A Ghost(ing) Story - Voiceover Style

A Ghost(ing) Story - Voiceover Style

By Chris Tester - British Male Voiceover Artist

A Ghost(ing) Story 👻

Whether you're a freelancer, consultant, or business owner, it can be dispiriting when someone suddenly stops responding to your messages.

Being available for last minute jobs is essential for my business.
Voiceover often comes near the end of the production chain, so I HAVE to quickly respond to clients' needs.

When that level of consideration isn't reciprocated,
I'll be honest, it really sucks 🤷‍♂️

I know as a service provider, I'm not the most important cog.
And I also know deadlines make things frantic and busy.
But I didn't know professional courtesy was so expensive?

To mitigate against it, I'd recommend:

1️⃣ Setting clear expectations and deadlines: Make sure your client knows what to expect from you and when.
This helps to establish trust and accountability.

2️⃣ Communicate regularly: Keep your client informed about your progress and any potential roadblocks. This builds a strong relationship and reduces the risk of being ghosted.

3️⃣ Follow up: If you haven't heard from your client in a while, don't be afraid to follow up with a polite reminder. This shows that you're proactive and professional, and can help to keep the lines of communication open.

Do you just take ghosting as a cost of doing business?

#business #videoproduction #ghosted #communication #freelancelife

Being a voiceover artist is easy….right?

Being a voiceover artist is easy….right? 




By Chris Tester - British Male Voiceover Artist

Being a voiceover artist is easy….right? 




・You don’t have to be on camera. 

・You don’t have to learn your lines - one one will mind you having your script in front of you.
・They can’t see you, anyway! 

・You don’t have to be on a set or work long hours.

Right? Well, no, actually. 
Not quite, I’d venture. 


Being able to tell a story as a voiceover artist - whether you’re in front of a camera or not - means you have to convey all your emotions and your journey as a performer, through your voice alone. 

Making sure that you can be clearly understood when speaking, means countless breathing exercises, articulation drills and tongue twisters - which all need to be done before you get anywhere near a microphone. 


Once you’re in the studio, getting that right take in the bag that the director will be happy with, can take many (and I *mean MANY) different takes. 



It takes a lot to make the listener keep listening. So you definitely want someone who knows what they’re doing to tell your story. 



#VoiceOver #StudioLife #ItTakesWork

Hey documentary filmmakers and producers - are you tired of the same boring narration?

Hey documentary filmmakers and producers - are you tired of the same boring narration?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voiceover Artist

[smooth sexy voice] Hey documentary filmmakers and producers - this blog post is for you 👇🏼

Are you tired of the same boring narrations? Give your film the spark it needs with a voiceover that's bold, funny, and full of life. Or dead and dark, like Dracula.

Yes, this is a shameless sales post, and the voice I’m ‘selling’ is mine.

So, where were we? Oh yes: Are you tired of the same boring narrations?
That's where I come in!

I'm all about bringing energy and excitement to your documentaries. No more monotone narrations, it's time to bring your story to life in a big way!

My goal is to help you create a film that not only informs, but also captivates and inspires your audience. So, let's make some magic happen together…

Who's ready to elevate their documentary game with me? 🎙️

End of salesy post. Now, please form an orderly line towards my DMs. Thank you.

#voiceover #narrator #documentaryfilm

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Enter: explainer videos

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Enter: explainer videos

By Chris Tester - British Male Voiceover Artist

Are you ready to take your business to the next level?

Enter: explainer videos.

Let me explain explainer videos..

Not only do they increase website traffic by an average of 20%, but they also boost conversions by 30%.

And with the rise of video content all over social media, it's no surprise video marketing is becoming a must-have for businesses of all sizes.

Don't believe me? Check out these stats:

• 85% of businesses use video as a marketing tool (HubSpot)
• 90% of consumers say that product videos are helpful in the decision-making process (Animoto)
• 64% of consumers make a purchase after watching a branded social media video (Tubular Insights)

Investing in explainer videos can help set your business apart and give your audience a clear understanding of your products or services.

But guess what else you need? A convincing voice to narrate your video. Can you see where I’m going with this?

Answers in the comments 👇🏼

#ExplainerVideo #corporateVideo #voiceover

Feeling petrified about your upcoming podcast guest appearance?

Feeling petrified about your upcoming podcast guest appearance?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voiceover Artist

Feeling petrified about your upcoming podcast guest appearance?

These simple tips will help you sound confident and composed on air - even when you're not feeling it 👇🏼


1. Practice beforehand: familiarise yourself with the topic you will be discussing and practice speaking about it out loud. This will increase your confidence and reduce the chance of stumbling over your words.

2. Speak clearly: use a moderate pace and a strong, clear voice. Avoid speaking too quickly or too slowly, and pay attention to your volume and inflection.

3. Take deep breaths: breathing deeply can help you relax and calm your nerves, which can improve the sound of your confidence. Take a few deep breaths before you begin speaking to feel more composed.

4. Use good posture: Sitting up straight and keeping your head up can help you feel more confident.

5. Speak with conviction: believe in what you are saying and don't be afraid to show your passion and enthusiasm. This will help you sound more confident and engaging. The listeners will really buy into you...


And a bonus tip: use vocal variety. Varying your pitch, volume, and pace can help keep your audience engaged and make your words sound more convincing.

For example, you could use a softer, more thoughtful tone when you are presenting a nuanced argument, or a louder, more energetic tone when you want to convey excitement or enthusiasm.

Experiment with different vocal techniques to find what works best for you and the message you are trying to convey.


Are you planning to make a podcast guest appearance soon?

Are Your Standards Different

Are Your Standards Different?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voiceover Artist

Tom Hanks seemed to be in every other film in the 1990s.
He worked with all the big directors.
He won consecutive Oscars for Forrest Gump and Philadelphia.

Yet in a recent interview, he said that he made just four 'pretty good' films.

Such a statement needs to be taken with a huge pinch of salt. Film stars rarely come as self-effacing as Hanks.

But that little line chimed with me about the creative endeavour.

Your clients can be delighted.

Your collaborators can be be blown away by your contributions.
(or not).

But when building a body of work, it's vital to have your own set of standards to hold yourself to.

Tastes may change.
Styles go in and out of fashion.
But you need to work from a place of awareness as an artist.
You need to be constantly interrogating your work.

How are you growing?
Are you stretching yourself?
What are your weaknesses and are you working on them?

It's this aspect of the creative life that keeps my own fire burning. I never want to be satisfied with doing the same thing again, just because it worked last time.

Because if you're not growing, you're stagnant.
Do you have a personal set of standards you hold yourself too?

Battling the Online Noise

By Christopher Tester - British Male VoiceOver Artist

You're wasting your life in screen-time 😨

That's one of my greatest fears.

Almost every aspect of my working life involves the internet.
But even when the working day is done, I know where my phone is at all times.

That little screen that offers just one more update,
one more like or news item 😳

I'm aware of how the internet has changed my life for the better.
I couldn't do what I do or meet the people I've met without it.
My life would be profoundly different, almost certainly poorer.

But keeping a healthy relationship with it is a constant battle.

The below video, all about this subject, is currently doing some numbers on Tiktok, and it's interesting to see why. So many comments on a social media post are from people lamenting their addiction to a social media app.

And now I've opened a different app to share the observation here!

- I've set timers on my apps.
- I monitor screentime.
- I have a no phone rule from 9pm onwards.

How do you maintain a healthy relationship with the internet?