When you are training a prospective voice over artist to work with you on television promo work, one of the best ways for them to get started is simply to listen and undertake a ‘personal training’ program. Ask them to turn on the television and start taking notes of commercials and promos of their favorite TV shows.
Questions as to the type of promos in line with their voice over needs are a necessary exercise. Similarly, it is important to develop a working knowledge of sound bites.
According to the author of the book “Voiceovers”, Jane Wilcox, voice over artists can benefit by discovering several genres and acting techniques to improve their skills. All they have to do is tune in to various television networks and examine each TV campaigns.
All major television networks such as HBO, CBS, and ABC provide their viewers a picture of their network’s coming attractions via specialized campaigns and promotional materials. Voice over artists can record these promo pieces. Then they can initially enhance their style by applying the energy level, volume, tone, and intensity of the sound bites.
They will need to study a variety of networks to really understand their style and tone, as well as the rhythm of each piece so you understand what works for promo voice over work – and what doesn’t. Encourage prospective voice over professionals to review a variety of styles and genres and present you with samples of each.
Encourage your voice over artists to develop their knowledge and skills through constant practice. With the aid of a stopwatch, time each session and allow your trainees to deliver their message within 20 – 30 seconds. This can make them further widen their skills and abilities.
Online resources are a good reference when it comes to finding printable TV promotional and commercial transcripts. Voice over talents can use the scripts in their practice and do it a regular job to update themselves with the latest style and genre using the Internet. It’s more convenient and also practical. The important thing is that they are able to apply their learned skills and work out in the desired amount of time.
Voice over talent will also need to be trained in doing breathing exercises and monitoring their breathing throughout each session. Creating a breathing log, or a chart on how they breathe and when you tend to hold your breath can make them more aware of their habits and help break patterns that are not serving them well. Encourage them to take a deep breath before getting started and to practice in an area where there is enough space in front of them to project their voice comfortably.
Last but not the least, they can join a ‘personal training program’ and be assured that their TV voice over skills will improve at a faster pace. Other than collecting promo copy and scripts as reference, they need to allot at least 15 – 20 minutes per day to polish up their craft and eventually be an expert in the near future.