Voice-Over tips -

Here are some theories, ideas, and practical workarounds. They come with no guarantee they will apply to your situation, but you may find them helpful.

These pages represent opinions Ian has formed over the years. They have evolved through his own trial and error and through observing writers, producers, and engineers -- some great, some not so great. Since they are opinions, Ian would be pleased to hear your


Length of Copy
How much copy is enough? The easy answer is "enough to say what needs to be said". Better writers realize that the pace of a script is crucial to setting the tone. This contributes to, or detracts from, the quality of the image the client is trying to portray. It can also have an impact on the attention span of someone listening to a corporate or training piece.

Consider what you are asking your audience to do: Stop enjoying a program or doing their work to pay attention to your message. That is a tall order on its own. Do you really expect them to work hard at it? That's too much to ask. If it's a commercial, they will change stations or go make a sandwich. If it's an industrial, they'll mentally tune out or even switch it off.

Here are some rough guidelines on word count. For 60 seconds, 130 words = lots of inflection; 155 = typical; 180 = fast; 200 = maximum! Numerals, symbols, etc., count as one word each.

Think of your own reaction to reads that almost seem to blur. It's easy to tune them out. The closer you get to the top end on word count, the more people you can kiss goodbye.


Get a Better Mix

It isn't enough to collect all the elements called for in your script. That's mostly an administrative job. The art comes in the mix.

Here are two common problems: Effects run amok and ineffective EQ.

You can often tell when a radio station has received a new CD of sound effects. Every other spot on the air is full of noises that may not support the concept of the spot. A spot like that is fun to produce, but if the client doesn't sell any widgets, you won't see their money again. Another problem with effects is level. They are often too loud. Take them down until they really are too soft and then bring them up just a bit. Now you'll have elements which support the rest of the audio rather than dominate it.

A few thoughts on EQ: First, it's better to lower unwanted frequency ranges than raise wanted ranges. One of the most common uses of EQ is to brighten a VO. Consider "dulling" the music or effects track instead. Really. Try backing off your music 3 or 4 dB at about 6k and see what you think. You'll get that denser mix without too much harshness. Can't bear to do that to a jingle? Put the jingle on two stereo (or four mono) tracks of your multitrack and EQ the 6k trough in one. Use the effected track for the bed under the VO and cross-fade to the straight track for the sing. Just make sure the two versions line up exactly in phase.

Second, let's think about bass on the air. It sounds great in the control room to have a big voice on a large-diaphragm condenser mic and then mix in a music track with a huge low end. Remember three things:

1. Bass uses a lot more energy to produce the same apparent volume.
2. Every spot on the air gets the same amount of energy through the station's processing. Many stations even process frequency bands individually, making everything on the air conform to their station "sound".
3. Most radio and TV listening is done through the eqivalent of clock radio speakers.
Do you want to squander your allotted energy on bass few people will hear? You may actually end up sounding softer than surrounding spots.

With EQ, concentrate on getting an intelligible message across. That way, maybe the client will sell a bunch of product and come back to spend more money with you next month.

To apply these ideas to industrial audio, just imagine the folks gathered in the employee break room watching a training video on a 12-inch TV with a two-inch speaker.


Yes, Out Loud

There is only one way to check the length and sound of your copy. You absolutely must read it out loud. Yes, out loud.

It can feel a bit odd to read out loud to yourself in your office or cubicle. But it sure beats the feeling you get when the first take in the studio runs 72 seconds, especially if four departments, including Legal, have approved your script.

Please don't take this to mean that your talent will be upset if you have to stop after two takes to chop out a couple dozen words. If your talent gets upset about anything other than true rudeness, get different talent. It just seems a shame to spend five minutes hacking away at a script that probably took hours to craft. If you want to hear how your beautiful prose sounds on the air, don't set yourself up for a butchering in the studio. Read it out loud.

Reading copy out loud also helps avoid problems that aren't obvious on the printed page. These include those long drawn out print-ad-type sentences that never end because there's no place to breathe and are difficult for the listener to understand, anyway. There are awkward combinations like "Fresh Step" and "safe and effective" (which can sound like "safe and defective"). There are also the gaffes that you just couldn't commit without couldn't make unless you're using a word processor and you forget to delete what you replace. Read it out loud, or better yet, get someone else to read it to you.

Whispering, mumbling, or just imagining the copy with a stopwatch won't cut it. Read it out loud before you get to the studio and save yourself a lot of artistic heartache and maybe some money, too.


What You Write is What You Get

Make your script easy for anyone to interpret, even if you can't be at the session. Write exactly what you want to hear. Don't use dollar signs, slashes, or other symbols. Spell out everything. For example:

* Fifteen thirty-six Second Avenue
* Fifteen dollars and ninety-nine cents
* Fourteen nine ninety-seven
* Call four five nine - one six oh seven
Consistency in presentation from campaign to campaign can help solidify your image.



