How to Prepare For A Directed Voiceover Session

Preparation for Remote Voiceover Sessions

By British Male Voiceover Artist Chris Tester

Increasingly, thanks to COVID, a lot of voice actors have found that directed sessions from their home studios are increasingly becoming the norm. And so even if it may be organised via studio, so you have an engineer at the other end, there's a plethora of options that people are familiar with now in order to be able to run these directed sessions. And that could be Skype or zoom, or it could be higher quality equivalents where people can hear you in broadcast quality, whether or not that source connect now or source connect or clean feed or ipdtl, and other providers are also available.

So I thought it would be useful to just run through a couple of my key suggestions for preparing a session such as this, because the very first time when you're responsible for having to do all of the recording, but as well as doing all of the actual speaking as well, on your side, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you're just on your own. So here are some of my top tips for preparing for a directed session.

The first thing is actually just to do with basic physiology, which is make sure that you keep hydrated, and make sure also that you've gone to the toilet before the session. There's nothing worse than starting the session and about five minutes in realising that you need to lube reg. But by the same token, as a voice over artist, you need to be very responsible about your hydration. So make sure that you've drunk enough water for the from the day before last minute hydration, and suddenly kind of necking pints of water just before a session isn't really going to cut it, they'll still be able to hear it in your voice. So I would say don't drink if you if at all possible before the evening before directed session. And also make sure that you maintain levels of hydration.

My second tip is also obviously quite obvious. But when you're focusing on the performance, as well as the technical side can go completely out of your mind. That is make sure that you remove any watches or jewellery or anything else like that, make sure that your clothes are totally non noisy in any kind of way, shape or form. So it's not something that you're having to adjust to in the edit or you do a couple of takes. And then you realise that in actual fact, they've all been ruined because of something that you weren't even aware of. As with anything, preparation is really key. So prior to the session, whenever possible, check what the script is ask when you will be receiving the text so that you can see if there are any words or phrases that you're uncertain about in terms of pronunciation, it may also be that there are certain sections where you're not sure about phrasing or whether or not thought ends in a particular way, you might not really understand exactly what you're saying 100% Because you're pretending to be an expert, as opposed to being an expert, in which case, it's good to be able to either ask those questions in advance, or if it's gonna have to wait into the session, because it might be the end client who actually knows what the answers are not the person that you're dealing with. If they're an intermediary, more on the production side of things, make sure that you have a list of questions so that you can ask them, bring them up at the beginning.

I would also say it's very important to establish a bit of a chat beforehand. And this is also part of making sure that you are confident in being able to run the session when appropriate. It will depend on who you're working with whether or not the studio engineer if there is one that takes the lead, whether or not it's the end client who takes the lead. If there is a another intermediary who takes the lead, then absolutely great. But some may be very vastly experienced in running these kinds of sessions and others are not. So you need to judge in the beginning, or have a discussion with how people would like to run a session. So I always kind of ask how people would like me to run the recording, and give them various options. So for example, I can record absolutely everything. And I can mark the takes either by clicking my fingers, or by saying take one, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, that kind of way, and then asking for feedback all the way through. But it may be that they want me to just keep talking until they've done something wrong. And then they say stop, or it could be any other way around it. But the important thing to do is in the early Chat, where you it is important not to immediately go into performance mode.

It's good to kind of like establish how might be most useful for the client to run the session whether or not they want to listen to things, you know, in certain sections or they want to hear the whole thing all the way through. Or maybe they want to hear the whole thing all the way through an A or B and See, if it's a really short commercial script, almost certainly, that's what they want. So just be mindful of that to begin with in advance of the session as well, if someone does suggest that you use Zoom or Skype, but it's quite a detailed read in some kind of way, especially for commercial work, where the real nuances in your voice can really make a big difference in terms of the overall effectiveness, it might be worth suggesting, using something like clean feed or source Connect Now, which can be run through a Chrome browser, because the fidelity, the sound fidelity will be that much better. So it would be probably, I would say, a really good solution. Obviously, sometimes that can be more effort than it's worth, because then you've got to make sure that the end client has a chrome browser as well, etc, etc, etc. So I'd say be selective about bit about suggesting it. But if you think that it could be really useful, I'd say specifically on commercial work, but also on video game and voice acting jobs as well, where again, there can be that greater dynamic range and a lot of work, I'd say, it's really worth suggesting that. And if you don't know how to use something like clean feed, they're completely free. And you can use them. And they're very straightforward.

Also, on the technical side, I would say, always make sure that your recording setup is working, and you're happy with it, that your door is behaving that you don't have like loads of different files open on it, any unfinished things so that there's no extra stress being given onto the programme. So that there's less of a chance that it does something that it shouldn't do in some kind of way, if you can have two doors on your system and recording both, then you could do that and operated as a backup potentially, but how making sure the inputs are set correctly. And if you're, again, if you're not sure about how you should be routing through those systems, these are things that you need to practice way, way in advance. And you can practice with other voiceover actors to make sure that certain things work. Because in the session is not when you should be practising these things, it's all about the preparation, I would say, if you know that, you're probably going to get a bit nervous in the lead up to, to the session itself.

First of all, do all the preparation that you possibly can. And by that mean, by that I mean, make sure they have all the pronunciations and all of the information, I would then say, don't over rehearse a script, because you could maybe do it 10 2050 times to make sure that you're really super confident in everything that you say, and you know when to breathe, and all of that kind of thing. But then the whole point is it's a directed session. So it means that you might be much more difficult to change from that form. If the client comes in and suddenly wants it much more relaxed and conversational, or something else entirely. If you've rehearsed it so much in one particular way, and you've got it in your mind about this is the way to do it, then that can only be a problem. So I would say be familiar with your the text, the accelerated you're being familiar with the text, but don't over rehearse it.

