What to try on a second take?

Most of my clients know what they want.

By the time a script reaches me - whether for an explainer video or video game character - it's passed through so many hands, the brief is clear.

If you're working with an excellent actor like me, I'll be able to provide you with what you need with time to spare.

So how do you make sure any additional takes offer up something 𝘐𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎 rather than just repeating what you have?

Here are three things you can 𝘚𝘐𝘔𝘗𝘓𝘠 adjust:

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀.

Give both the voice talent and the audience a͟ ͟s͟t͟a͟t͟u͟s͟ ͟f͟r͟o͟m͟ ͟1͟ ͟t͟o͟ ͟5͟.͟

For example, a CEO talking to staff  might be a 5 talking to a 2 - leading to a more formal and instructional tone.

Whereas peer to peer might be 3 to 3 - typically more conversational.

But that will be different from a 1 to 1 or 5 to 5, and that's when nuance comes in.

This approaches takes generalised direction like 'make it conversational' and places it in a clear context.

2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲.

Establish what 'space' your first read was in and c͟h͟a͟n͟g͟e͟ ͟t͟h͟e͟ ͟s͟i͟z͟e͟ ͟o͟f͟ ͟i͟t͟.͟

For example, if it sounded emphatic and more presentational as if being delivered from a stage, turn the space into something quiet and intimate.

If the first read was 'comfortable', what happens if the actor imagines its much colder or hotter?

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱

Take the speed of the first take and t͟u͟r͟n͟ ͟i͟t͟ ͟u͟p͟ ͟o͟r͟ ͟d͟o͟w͟n͟ ͟b͟y͟ ͟2͟0͟%͟.

A good actor will be able to 'justify' this so it doesn't become a technical exercise:

They're that bit more urgent because of a tight deadline
𝘖𝘙
They're that bit slower because they're scared to say something out loud.


A second take isn't about reinventing the wheel.  But it should only take a relatively minor adjustment to get a very different result.

Whether you end up using it or not, it means you've interrogated the brief thoroughly with the talent you've hired rather than just made do.

Do you have any 'go to' directions for an interesting second take?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

Don't confuse 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘 with 𝘗𝘙𝘐𝘊𝘌.

How to respond to the dreaded '𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁'.

When someone comes to me for a quote,
I always show my work.

I'll refer to the relevant section of my rates page or an established 'rate card' to demonstrate I'm not just plucking numbers form the air.

But when I'm told that I'm 'higher than the budget',
I'll rarely just walk away.

If the budget isn't negotiable -  when I'm not talking directly to the end client - then we can quickly establish what the gap is and whether it can be bridged in any other way...

Maybe a longer lead time or less services being involved is a route to a happy compromise.

But if I AM talking to a client, then I shift the conversation to one of VALUE over price.

It helps me understand what the aims behind the project truly are.

And gives me the framework to demonstrate my worth.

How do you respond to the words 'small budget'?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

YOUR cash flow is not MY problem

I hire freelancers regularly.

In an average month, I'll use:

🎧 An audio engineer
📝 A virtual assistant
🗣️ An accent coach
💰 An accountant
👀 A proof reader
📽️ A video editor

And 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 one of them I will pay within 24 hours of having received an invoice.

Why?

Because I value their expertise.
And I want to build relationships with them.

But ALSO - it's because I've budgeted with a clear knowledge of their terms of payment.

Four times in July, I've encountered late payment of my own invoices because of the same issue:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝙈𝙔 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁...
𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗲.

And while I get that scenarios like this can happen, especially with bigger projects - I 𝘖𝘕𝘓𝘠 found out about this when my invoices ran late and I had to chase for an explanation.

Time and energy I could be using 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 😠

So... I'm updating my payment terms.

If a client's payment is dependent on THEM getting paid, I will need this clarified 𝙄𝙉 𝘼𝘿𝙑𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀.

And if a client doesn't have the means to cover my session fee as a minimum, then it's a non-starter.

