When it comes to creating a video, there are few things that you should get right. Although the video visual content and quality are extremely important, the audio (voice-over talent narration and background music) is equally as important because it helps to deliver your message and forms the basis of what will capture the attention of your audience.
I already covered the “background music” part in a previous blog post: 8 tips for selecting the perfect music for your video. And in this article, I will be covering the VOICE OVER part, which is a very important stage in the video production process. Professionalism in this area is essential and today I will give you tips on how to choose the perfect Voice Over talent for your video.
1. Choose VO talents with professional experience
DIY or amateur Voice Overs will never sound as good as professional ones. A professional voice-over artist will have the experience needed to get the ‘right’ voice for your video, thus bringing your script to life.
He will also engage your audience with an emotional hook and will understand the practicalities of fitting the number of words in your script into the time needed while sounding natural.
Professional voice over artists have mastered the art of speaking to your audience in a manner that they can connect and identify with. You want to get a voice-over that exudes confidence, connects with the audience on a personal level and is convincing enough to bring trust and credibility to your video
2. Male or female VO?
The choice of a male or female voice over artist depends on the requirements of the video and on the target audience.
The general rule is that if you’re targeting a predominantly male audience, then a male voice over is best. The same applies to females. For example, if the video will be related to a beauty product, it’s likely that your target market will constitute women and thus the Voice Over artist should be a female. And if the video is about a new sports car, then choose a male voice.
This also applies to the age range. Approximate age matching of artist and audience is also a good idea.
Ultimately, focus on your target demographic and stay congruent with your product or message.
3. Do your online search
There are plenty of voice-over websites and platforms out there that make the process of finding a voice actor extremely easy, and from where you can find the right talent for your video. These websites will provide you with complete access to a wide range of voice actors who all have different skills and services.
Go over them and search for talents, and then shortlist the best ones. This will make it possible for you to sift through the large list of actors who are available for work and also fit your criteria.
4. Check the VOs’ portfolio
A good voice over artist should be able to provide you with a range of examples of his previous work. Take a look at the type of work he has done and see whether he can handle a range of different types of voice work.
It is recommended that you put on the headphones and listen carefully to the demos of several VO artists before agreeing to work with one. Make a detailed analysis of each and choose the best talent accordingly.
5. Ask for a custom audition
In order to find out if the talent would be good for your video project, don’t hesitate to ask for a free audition. It pays off at the end as you don’t end up with a voice that might ruin your video project.
6. Share detailed information about your video
The voice actor you choose may not be completely familiar with your company, industry, or audience. So it’s your job to educate him/her. When you reach out to a voice actor, be sure to share as much relevant information as possible about the video project and related issues.
7. Give the VO artist some direction
Before the VO artist records, you should pass on some direction on several issues regarding your video.
In some cases, there could be some difficult words, specific industry terms, some regional pronunciations, and other words in your script, so it is helpful to share a pronunciation. You can do this by providing a recording of someone saying these words, thus facilitating the job for the VO talent.
In addition to pronunciation, the pace or speed of the recording should be indicated. Do you need a quick, slow or mid-tempo read? If you have a time limit to shoot for, specify it so that the voice over can record accordingly.
Finally, you should indicate what style or type of feel you want for your video. A voice-over gives a video a particular mood, feeling, and personality. A good voice actor can give your video the right amount of happiness, energy, enthusiasm, sadness, seriousness, or excitement but only a professional can make you feel it.
Conclusion
To sum things up, finding a voice-over talent might be easy; but finding the RIGHT VOICE requires much more work. Professional voice actors understand what you require and what your video needs.
Choosing the right voice over actor for your brand and project will provide the right touch of emotion and tone that will help to lift your video to a professional and appealing level.
At Business Motion, we have produced many videos and we have undoubtedly chosen the best voice over artists for them, so we have the experience that you are looking for.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for your next video project, and we will do the whole procedure for you.