And then I would say one thing that I found certainly useful to do is that once I've got all of my preparation, I've got my computer set up. So I've got my door there ready to record in one window, I've got my script where it needs to be, I formatted my script as much as I possibly can. So I know it's easy for me to annotate. That's always important, making sure that you've got the latest version of whatever script that they have, is always good. Sometimes it may be that you format a script, so it's great for you to be able to read off. And then as soon as the session begins, the client says, Oh, actually, we've got an update to the script. And it's this, this, this, this this. And you either have to use a completely different document, or you've got to make loads of different annotations. So again, kind of prepare yourself mentally that those last minute adjustments might throw you off key, but they might not as well. But then in actual that run up to the session, I actually find it pretty useful to do something else completely for kind of the half an hour, 15 minutes kind of running up to it. Rather than sitting there waiting for people to dial in. I would say it would be good to kind of like focus on another project entirely or do another little task that has nothing to do with VoiceOver at all to keep yourself kind of like busy in the game, and then login five minutes before whenever the session is supposed to begin anyway.

If that means that you're just stood there listening, then that's fine. You can go over the script one more time. But it means if you're early, then quite often it's the person who set up the call, which might be the producer, and you can chat to the producer. And if you're waiting for an inclined that's your opportunity to ask questions like Is this the latest version of the script or is there a pronunciation issue with this Do you know anything at all? How would they like to manage the session before the end client comes in. So I would say divert yourself as possible for a bit. And then I would say, still come in like five minutes early, just so that you're ready and available. Also, when you're recording, be aware of if there are any other programmes that are on your computer. And what I always make sure is that I close all of my internet windows, except ones that are relating to the session. So for example, if I suddenly get an update on social media, that I don't get a ping notification halfway through a take, because that's happened before. And even if it doesn't get picked up on the microphone, it can be really distracting for you, and it will show in your read. In terms also of playback, offering playback. There are various different software things, using virtual cables to be able to kind of allow you to offer playback, if someone says, Oh, can I listen to that tape again, more often than not, that's not really expected in the vast majority of sessions, or if it is going to be expected, then there's usually an intermediary, usually a sound engineer, who will be able to do that. So if you're using Source connect, for example, or IP DTL, or clean feed, they are usually able to actually download the track themselves at their end, edited together, and then play it back for everybody. However, there is a kind of a improvise solution to it, if you don't want to mess around with virtual cables. And that's literally by getting your microphone. And then when you want to play back an actual session, excuse me, as this kind of like falls over. When you actually want to play back a session, mark the put the marker back, press play, and then literally put your headphones which will be playing the sound over over your microphone, if you can see it there like that. Now, obviously, I think this is something that you should practice with yourself first before trying out. But it can actually because otherwise, you risk if you if you push the volume too high, you can risk feedback, and therefore you might deafen someone, which is not a good idea. But the actual system can work surprisingly well. If it's just a real basic kind of like check, or they just want to double check or read, then that is a good shortform way of being able to offer playback, if someone asks when they haven't flagged out previously.

Finally, I just wanted to kind of touch on topping and tailing the session. So at the top of the session, I would always say set up your first read as a practice read and your reading for sense. Whether or not you actually want to try what your instinctive readers on the material to begin with or not, that's completely up to you. But give them something to feed back on by so that people directing, you can then go okay, what we need from this is so but try and not put the pressure on make sure that your first read isn't about like, let's see if you can narrow it and one, whenever possible. I would also say during the session itself, make sure that you have that process of being able to mark takes, I use claps quite often because that peaks things, sometimes I will go take one, take two take three etc. But sometimes I can find that, that kind of gets me in the wrong headspace. If I'm kind of like really focused to do something, and then I go take one, it kind of puts me out and then puts me back in. Whereas making the sound is less jarring for me personally. And then at the end, always, always, always, always, always make sure how people want to receive the files. So do they want it as an entire session? Do they want it as separate sessions with takes marked? Do they want it as a finished full take with you know, or we want a bit of tape to hear a bit of tape three here, a bit of tape five there. That's very unusual. But you know, depending on the client, it may be possible. Always ask that question. And always ask how they would like the files to be delivered. And I would say if they say we transfer, then send it via we transfer. If they say just attach it to an email, then as long as the file size is isn't ridiculous, send it via email. If people say Dropbox, do Dropbox, if people don't care, then people don't care use whatever is simplest. But I mean I use Dropbox for 99.9%. But you don't know how the compliance workflow is going to be. So don't have a problem about whatever they suggest as long as it doesn't cost you any, any additional money. If people want to use we transfer that's absolutely fine with me.

Hopefully, some of that has given you a bit of an oversight on how to approach directed sessions. They are actually not that terrifying most of the time, but it can still be weird. And obviously, it's only through familiarity. It's only through actually doing them that you can kind of embrace the fear, get used to them and build confidence. However, my final recommendation would be is to practice as much as possible with other voiceover artists every time if you don't know how to do a session via zoom, then find out by setting up a zoom call, if you want to do one via Skype exactly the same, but for clean feed and for source connect now exactly the same thing applies. For more kind of like paid alternatives. Some like IP DTL, depending on who's a member, you might have to pay for that, that, that that kind of thing. They're not difficult because most of the time, you're just having to press record and check the levels. But it's always good to check these things. And there's no excuse if you if you don't have downtime during your week to experiment with these things and get your head around them so you can be confident and add them to your offering to clients. Thanks as ever so much for checking out my content. Hope you found this useful. Thank you so much for joining me do please like, subscribe, comment, and I look forward to seeing you next time.