This isn't another post about how best to chase late payments - I've done that.

It's just asking for transparent, CONSIDERATE communication with freelance talent and some level of respect for their terms of service.

Does your payment ever get caught up in a client's cashflow?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

The biggest factor in my success?

My recording studio.

Yes, you need to be able to act in order to book voiceover work.

But without a space that allows you to....

1️⃣ Act freely.
2️⃣ Deliver perfect audio.
3️⃣ Connect with clients worldwide.

Acting 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 simply won't be enough.

(It's an over-subscribed profession, apparently 👀)

I got my current studio built by Miloco Studios over lockdown.

That's why my hair is longer and I'm ten pounds heavier in the video.

But even when making it, I didn't fully realise just what a game changer it would be to my 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚.

Having a space where I can create content easily transformed my marketing output.

It encouraged me to shift from cold emailing to creating video.

And as a result, there have been over 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪𝗦 of me recording in it online.

So I'm pretty proud of it.

For 14k all in, it's been my single shrewdest investment.

(Beyond the three years of classical acting and countless workshops, obviously).

Is there one single purchase that transformed your business?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

200 applications. 0 agent responses. 0 jobs.

That was the first 8 years of my voice acting journey.

Despite having a 'nice voice' and being a classically trained actor, I just assumed it was never meant to be.

Today, it's quite different:

- I've voiced campaigns for BMW, Google & Warner Bros.
- Nominated best male VO x 6 years consecutively.
- I have 500,000 followers across social.
- With over 100 satisfied clients.

But surprise!  It's not been easy. 😅

My biggest lesson?

To control the controllables.
And not sweat the rest.

There's no 'right way' to voice act.
There's no 'right way' to market.
There's no 'right way' to work.

The quickest way of finding out what 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 work for you, is to dive straight in and learn first hand.

I've found my own balance that seems to be working okay and I share my insights freely.

But I never landed on the solution first time:

I lost money.
I wasted time.
I broke promises to myself.

That's just the reality of running a business.
All the truly successful people you see on your feed?
They've got good at making mistakes fast and often.

It's tough out there.
But if you ask me about my 'why'...
I've got a slave driving cat to feed 🤷‍♂️

You need no other explanation.

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

The quickest way to p*ss me off...

Do you judge a painting by how it looks in the dark?

Do you judge a meal by how it tastes hours after cooking?

Then for the love of good audio...

Don't complain about the sound quality of a recording until you've listened to it...

✅ On decent equipment
✅ In an appropriate environment.

I pride myself on the quality of my home studio.

I've voiced thousands of projects from it.

It's been vetted by three different audio engineers.

But on a handful of occasions I've received complaints about the quality of my sound 😱

Whenever this has happened, I've always asked the client in question to listen back on a 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 in a 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

And every time... it turns out fine.

👂 That echo you sensed?

It's because you're listening in a bathroom cubicle.

🚗 That car noise you heard?

It's because you're listening in the middle of a car park.

🎧 That crackle you made out?

It's because you bought your headphones from Wish.

You don't  need expensive equipment to check sound quality.

But having an awareness of what you're using and where your using it is much appreciated.

(And PLEASE... this goes even harder if you're attending a live directed session.  There's few things more mortifying than being told that Steve plans to listen in to the recording from a lay-by on the M1)

Otherwise - you might just trigger a revenge trail of Raymond Reddington proportions 🙃

And NO ONE wants that.

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

The arts are a vital British export.

Yet in the past 14 years,
they have suffered immensely due to Tory-led austerity measures.

I've witnessed firsthand the closure of theatres, galleries, arts centres and museums.

I've seen the financial strain on creatives forced to abandon their careers due to a lack of opportunities.

For five years I was a producer and performer for a theatre company that had been nominated for twenty five awards....

Only to see the venues that we'd nurtured relationships with forced to shutter due to lack of support.

