VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[BenWils]

I was voicing a session today for a client that I have worked with a lot. It is just some pharmaceutical narration stuff where it is sometimes pretty darn challenging. And sometimes...not so bad. Today, not so bad (thankfully).

Well anyway, I was busting along through the script and was stopped...."hey, that 'to' was a 'from'..." or something to that effect. Nothing big....just a slip. Then it happened one more time in the session. I totally substituted a word for another, however, it still made sense...and they actually liked it better. Mind you, I am not changing their script in my head on purpose...it just happens from time to time. So after the session, the client is commenting on how she loved that I really sounded like I know a lot about these drugs as if I have prior experience. Me: "No, never heard of them in my life".

It got me thinking about the script changing thing and my style of reading for these narrations. For me, I guess I figured out that I am internalizing the script and not really reading word for word the lines on the page. Since I reviewed the pages of script prior, it helps. However, I made a connection because of her comments that I am indeed acting when I read these narrations. For me to sound like a seasoned pharmaceutical expert, I take in the script by reading it ahead of time....later using the words on the page as a guide and just give a performance as a seasoned professional.

I don't really connect acting and industrial pharmaceutical narrations together much in my mind, even though there is acting involved. But this is my process in which I just fleshed out and have given some thought.

Anyone else have any things they do to make narrations more interesting? Does anyone else have this word substitution thing happen in your sessions?
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Ben


"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

[Jeffrey Kafer]

I had the word flipping thing happen a LOT last week when I was reading an industrial narration for a Saudi plant that was not written by native English speakers. So I had to choke through the bad grammar and read it as written. I'm SURE I auto-corrected some of their sentences.
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Deirdre]

I read entire blocks of text at a time, so I'm usually at least a line ahead of what I'm actually saying and I will occasionally paraphrase on the fly.
it can be a pain in the neck sometimes. I have to run my finger along the text now and then.

I make it a point to read a script aloud to get a grip of grammatical pitfalls— I'll make notes and let the client know about questions before we start a session. They are always hugely grateful.
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[Bruce]

Yep, I correct grammar all the time on the fly and clients almost never complain. I also throw wrong words in there every so often but I almost always catch those in editing.

You've struck on one of the secrets of being a good narrator. Identify with your audience. They're fascinated as hell about things like flux 21-C/right flanged capacitors or glomerulonephritis (or they should be in the eyes of their bosses) so if you sound interested you make for a much-more-enjoyable or much-less-painful experience for your listeners.

I often have a hell of a time getting noobs to understand why acting experience is so helpful to straight announcing. Your recent work shows you know this and much more. You will do very well in this business.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[Chrissy]

Ben I've had the same experience from time to time. I always go over scripts before a session so I was trying to figure out why I did that. I thought it might be because I was focused on an upcoming word or phrase. Or maybe I was momentarily tired.

I hate when this happens because I feel like I'm coming off as unprofessional. I'm so aware that time is money to these guys.

Chrissy

[Frank F]

Ben,

You just have learned one of the hardest things to teach in the VO business world; the art of acting with your voice. True talent does not come from just the words which are written for you in a script, but from what the character you are playing is saying to the intended audience.

The written word and the spoken word are definitely not in sync during the course of many scripts I read. I do some scripts for the military which are - well - interesting in how they are written. On the page and at first glance they read O.K.; however when you try to speak them out loud they become complicated and over-written or contain poor gramar.

Some clients are able to relate to the poor grammar, others are incensed by the fact that a mere "voiceover artist" is correcting their English. BE - the character who is telling the story, and you will BE the best VO artist for any particular script.

Toodles

F2
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

[zrktoots]

About a month ago I did a narration for a vericose vein treatment. When I got the copy, I did my homework and made sure I knew exactly what I was talking about. The client (the director of the video) was most impressed that I actually did the research. I actually knew more about the subject than he did and grossed him out explaining what vein stripping was (not the treatment being discussed in the video but the old way of doing things).

I find it is easier to connect with anything I'm doing whetherm it is copy or some other type of script, if I really know what I'm talking about. A lot of actors, voice, on-camera and stage, I have come across over the years just don't want to put the time, energy and effort into doing this homework.

[Diane Maggipinto]

after yesterday, i can tell you a whole lot about fixed annuities.

i soak up new stuff, i'm fairly interested in most topics, and so it seems natural for me to imagine my auidence, and i am the expert. here's a gem of an example:

>>The Point to Point with participation index crediting strategy credits interest based on the difference between the market index value at the beginning and the end of a period of at least one year. This strategy applies a limited percentage of the market index linked interest crediting the client is eligible to receive to the contract. <<

fascinating, eh?

ben, i'll bet your 'acting' in pharmaceutical industrials and with similar material comes naturally to you; you just had an "a ha!" moment !
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sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

www.d3voiceworks.com

[BenWils]

Thanks everyone for the interesting thoughts and comments. Very good stuff indeed!

Yes, Diane, you are right. I always think of audience in most cases and try to give a performance for these things (pharmaceutical narrations or whatever) that makes it as "un-boring" as possible.

I guess with my comments....I did come to an "a-ha" moment just in the simple fact that my "not just reading the script verbatim" as we all can get caught up in doing sometimes....the fact that I sort of memorize the read after a few times through it, helps me to "internalize" the ideas within the script enough to allow me to "act". And yes, I too forget sometimes that acting is a part of everything single thing a voice "actor" does. It is just nice to have those "a-ha" moments from time to time to keep things fresh. So I thought I would share.

I would say for any new VO people reading this, my point is not that changing a script makes you a better actor and I don't recommend it.....more times than not if you get caught doing this you will be embarrased by the writer, producer or whomever. I think the lesson, also eched by what Bruce, DB, Frank and others said is.......know your audience. Put yourself in their shoes as the person having to listening to your read for a half-hour and do the things needed to make your read interesting and engaging. Find ways to "act". Try to sound like your know what you are talking about and don't just "read aloud". Make it real and make it interesting. Not only will the listener be more informed and entertained....the people on the other side of the glass will too and you will be invited back again and again.

After the last read I did in which I had my "a-ha" moment...I sat with the producer while the engineer cut my read together. We listened to the first few minutes and she applauded. I was blown away. It has not happened before in a session for a DRUG narration. Yeah, I was like...wow! Did that just happen! I will take that as a real good sign as I am doing something right in those reads!

Okay, I'm done. Interesting stuff to ponder. I hope you also find some interesting "A-Ha" moments during the day to day normal stuff!
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Ben


"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

[ConnieTerwilliger]

Use the insert tab A into slot B method of reading.

I did an on-camera pilot training course a few years ago and I don't know nut'n 'bout flying air-eo-planes. My lack of knowledge on the subject actually was helpful - if I didn't understand it when I was reading it, then the people taking the course wouldn't either. It was a great way to help the subject matter experts "dumb" down their script. Well, break it down to a level where it made sense to the beginner.

It was a fun project and even more fun one time while sitting on the tarmac at O'Hare for de-icing (3 TIMES). I was in the middle between two guys who started talking about flying - one guy says that he is taking this great interactive training course for learning to fly Cessna Skyhawks. I told him that I was one of his instructors - after taking off my glasses and running my fingers through my hair to style it like the show, his jaw dropped. I felt like a semi-celebrity, but I didn't tell him that I didn't fly.
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[bobsouer]