PAPER: Working with Voice Talent
Source: www.tedbrookssound.com
Topic: Voice Acting
Sort Desciption: voice actors who compete in such a competitive field, I realized how ... I’ve run auditions with theater groups and acting schools, and have had some luck. ...
Content Inside: Working with Voice Talent Wally Fields Wallys WEIRD Voices weird@wallys.com www.wallys.com Ted Brooks Computer Curriculum Corporation tedbrooks@earthlink.net Intended Audience: Sound engineers, Producers, Game Designers: anyone who might be interested in recording or selecting Voice Talent for their production. TED BROOKS - the Producers Perspective: Finding your talent The other day I was looking at the pile of 100 or so demo tapes that we have laying around where I work. Besides feeling a little sorry for the voice talents, announcers and voice actors who compete in such a competitive field, I realized how hard it is to select the “voice” who is the perfect match for your productions. Fortunately, I have worked in Silicon Valley as a recording engineer and later as a producer for about 15 years. Most of the time, I already know the local talent who has the chops that my current production requires. But, what if I was new to the area, or to the business? Or what if I needed a voice that I’d never heard before? That ‘s where finding your talent gets a little tricky. So, lets talk first about some tried and true ways to find that perfect voice. The demo tape Demo tapes can be a real double-edged sword. Some of them showcase the prospective voice talents’ past jobs; usually the jobs that they feel best demonstrate their strongest styles, and often times they will showcase their versatility by demonstrating many styles. Sometimes, though not very often, you’ll get lucky and hear the exact style that you’re looking for right on a demo tape. I can remember that happening once or twice. One time I called a voice talent that I knew to see if he might be able to do a style of voice I was looking for, and he was using the exact voice I wanted on his answering machine. Other demo tapes are made up of completely fabricated copy and productions, but still try to accomplish the same thing. You can usually tell the real productions from the self ...
voice