The relationship between business and art is frequently an odd one.

Every day, I see the tools of 'storytelling' commodified almost as a grudging justification for creativity.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 = 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 = 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆

Indeed, that's how I often pay my own bills with VO! 👀

But to see art 𝘖𝘕𝘓𝘠 as that is where things get dangerous.

A large part of that attitude is down to the policies of the outgoing government.

So regardless of what you may think of this week's result, all I can hope for is change.

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

Why I have two different hourly rates...

And it's got nothing to do with who is asking... 👀

Voice actors price projects by two factors:

1) Time spent recording/editing a project.
2) Where and for how long their voice is used.

The former is referred to as a BSF or 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗲.
It's an hour of studio time and also serves as the 'minimum fee' that I'll do most jobs for.

My BSF is £250.

So one could deduce that it's my 'hourly fee' and I make all decisions based on that.

But it's not.

The 'hourly rate' that I tend to base my decisions on is £50.

Why?

Because don't record hours a day, five days a week.
I spend more hours marketing and training than I do behind a mic.

So instead I take my average income per week.
I divide it by the number of hours I work.
And THAT'S what gives me this rate.

From THIS figure, I can base a lot of decisions.

Primarily, outsourcing ones.

If I'm feeling time poor.
And it costs me half of this hourly rate to pay someone else to do something for me...

Then outsourcing becomes a no-brainer.

If I'm thinking of joining a paid membership group or subscribing to something, am I going to 'put in' the same as I'm paying for (eg. 1 hour for £50 per month)?

It's not an exact science.
But it takes decisions often left to vibes and gives them a clear criteria.

So... Do you 'know your worth'?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

What I outsource... and why.

Not all assistants are created equal.

As the video below proves, just because someone is great at one thing (brand recognition) doesn't make them great at another (email management).

But rather than just bang on about how great outsourcing can be (because it is 𝗜𝗙 you can afford it 𝗔𝗡𝗗 work with the right people)...

I thought I'd just share what I currently outsource.

💵 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁

Because I'm always terrified of financial mistakes,
especially with an LTD to look after.

📽️ 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿

Because a skilled editor takes half the time.
And also comes up with great suggestions.

👀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿

Because my business needs to be consistently growing.
Relevant info in one place is a godsend.

📱𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿

Because when you have a following of 500,000...
You need someone to keep on top of responses.

✏️ 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿

Because getting someone to mark-up a book
Saves you having to read it one more time.

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿

Because getting someone to edit out all your mistakes...
Means you can focus on what you're good at.

👂 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗲𝗿

Because having an objective ear listen back to your work is the best way to check if your accent goes funny.

🐱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿

Because there's no easier way to win in the attention game than a furry freind.

Have any questions about my outsourcing process?
Or any thoughts on outsourcing you'd add?

Let me know in the comments!

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

'Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows... It empties today of its strengths' - 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘮

In the last few days, my resting heart rate has shot up.

Thanks to Apple technology, I have the proof 😅

From 45 beats per minute while I was on holiday, it went back up to 58 bpm as soon as I was back at work.

Stress is an inevitable part of all our working lives.

We're told endlessly how important it is to relax.

But few of us are very good at it.

Because different things...
Work for different people.

For example - I can't stand meditation.
I've tried it many times, but it just produces more anxiety to me.

Relaxation for me is generally activity based.

So my new aim is to make time for more relaxing activities.

And while Honey my studio cat might insist that being her fulltime butler IS 'relaxing', for me that means...

1️⃣ Time to draw for 5 minutes every day.

2️⃣ Having a tennis lesson once a week.

3️⃣ Reading for 30 mins a day.

These are all intentionally BABY steps.
Yet most of the time, I've not made time for them.

So here's a public declaration to keep myself accountable!

What do you find works best to relax outside of work?

Honey's taking notes.
And will judge you 👀

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

Is a 'split session' a good idea for voice acting?

It's a familiar scenario...

