Trafcom News

The art of voiceover in podcasting

Part of a series of answers to follow-up questions about podcasting, from students at the University of Toronto. Here’s a link to all the student Q&As, including those from 2010.

Question: Donna talked about how she took voiceover courses. It would have been really cool if she’d showed us some of the techniques she was taught there.

Answer: The voiceover (VO) course I took was in 2004, but I remember much of it. Our instructor maintained that some people had a natural talent for “voice acting,” but that this skill could be learned as well. Part of VO comes from technical ability – learning how to exploit the capabilities of your microphone, for example – and part of it is the expressiveness that you employ to interpret the material you’ve been given. (Believe me, when I do a VO session, I can read the same paragraph eight different ways! Guidance from a good director really helps.)

I highly recommend the book The Art of Voice Acting, which contains a treasure trove of tips about VO techniques and the business aspects too. Of course there are numerous websites and blogs devoted to this topic. Check out Voices.com, especially their blog posts and podcasts, and Bob Souer’s web site and blog, as well as Peter O'Connell's site.

You might also enjoy this interview I did with voiceover great Joe Cipriano a few years ago for my Trafcom News Podcast.

One more piece of advice: Try to listen to everything with a critical ear. Whether it’s the CBC or some other radio show, an audio book or a podcast – even a TV commercial – tune into how the person uses his or her voice. When you become conscious of it, you’ll be amazed at what you notice.

UPDATE –- To be clear: Voiceover training is NOT a prerequisite for podcasting. However, the strategies and techniques you learn in vocal training can help you any time you use a microphone.

The podcast voice

Third in a series
For an explanation of the series, read this post.

Questions from Claire Saunders

1. Is your podcast voice your “normal” speaking voice, or are you painfully aware of the sound of your own voice while you are recording?
2. Do you consciously “work” the whole time you are recording to animate your voice to sound as appealing as it does?
3. Have you ever taken voice lessons?

Answers

These are really smart questions, and not easy to answer. Why? Because a lot of what a podcaster does while recording is intuitive. I’m actually curious to hear what my fellow podcasters would say about this. Here are my answers:

• My podcast voice is my normal voice, only better. In other words, I am more conscious of my voice and diction when I’m podcasting, because I want people to listen and to feel the tone of the message I’m trying to convey.  (As I think about it, I realize that I make the same effort for an in-person presentation.) I believe that listeners appreciate a podcaster who doesn't slur words or rush as if the studio's on fire.

• If I have a cold, or if I’m tired, or if I’m at a conference and have already recorded 12 podcasts in a day, my voice will not be in top shape and I can hear the difference. Can listeners tell? I’m not sure. If the content is important, they won’t care too much about a scratchy throat.

• As for animation, yes, I am very conscious of being animated. Over the years I’ve developed a few tricks. First, stand up if you can while recording. This will impart more energy to your voice. And don’t be afraid to use hand gestures while you’re talking. Even though no one can see you, your gesticulations will convey life into your words. Try it.

• I have taken voiceover lessons, which were very helpful to build my confidence before I started podcasting. A good vocal coach can help you to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your vocal presentation. Over the years a few novice corporate podcasters have asked me to help them improve their delivery. Adding animation to their voices is usually task No. 1. I often suggest that they slow down too.

Related post: Voiceover tips from Joe Cipriano.

I’m not normally a fan of computer voices, but…

This one is pretty darn good. Listen to what Chris Penn has done with the Financial Aid Podcast, letting Alex, the voice of Apple's Leopard operating system, read his copy.

I don’t think I’d want to listen to a long show produced in this way, but the voice would be perfectly acceptable for reading news bites or weather reports, don’t you think?

Did you know that it’s Podcasting Week?

Well, it is at Voices.com. My friends there are serving up a whole lot of information about the ins and outs of podcasting, including how to find, listen to and subscribe to podcasts, as well as the business side of podcast production. They’re also offering advice about making money as a podcaster or as the voice of an independent or corporate podcast.

Want to practice your vocal technique? Try Dr. Seuss!

Stephanie Ciccarelli at Voices.com wrote a great post on the value of reading Dr. Seuss books aloud to practice your vocal technique. Whether you’re a public speaker, voiceover artist or podcaster, I don’t think you could go wrong with a little Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat. (When my kids were babies I started reading them this stuff before they could roll over.)

Meet Hugh McGuire, founder of LibriVox

My latest podcast is an interview with Hugh McGuire, founder of LibriVox, which offers free public-domain audio books. You'll find this 22-minute podcast on the Trafcom News Podcast page. Hugh and I discuss the origins of LibriVox; the concept of volunteer readers; the availability of multiple versions of these public-domain books; and how LibriVox is a good place for budding voiceover artists and podcasters to learn. We also explore the potential broader applications of this type of project.

Listen and then let me know what you think!

Poor Santa in the VO booth

Here’s a delightful short video showing what can happen when Santa Claus steps into the voiceover booth.

My favourite part: When the scribe says, “That’s not the way I wrote it.”

Hat tip to Stephanie and my other friends at Voices.com.

Podcasting and voiceover tips from a master, Joe Cipriano

If you listen to my latest podcast, I think you can tell I'm pretty excited about interviewing Joe Cipriano, one of the world's top voiceover talents.

You may not be familiar with Joe’s name or face but you know his voice, because he is heard on TV and radio every day -- doing promos for Fox, NBC, CBS and other networks -- and as the live announcer for the Emmys and Grammys.

In our discussion, Joe shares some of his tips for using a microphone properly, for keeping the vocal cords healthy, and for being a success in the voiceover business (it’s all about relationships, says Joe modestly).

Whether you're a podcaster or an aspiring voiceover artist, you can learn from Joe (who happens to be a really nice guy, I may add). Be sure to watch Joe in the Apple Podcast Recipe tutorial.

You can grab the 23-minute podcast on the Trafcom News Podcast page and read the shownotes there.

Thanks again to Joe for being so generous with his time!