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Imagine how great your promos could be with CELEBRITY
Voice Impressions and perfect casting. Select from a wide
variety of Character sounds including Cartoon
Impressions, Celebrity Impressions, Children's Voices,
Radio Announcer Voices, among many other styles and
variations. From our library of available voices you can choose from a complete cast of cartoon characters, plus a complete list of television and film impersonation voices.
Contact us for more information. TEN RED FLAGS OF BAD VOICEOVERS The second red flag is the quality of the recording. These days, most talents will record in their home studio. It’s cheaper and more convenient, but the quality can definitely suffer. Here are a few common problems. The volume might be too low, or certain words might be too loud and distorted (that’s called ‘clipping’). You might also hear cars passing by or a dog barking in the background. That should tell you that the recording was not made in a dedicated, soundproofed space. Building a sound booth can set you back thousands of dollars. Most beginners don’t have that much to invest. If you happen to hear hissing, it’s usually the result of cheap gear or turning up volume settings too high. A hum on the recording is typically caused by a ground loop. It occurs when there is more than one ground connection path between two pieces of equipment. Pros know that. Amateurs have no idea and don’t know how to fix it. A third indicator is bad microphone technique. How can you tell? You’ll hear popping plosives like P’s, B’s and T’s. You might also hear harsh and shrill S-sounds (so-called ‘sibilance’) that tickle your ear drum in an unpleasant way. Tip-off number four is lack of vocal technique. An amateur might take very noticeable breaths. Breathing is such a natural thing; most of us aren’t even aware that we’re doing it. Being close to a mic enhances every single sound. Pros have practiced and mastered the ‘silent breath’. Amateur recordings can also be filled with annoying lip smacks, mouth noises, clicks and crackles. Some of them can be edited out, but bad edits are a fifth sign of amateurism. Sloppy articulation and incorrect pronunciation come in on number six. Some amateurs are rather lazy speakers, and their delivery will lack clarity, especially when they pick up the tempo. I’ve also heard beginners over articulate certain words, making them sound unnatural and contrived. A professional narrator will do her homework and will correctly pronounce words such as inaniloquent, rastaquouere or nudiustertian. Poor or inappropriate delivery is clue number seven. You don’t want your serious documentary narrated by an overselling wannabee actor who has watched too many infomercials. Local radio show hosts give themselves away because they have cultivated an “announcer voice”. You’re listening for a crisp, natural delivery. Not for a news reader. Number eight: the inability to interpret a script. Any text can be read in a million ways. A voice-over professional will always sound like he knows what he’s talking about (even if he doesn’t). An amateur will sound insecure, lost and untrustworthy. A professional is flexible and appreciates and incorporates feedback fast without fussing. A pro can be coached. An amateur is afraid of criticism; is inflexible and needs a lot of hand-holding and training. What you might save in terms of money, you will inevitably lose in valuable time (not to mention the aggravation…). Expert firefighter Red Adair once said: “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” Number ten is my personal favorite. You can always spot an amateur by the way certain questions are answered. A few examples: You: “What kind of monitors do you have?” You: “How did you stage your gain? Outside or
inside the box?” You: “Newman recently came out with a ribbon
shotgun microphone. It’s only $199! Should I buy it?” HOME RUN “Oh, you know… I’ve been around the block a few times,” I replied. It’s not exactly rocket science. And as Yogi Berra once said: Voice acting is 90% mental, the other half is physical. Paul Strikwerda © 2010 We Make Advertising, That Get Results!
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A few of the
most requested character voices and celebrity impressions
used in commercials, cartoons, corporate video
and film include:
Ronald
Reagan