A client has organised a directed session so they can offer live feedback while I record.

Normally, directed sessions are booked in 1 hour blocks.

But a LOT of scripts don't take 1 hour to record.

They take a few minutes to read -
3-4 takes plus chat is 30 minutes tops.

And this is when 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗗* can happen...
(*𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 - 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶)

The client thinks they've got what they want.
But they still have session time to 'use up'.
So we end up recording more takes...
Really, just for the sake of it 🤷‍♂️

The thing is - this can be the 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗧 thing to do.

Too many takes =

❌ Too many options to navigate which are all essentially the same.

𝙊𝙍

❌ Lots of takes done wildly different for the sake of it which were never going to be be viable.

And all because the client wanted to use the studio time they'd paid for.

So my solution?

On c͟e͟r͟t͟a͟i͟n͟ projects, I suggest a 'split session'.

If a client is confident that they have what they need, any time left over in the session can be used in the future for pick ups/revisions.

So if we've taken 40 minutes - that means there's 20 minutes 'in the pocket' should a line need tweaking once the VO is in place.

Now like I said - this is project dependent.
And I also establish a time frame for such an offer.
But it's a different way of utilising the benefit of my home studio.

I don't have to 'rehire' a space for a pick up session.
I don't have to travel to an external studio.
I just have to press record again.

Since beginning to offer this, it's proven very useful -
particularly for clients not that used to working with voice actors.

They're not so concerned about having missed something.
Which means the session itself is often more focused.

What's a change you've made to improve customer service?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

The single best mindset shift as a creative?

'Love the art in yourself, Not yourself in the art'
- 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘴𝘬𝘪

𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 & 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧 > 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 & 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗦

(Though having been runner-up in 20 awards, I would say that) 👀

There are 3 key ways to embrace this mindset:

1️⃣   Immerse yourself in the craft because you love it.
Genuine passion fuels creativity and innovation.

2️⃣   Prioritise learning and development.
When you focus on the art in yourself, it's about getting better than you were  yesterday rather than whether you got lucky.

3️⃣  Your Authentic Impact.
Focus on the value you bring to others.  When your motivation is rooted in art, your contributions are more meaningful and lasting.

I'm not saying that awards or fancy client lists aren't important.
We're all running businesses after all.
And that stuff is 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦.

But if your core criteria for success is validation beyond your control.
Then you're setting yourself up for a fall.

I can't control how many awards I don't win.
I can't control not being selected for a project.
But I can control my actualisation as the artist I want to be.

And within THAT lies the power.

Are you doing one thing to further your craft this week?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

AI isn't the problem. The people selling it are.

Another week...
Another AI controversy 😞

We're kind of used to this now, right?

But it seems like we still need to draw attention to this sh*t.

Chat GPT creators Open AI showcased their AI voice model 'Sky' last week, which just happened to sound VERY like actor Scarlett Johansson.

This is no coincidence.

One of Johansson's roles was playing an AI in the film 'Her'.
Open AI's Sam Altman even referenced the film in a Tweet.
It's an easy way to score extra publicity points.

It's now been revealed Johansson was approached twice to use her voice.

The second time was just after the AI voice sounding like her was publicly previewed, giving the impression they were trying to apply pressure.

To her credit, Johansson stood firm.
In fact, she got her lawyers to push back.
And less than a week later, the voice has been removed.

But if Johansson hadn't been a celebrity?
If she hadn't had those lawyers?
What would have happened 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯?

This isn't just a misunderstanding or  mistake.
These people are seeing what they can get away with.

If someone's voice can't be bought, then what's stopping you creating something nearly identical and trading off the association anyway?

So before you jump back on Chat GPT to brainstorm some more content ideas, or Midjourney for another social media image...

Remember that.

Sure - technology is always evolving.
And almost every bit of tech we use comes with moral questions.

But in the face of all that complexity,
we need to make our consumption 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.