Include pronouncers at the bottom of the page for anything local or unusual. Credibility suffers when somebody is barking away about a local business's standing in the community and they mispronounce the name of the street. Obviously, the same problem occurs when you're training people and don't know how to pronounce their jargon. Assume nothing.


Direct, Don't Read

Your voiceover will likely make sense to your audience if it makes sense to your talent. Here's how to make that happen.

Direct your talent. Be sure your talent knows who is presenting the message and who is listening. Explain the tone that's appropriate and the pace, too.

When it comes to individual phrases, ask for what you want, like "more emphasis on LARGE", "we need the contrast between THIS week and LAST week", "the fact that there are FOURTEEN men is more important than the fact that they're green, because of the amazingly small size of their craft". This takes practice and a lot of preparation for each session, but if you can't explain the purpose of a line of copy, why is it in the script?

Please don't read the script to your talent. Your "performance" may actually lead them astray. Try especially to avoid "it's not WATER, it's WATER". The talent may not be able to hear in your voice the subtle difference you want. If you could utter exactly what's in your mind's ear, you'd be at the mic!

For highly technical reads, of course, understanding every concept isn't just impractical, it's impossible. But even when you're wading through dense copy, it's a lot easier for everyone if you agree on where you're headed before take one.


How Many Ideas?
How many different ideas can work in a piece of commercial copy? According to an old advertising saw: just three. That means three main ideas, each supported with benefits for the consumer.

Advertisers often feel they are paying a lot for production, so they may as well get their money's worth. They will keep adding very important points until they have a confused 75 second spot.

It's easy to get back on track if you realize that an interested listener or viewer might remember three things from your message. If you include 15 ideas, the listener gets to choose the three to remember. If you present three well-supported claims, you choose which three.

Who would you rather have choosing?

If you want an image spot, brag about the three most important ways the world benefits from your company. You can run that spot on and off for months. Then when someone needs you, they'll know you.

If you're having a sale, don't tag the image spot with a call to action, make another spot. Then you'll have the time to tell people what's on sale, how great a sale it is, and where you are. If a low price appeals to someone, do they really care that you've been a pillar in the community for 85 years?

Don't let just anything into your commercials. Make each message count by sticking to the point.


Use the Booth
There are decisions to be made in the studio about everything from copy to mix elements. Often it seems that the elegant solution evades us.

Next time you can't quite figure out how to make a sentence work or which way to say a phone number, look through the glass. You may find your talent gesticulating wildly and proving just how soundproof the booth is.

Your talent may be helpful in these situations for two very good reasons. First, he or she spends all day every day reading copy and probably has a couple of useful ideas. Second, and perhaps more important, your talent is more like your eventual audience than anybody else in the studio except the engineer. These two people don't know the subject as well as you and your clients do. That "ignorant perspective" can be a valuable tool.

Sometimes it's hard for a producer to allow others to make suggestions in a session. They may feel it threatens their position. Or that it would take too long to explain why the idea won't work. To be open-minded, though, allows you to use those suggestions almost as pre-release feedback. Think about it. If your talent and engineer can't follow your concept, how are Joe and Jane Audience going to manage?

When you're wrestling with a phrase or a word, keep the mic and the talkback open. Have the confidence to recognize a good solution when it comes along. Remember that everyone at the session has an interest in your success.


Kick the Habits
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There are certain habits that seem to creep into copy often. Some take up valuable time and don't add much. Others invite tuneout.
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Any form of the word "locate" can be crossed out:

"Bill's Bikes, located at 123 Main street, is your source..."
becomes
"Bill's Bikes, 123 Main Street, is your source..."

"Quicky Lube, with five locations in Centre County, offers..."
becomes
"The five Quicky Lubes in Centre County offer..."

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Be very careful about asking questions in your copy, especially at the beginning. It's too easy for the listener to answer the question "No!" and change the station.

"Are you in the market for a new washing machine?"
becomes
"When your washing machine goes kaput, remember Rogers Appliances!"

"Are you looking for a quiet, romantic restaurant?"
becomes
"You're finally ready for a romantic evening and it has to be just right."

Make sure your copy offers benefits instead of just listing features:

"One of the fastest cars made..."
becomes
"Grab the wheel and own the road..."

"Our conference facilities offer many amenities."
becomes
"Plan your event with the confidence that everything will be perfect."

Avoid the dreaded "laundry list":

"We carry Whirlpool, Amana, Frigidaire, Magic Chef, and many others."
becomes
"Choose your new fridge from five of the top national brands right here in our showroom."

"All of the best products are available such as: Penn, Shimano, St. Croix, Silstar, G-Loomis, Shakespeare, Fenwick, Yo-Zori, Rapala, Van-Stahl, Star plus many others."
becomes
"When you choose from over a dozen top brands, you know you're ready for success on the water."