We all know that bad audio can ruin a great video, and a well-produced animation with bad narration will lose viewers fast. That’s why many advertising agencies hire professional voice artists to provide voice over for advertising videos. If you’re looking for plenty of opportunities for voice-over work, look into providing voice work for video ads. Here are some tips on how to ensure you’re perfectly prepared to do video advertising voice over work.
- Find Your New ‘Ad’ Voice. If you watch many advertising videos, you’ve probably noticed that the typical “Mr. Announcer” voice is becoming less and less common. The big, booming voice with perfect enunciation and condescending tone is falling out of fashion – so if that’s your ad voice style, it’s time to change styles. Today’s average advertising video voice over is conversational and casual – and Mr. Announcer is Ms. Announcer as often as not. These kinds of opportunities are great for first-time voice artists since they don’t require a super-charged voice.
- Be Just Bigger than Life. Your normal speaking voice is fine in person, but plain old conversation loses something in voice-overs for ad videos. In order to compensate for this, liven your voice up a little bit. A great ad voice over is a balance between natural speech and a crisp, engaging announcer tone. Make a few test recordings, make notes, and adjust your style until you get something that really stands out. If it seems just a little bigger than life, you’re on the right track.
- Know Your Material. If you’re selected as a voice actor for a video ad, read the material several times. Check out the company’s website. Read their social media. Get a feel for what their brand’s voice is, and let that play into your delivery. Reading a script for a 30-second spot is easy, but a longer training video, full of technical terms, takes a little more prep time. The more time you spend in preparation, the better your result will be. When you rehearse, do it out loud, and record it if you’re able. A script will always sound different in your head, and reading aloud will help you identify spots where your tongue trips over the words that may not be clear when you’re reading silently.
Before long, you should find some great gigs providing voice over for advertising videos – best of luck to you, and happy voice acting!