How Professionals Talk About Voice Over Work

In marketing today, the perfect voice over can be the element that turns an advertising campaign that is simply good into a great one.  Picking a voice with which your target market will identify, you can forge a human connection with your audience and enjoy the resultant boost in sales.

If you're considering adding a voice over element to your business's marketing plan, here are some of the key industry terms, definitions, and terminology you'll come across:  

Audition Tapes:  Prospective voice actors and actresses will submit their audition tapes as they apply for the job.  In addition to allowing you to judge the abilities of each actor, these tapes also can be kept on hand to help you keep track of the numerous applicants you will be interviewing.

Demo Tapes:  Demo tapes are also part of the interview and audition process, and can be recorded in your own studio, or completed by the voice over talent. These tapes will be a recording of the sample scripts you provide as part of the interview.  

Recording Studio:  To complete any voice work, you will need a studio in which it can be recorded.  While you always have the option of renting a studio for a project, you should always ask voice talent if they have the  equipment to record at home, as this will save you the cost of studio time.

ISDN:  ISDN recordings, which have greater clarity than recordings produced by the average recording  studio, are generally used by professional voice actors and actresses.

Commercial Voice Overs:  Intended to push a service or product, commercial voice over scripts take a direct sales approach. With the right actor or actress, a commercial voice over can make your campaign much more effective and memorable.

Narrative Voice Overs:  These voice overs are intended to entertain the audience by helping to tell a story, and are often included in media such as television and film. You still  may require a narrative voice over, however, for your ad campaign, if it tells some type of story.

Impressions:  Impressions of current celebrities or well-known figures from the past can be a great way to create a memorable advertisement and distinguish yourself from the competition. Many scripts that are available free of royalties (often found online) incorporate the use of this strategy.

Performers' Unions:  Unions such as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Screen Artists Guild, in addition to advocating for the rights of their members and dealing with pay rate issues, provide voice actors and actresses valuable  opportunities to grow and develop their skills.

Actors:  The voice industry is full of actors and actresses with a knack for drama, who entered the field because of its unique nature and potential profitability.  The voices provided by professional talent can help give your marketing a human flavor.

No matter what the project is that you are hiring for, you should take an organized approach towards searching for talent. Knowing the lexicon used to discuss voice acting affairs will help you fit in with professionals and find the right fit for your job.