The creators of this tech are prepared to do lots of things to 'democratise creativity' using assets they don't own.

And sharing this story is part of that.

How do you feel about using generative AI right now?

By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor

Beating 'death in life'

→ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀?

I shifted from an end goal focus to a process focus.

The problem with most goals is even when you achieve them...
They get replaced with OTHER goals.

That need for more is part of our survival instinct.
Their's a rationale behind 'the grass is always greener'.
But it can make every day unforgiving.

So while I DO have goals...
They're no longer my starting point.

Rather than look at the life I want to get,
I focus on shaping the life that I have now.

Take twenty minutes of your day to daydream what your perfect work day looks like.

I know for many that may seem like a contradiction,
But give it a go.

There are essential things that will always need to get done.
But there may be lots of things you can add or adjust.

For example:

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.
But I also want to inject more creativity into my day.
So I ended up building a marketing plan around my creativity.

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.
It heightens my appreciation of another craft.
So I bought a drawing book with daily 5 minute tasks.

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
So I reallocated some email time to LinkedIn time.

It's a simple change of emphasis to journey from destination.
But it's the biggest one in improving my mental health.
So I'd recommend giving it a try!

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

How do you stop from feeling overwhelmed?

The cognitive dissonance of the internet has got to me.

The economy is a mess.
Global conflicts continue to escalate.
Talented people get laid off to boost CEO bonuses.

You can say 'it's always like this'....
But f**k me man.

The job of an actor is to 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗘.
It's to find the resonance in other people's stories.
But if you actually do that, it can be tricky to disconnect.

Like most of us, I'm just trying to keep the lights on.
If I can do that in an entertaining and educational way that helps my business, even better.

But the first step in any problem is acknowledging it.

So this week I'm mainly going to be:

Spending less time online
Spending more time outdoors.
And donating to UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org.uk/

You’re not alone, if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
And I hope that you get to find the space and time to do what you need to do, to recuperate ✌️

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

Beyond the voice

What you get from me beside me speaking out loud...

1️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

Checking your script is grammatically correct and fits the allotted time.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿

Ensuring your script flows naturally and communicates succinctly.

3️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁

Ensuring the tone of voice creates the right relationship with your audience.

4️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿

Giving your message a rounded characterisation so that it feels like HUMAN communication.

5️⃣ 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿

Want to ensure the voice will fit with the music and footage you might be using on the fly?  No voice exists in isolation, so I take that as part of my responsibility when necessary.

Yes - most of these details 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 be covered by other members of a creative team.

But 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 doesn't always happen.
So it's best to be prepared.

When you hire a voice actor, you want someone who has a vested interest in making the recording as good as possible, not just a clock watcher.

That doesn't mean I'll vomit feedback at you that you never asked for.
But if I see a potential hiccup, I'll highlight it and get it addressed.
Not just wait for my bit to be over.

What one thing do you do to go beyond in your work?

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

Why does my wife find me so sexy?* 👀

It's the same reason I'm such a good voice actor.

𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻.

As any acting coach will tell you,
you shouldn’t just be broadcasting what YOU want to talk about.

You’re trying to provoke a certain response in your listener
( making sure they 𝙆𝙀𝙀𝙋 listening to you).

That means thinking about what moves 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠:

✅ Want runs 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 engine running,
✅ What pushes 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 buttons,
✅ What grinds 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 gears.

That advice applies across industries -
whether you’re performing a Shakespearian soliloquy, or
presenting a powerpoint about monthly KPIs.

This works with commercials.
This works with corporate projects.
This works with video game characters.


Find out what your audience’s pain points are.
And then set to work making THEIR journey rewarding.

It’ll work, every time.

*Note, not 'a sexy dancer.'

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

How to SMASH your to-do list?

Sell your soul to lucifer 😈

That's right...

It's not prioritisation.
It's not time blocking.
It's not habit building.

I just did a deal with the big man downstairs -
and now I have 40 hour days!

