Simple Voiceover Techniques To Improve Your Voice
Death...Public Speaking...Death...Public Speaking...mmmnnn. There is an inherent fear around public speaking. Some people rank the fear of public speaking above death. This, suggesting that there is a problem with someone who'd, "rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy" perplexes Jerry Seinfeld. Then again, that same someone may have no fear when they are yelling at the top of their lungs at the football. Inhibitions contribute greatly to the fear of public speaking. However, having a basic understanding of how the voice works will significantly reduce the discomfort around the task. We will also look at changing the perception of the task at hand. This will have the two pronged effect of removing the fear AND making the voice far more intense and engaging to the listener.
Is That What I Sound Like? Ahhhhhgggggg!!!
Did you know that your voice sounds different to you than it does to everyone else. That's because when you hear yourself while you're speaking, you're actually hearing something different to what everyone else is. You see we hear things in a balance of different ways. And when we hear our own voices whilst speaking, that balance is shifted dramatically. We discuss this in detail in the e-book and how to control it. But even if you don't buy the e-book, don't fret. It's normal and you only think it sounds bad because you're not used to it. (Listening to it through your lame old answering machine doesn't help either) Relax. The basic exercises in the e-book will dramatically improve the sound of your voice and ultimately your confidence.
Some people have a fear that the quality of their voice is not sufficient for recording. In most cases this is not accurate. I make a great living out of my voice. It is used to sell products to millions of people every day and my voice is nothing special. The vast majority of voices are recordable. In fact there are some people in the voiceover industry with speech impediments that have built careers in spite of them. So I can say most likely, although you may not think you have the chops for the job, you probably do. Most of what you need can be taught in a few easy steps.
The Secrets to Using Your Voice Powerfully When recording your voice, whether it be for your website, a bonus, a sales pitch or an e-book like this, (or even a major ad campaign or a Hollywood blockbuster movie trailer for that matter), there are three commitments you must make in order to make it powerful and effective.
You must: Make it sound believable and authentic Make it sound intimate and personal Keep it interesting and engaging
Throughout this e-book we will explore techniques that will enable you to execute these tasks, however, before you even attempt to achieve these things, you must have a steady grasp on the following components of voice production.
Breath control Diction Tone Rhythm Pitch Dynamics/Emphasis
By the time you finish this e-book you'll have a better understanding of these characteristics and how to manipulate them to subsequently be able to record your voice, sounding, at the very least, as good as it does when you're chatting away entertaining your friends or family. (Without being liquored up).
ACCENTS and your product There are properties of a voice that could greatly help or hinder your voicing of your product on the "world" wide web. So let's have a little look at accents and how they can affect a message.
Before we go any further I need to say that we ALL have an accent. It is a common definition (particularly in the US) that 'accent' means a dialect different to ones own. I've often heard, "I don't have an accent." Answers.com defines accent as: A characteristic pronunciation, especially one determined by the regional or social background of the speaker.
That means we all have one.
Accent usually implies the dialect of a particular country or region within that country. But accent can also relate to upbringing or education. Even lifestyle can influence accent such as surfers or extreme sports people. Have a think about the characteristics of your voice including the accent. Are they a good representation of your product? Does it matter to your product or target audience? Often it doesn't.
We must consider the impact our voice has in the same way an advertising agency would when casting a voice to represent a brand or product in a particular ad campaign.
If your product is targeted to a very broad demographic, for example anyone aged over 25, as long as you sound over 25 you'll be fine. But, some audiences may be less tolerant. For example, if a nerd invented new software to organise your life with, that would be no problem. It would be a fair guess that your audience would be comfortable with that voice selling that product. But if the same nerd created a new type of wheel for skateboards, he or she might benefit from making some adjustments to their voice in order to suit their target audience. Some regional accents just lend themselves to particular styles of products, For example adventure equipment such as some groovy new gadget for rock climbers or an e-book on how to get into kite-surfing might sound best coming from someone with an accent from California, Colorado, Australia or Canada because that's who we have been programmed to think about when it comes to this subject. That same person from Colorado may make $10 million a year on the stock market but the target audience for his stock-tip ezine may prefer to hear from someone who sounds like they're from Manhattan, Chicago or London.
At the end of the day, you have to decide if your voice fits your product or if it even matters. If it does matter, can you make the necessary adjustments or should you find someone who can better represent your product? Only you can decide. If you firmly believe your product or service would be better served by a style of voice other than your own, check out chapter 14 of the e-book. "Leaving It to The Pros." on outsourcing voice talent.
Microphones and Mic Technique
There are two main types of microphones you will come into contact with when recording voice. The differences are mainly in relation to the direction from in which they receive their sound. We go into these in detail in the e-book so you can find out which type is best suited to your voice.
In regards to technique, let's start with distance. A good distance to place your mouth from the microphone is about a fist width away. This will change depending on your desired result. A high energy excited and louder read will need to be a few more inches from the mic. A more intimate, pillow-talking, soft read can be almost touching the mic with your lips. Keep in mind the level of sensitivity these mics have. You do not need to project your voice as if you are in a large room. Imagine the microphone to be someone's ear. That's how sensitive they are. They can clearly pick up the sound of your tongue moving around in your mouth. However, don't become too self conscious and hide the voice or even the sound of your breath from the microphone.
Secrets of the Multi-Million Dollar Voice Over Business Revealed.
This chapter in the e-book is worth at least ten times what you'll pay for this entire course. This is the gold that even most professional voice artists don't know, which is why they sound fake, used car salesman-like and unbelievable.
These following tips I have adapted from decades of training and experience in acting and voice across three continents. I have then converted this knowledge to a few easy steps that anyone could follow. Obviously I can't give all the secrets away for free but because I'm feeling a little generous I will give away one. OK here goes.
SECRET NUMBER 2. WHA HAPPENED?
All successful businesses are a response to a need that exists. Marketing guru Stephen Pierce often mentions that only when you begin to think about the needs of your customers before you even think about your product will you make real money. So if your product or service is to be a hit, you must respond to a need that is in the marketplace. Therefore, any spoken words helping to communicate your product should be in response to a need, or more appropriately... a question or request.
This is perfect because, as I teach my voice students, another key to creating believability is asking yourself, "what just happened before you spoke?" The best thing to imagine is that someone who you are speaking to has just communicated a need, (either through complaint or request) and you are responding to that communication. That is, they have the problem and you have the solution. So what they said to you or what you just witnessed is the motivation for what you are about to say. If you think about the "what just happened" before you speak, the speaking is driven by THOUGHTS and emotions as opposed to words on a page. The result is something that sounds spoken as opposed to read and ultimately sounds far more authentic. In the acting world we call this, BACK-STORY. This is one of the cornerstones of modern acting techniques. Creating a history of your character and of what happened before the moment you speak is the basis of the character and her motivation.
It is simple to adopt this technique to your voice performance, whether you're talking about vitamins, guitar stands or scrap-booking.
My E-book "Using Your Voice To Personalise Your Product And Increase Your Sales. " is designed to empower your voice so that you can benefit in all aspects of life, particularly the sales of your service or product.
If you've seen enough to realise that this e-book could help you add some serious value to your product and boost your sales, Related Topics Simple Voiceover Techniques To Improve Your Voice
