-grabbing for the male.

4. Women can be perceived as intelligent, without being oppressive, or dominating, in a way that works well for corporate video, training industries, e-learning, etc.

It’s interesting to note that men are often portrayed as dopey and unintelligent in commercials. Do you think the advertisers would be doing that if men were the target audience? Advertisers know that women enjoy commercials that make women look superior to men.

So, here’s the thing. If an advertising firm is making this decision, then it’ll be factoring in this type of analysis and research to determine which voice will work best. But, I sometimes find that the person making this decision is not an ad agency but the end client. And in this case, it can sometimes be nothing more than the client’s own comfort level with their own gender or the opposite gender. Clients may ignore the advice of the person they’re paying a large sum to manage their advertising, simply to follow what “feels” best to them. While I believe in following your feelings and intuition, sometimes you must follow the expert’s advice.

For your next commercial spot, give this some thought and put yourself in the mind/ear of your target market to hire which type of voice is a better fit and will yield the best results.

VERSATILE

EXPERIENCED

PROFESSIONAL