It's More Than Just Reading Words

When I receive a short 30-second voiceover script from a client, my first thought is, "Ah, this is a quick and easy one!" But it never is! The short ones may appear to be easy but they can be deadly! Every word and every line needs to sound impactful. If this is a script from a talent agency, it will include plenty of performance instruction, including demographical information.

There is usually a marketing objective or call-to-action in every commercial. Maybe it's a Subway commercial and they want to push a brand new sandwich on their menu. And who is the audience? Are they targeting families in general? Do they want to reach out to seniors? Perhaps it's college kids in this particular campaign? Before the session begins, you'll need to know who you’re talking to. This verbiage that will usually appear on the script. And during the live directed session with the clients, they will provide more direction on who you are, where you are, how you should perform the script and why are you reading it?

What kind of tone should be in the message when it's performed to each audience I mentioned above? Perhaps this particular Subway commercial has a lot of energy needed to grab the consumer's attention. But, on the other hand, maybe it's more of a laid-back conversational piece that could be more tongue-in-cheek?

Keeping the brand name in mind is very important. This will directly affect the tone and projection as your read the script. Companies will typically have an established public image or reputation. And voice actors need to match that in the performance.

A solid voiceover performance is more than just having a good voice and reading the words on a script. All of the tips above are in play when delivering a well-branded message and convincing performance. And remember, using your ears is just as important as your voice in this business. Having this client for life should always be the goal, so you have to pay attention to what a talent agent or client tells you, especially when reading any voiceover copy.