But for those of you who might think twice about the prospect of eternal damnation...

I guess I have a few bits of advice from my pre-Satan worshiping days.

1️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮 '𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁'.

Every task that pops into your head -
write it down immediately.

A digital note is often best for this because we typically have our phones on us.

I'd strongly recommend Notion.

2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮 '𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁'.

I take what NEEDS getting done most urgently from my digital list and put them on a physical list that is central to my space.

Mine is on a whiteboard on the door to my studio, so I literally have to FACE IT every time I leave.

This is the stuff I want to get done today - in order of importance.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱.

I get jobs last minute.
So religious time blocking doesn't work.

But when my schedule gets busy, I put everything in my SHORT LIST into my Google calendar and move it around as necessary so nothing gets missed.

4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀

There are certain tasks which aren't 'high priority'...
But they'r regular and need getting done over a week.

For me, they're most often:

Marketing sprints
Content sprints
Accent work
Drawing

These are all tracked at the bottom of my whiteboard, and get marked up as I do them.

I have an '𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹' amount for each,
eg. 10 hours per week of marketing.

And I have a '𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲' for each,
eg 5 hours per week of marketing.

The former is what I aim for.
The latter is what gets scheduled in as non negotiable.

None of this is new.
Not all of this will work for everyone.
But this was the best way I found order as a freelancer....

Before the blood drinking and human sacrifice, obviously 😜

Any tips there you use yourself?

By Christopher Tester - British Male Voice Actor

When did you last pivot?

For me, it was a year ago.

That was when I agreed to voice my first book.

Despite being an actor for sixteen years,
I'd passed all audiobook projects until then.

Why?

The short answer is that they're often one of the lowest paid genres of voice work.

It takes me 4 hours to come up with one hour of finished audio.

1 x hour to read 🧐
1 x hour to prep 📝
1 x hour to record 🗣️
1 x hour to edit and master 🎧

So a 'per finished hour' rate of £250 (at the higher end of the UK market),
is actually working for £62.50 per hour.

NOT bad at all...

But when my recording rate for other genres is £250 per HOUR - you might see why it wasn't a priority.

Three things changed.

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

With a following of 500k across socials now, more authors and publishers get in touch directly.

They know what I can do and want to leverage my following for their title.

So - a higher rate becomes more feasible.

2️⃣ 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄

I read the book.
I record the book.
But someone else preps it.
And someone else edits it.

Knowing what can be outsourced to trusted professionals has reduced the workload and stress.
Having a higher rate makes this viable.

3️⃣ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

I love video games.
It's where a lot of the sexy voice work lives.
But it's still rare that you get to go deep with characters in every game.

But if you're narrating the right novels... 🤯

So I've pivoted.

Corporate work is still 40% of my work.
Elearning is still 25% of my work.
Games are still 20% of my work.

But now I always have a book on the go too.

By British Male Actor Christopher Tester

I sacked three clients in Q3

Why?

The holy trinity:

1) Lack of 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆
2) Lack of 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁
3) Lack of 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟭:

I took Wednesday off to take my mum to show.
Notified everyone immediately.
127 of my clients had no objection.*
But the 128th said it was unprofessional.

I wasn't even going to debate the issue with them.
If looking after my family is a problem to you... 👋

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟮:

A retainer client had a 'revision of their workflow'.
They now want to use AI instead 🤖
The alternative was to do the same work for half the rate.
So I noted their prioritisation of human connection and... 👋

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟯:

The classic unpaid invoice.
No response to email reminders, phone calls or DMs.
Finally had to contact the end client and tell them I hadn't been paid.
Got paid the next day.
That seemed just a little too easy tbh so... 👋

I'm a 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 to work with.
My priority is always serving clients in the best way I can.
But the toughest job as a freelancer is that you have to stand up for yourself,

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴?

THIS is the reality of that process.
Have boundaries and be willing to stick to them.

By British Male Voice Actor Christopher Tester