Choosing Sample Scripts For Voice Over Artist

If you're considering hiring voice over talent for an upcoming project, you'll need to schedule an interview, review demo tapes, and request a sample script reading from potential applicants. Voice over scripts make it easier to find just the right match for your business, and can make the interview process much more valuable.  Think of the script as a sample of work your applicants can produce for you.

It's up to you how much time you give them to rehearse each piece, but most experienced individuals can complete their testing within a few hours.  Since they'll be reading directly from paper, they will just need time to practice their lines, learn about the background or nature of the script, and proceed accordingly.  There are very few cases where a voice over script will need to be memorized word for word; since the recording will take place in a studio, your talent will have the script right in front of them.

Many companies struggle with determining what type of tone and style they are looking for.  The best way to start is to narrow down who you are marketing to .  Learning the demographics of the target market will help you narrow down the different types of voices that would be most appropriate for your advertising or other promotions.  This approach can also help eliminate most of the voice over talent applicants during the initial stages, making your hiring process much easier.

No matter what type of business or industry you're in, you'll need to compile a collection of different types of scripts to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant. The best way to do this is narrow down your field to a few key themes.  Is your business producing a comedic advertisement?  A serious monologue?  A public service announcement that requires a more journalistic or reporting tone?  Once you've established the general theme and tone of your campaign, the next step is tracking down a similar script that encourages the talent to adopt, or in some cases create, the unique voice.

Finding voice over scripts is easy with a simple search online.  Many script databases are available free of charge, and give you a chance to search by keyword, theme, or subject.  Look for scripts that are similar in scope to your field, or pick something that challenges the applicant to try different styles and themes.  Many voice over script collections are royalty-free, affordable, and from trusted sites and projects.  These can also be a great resource for developing and adapting your own scripts, and give you some more ideas for making different types of scripts with your key goals in mind.

Last of all, you are going to want to obtain a demo script of each applicant.  These demos should allow yourself to compare and contrast the performances of the applicants side by side.  To this end, you shouldn't just have your potential voice actors read one script; have them real several, with varying tone and subject matter, so that you can judge the versatility of your applicants, and the styles to which they are each uniquely suited.  If you do not want to record these demos in your studio, you can request that applicants submit them with their initial applications.