From commercials to video games, voice overs are a significant part of media production. Getting it right requires experience and having a broad network of voice talent for consideration. The direction of the voice talent brings it all together to create the final version.
Directing Remote Recordings – No Problem
Most voice over sessions are conducted remotely with the voice talent, sound engineer, and creative director. Sometimes there may be multiple voice over talents in one session. However, these are typically conducted separately then all the parts are produced together. A Creative Media Design (CMD) director will attend the session to help with timelines, script changes, and other issues that may come up during the recording.
Matching The Voice To The Vision
The project begins with a specification from the client to use as a guide for the project. The specification includes a talent description example:
An urban male voice in his 30’s with high energy
Additional guidelines describe the product, service, or genre of the production (i.e., video game voice over). These details help to find the voice talent for the project. CMD has been doing this for 20+ years and has developed a vast network and process to match the right voice(s) with the client specification.
CMD offers a wide variety of voice over talent for any project,
including a great selection of Urban voice artists.
https://www.cmdnyc.com/urban-voice-over-talent
The client’s creative director typically provides the script along with a creative brief that describes the project. The director will have a vision of the tone and delivery required. CMD will take the direction and begin to pull together the talent examples and provide any additional advice or guidance to help get the project started. As an example, a medical commercial would be vastly different from a video game voice. The script and creative brief provide a guide to develop the final recording.
Some clients may request a demo, especially for larger projects. The demo involves the voice talent to read a portion of the script, which is more common for video game voice overs where the voice is a “character” in the script.
On occasions, the client’s creative director has a hard time envisioning what the voice should sound like and requests a demo. CMD has extensive experience with all these situations and helps guide the client through the selection process. The process can be very time consuming without a consultant who has experience casting and directing voiceovers in a wide range of genres and for diverse applications.
No Language Barrier
Sometimes the project requires a foreign language voice over. Depending on the budget, the client will request a translator. Other times the client will already have a translator to help with the script. Most voice over actors speak English as their native language, so everyone can understand what is being said during the production.
CMD can help you find the language that perfectly fits your production
with every language, from Armenian to Yugoslavian.
https://www.cmdnyc.com/foreign-language-voice-over-talent
Directing Remote VO - Start To Finish
Creative Media Design manages the entire project, from selecting the right voice over talent to remotely directing the project and all production aspects. The extensive network and directing experience sets CMD apart and enables a seamless production process. To get started on your project, contact us at lia@cmdnyc.com.
