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voice of vicki
Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: I'm gathering info on what you think is good VO direction |
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Hello gang,
I am in the process of writing a short article on improving communication between clients/directors and voice talents. I'm still refining the focus, so I thought I'd gather some input from ya'll.
2 questions:
1) What is your pet peeve in VO direction? (Mine is getting a 30 sec commercial with 40 seconds worth of copy, with the direction "caring and compassionate")
2) What types of direction work well for you? Key words? Phrases?
If I wind up quoting you, I will contact you to ask permission to use your name or keep you anonymous.
Thanks! |
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mcm Smart Kitteh
Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 2600 Location: w. MA, USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:03 am Post subject: |
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Peeve: When they tell me after I've recorded and edited a short narration that it has to be :60 |
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dhouston67 VO-BB Intarwebz Glossary Administrator
Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 1166 Location: Right next door to Sandra Bullock. No, really.
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Philip Banks Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11049 Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:13 am Post subject: |
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Good direction is a collaborative, creative process. Anything that doesn't add to the production is not direction.
"Oh by the way it's a 30" is not direction. That's a bit like a film director saying "oh by the way we're shooting in wide screen". Technical imformation is not direction.
Good words to help a voice are ones like - Bigger, smaller, brighter, languid, any that paint pictures. More sell! Is a useless phrase. More sell than what?
I once had a TV director ask me to use a Boris Karloff voice, I did.
"No that's not right!" It was but the problem came from the fact she had no idea how Boris Karloff sounded. I went into a sort of Vincent Price sound.
"Perfect! That's him". Far be it from me to argue, I'm just the hired help. |
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mcm Smart Kitteh
Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 2600 Location: w. MA, USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:24 am Post subject: |
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Banksey wrote: | "Oh by the way it's a 30" is not direction. |
It's another way of saying "talk faster" and is therefore direction. |
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Philip Banks Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11049 Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:28 am Post subject: |
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mcm wrote: | Banksey wrote: | "Oh by the way it's a 30" is not direction. |
It's another way of saying "talk faster" and is therefore direction. |
Did you get the impression my post was related to your post? It wasn't. Merely differentiating between technical and creative.
Director "Talk faster"
Voice "Pay more" |
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voice of vicki
Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:42 am Post subject: |
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I hear you!
I have already written a section on how difficult it is to pull "sound like Roz on Frasier" out of my memory stick. You have to send us a sound clip of what you want!
Now, what else? |
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asnively Triple G
Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 3204 Location: Los Angeles
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:02 am Post subject: |
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Overwritten copy is the thing that drives me crazy nearly every day. It's hard to bring copy to life when I've got to squeeze an audio book down to :27 (to leave room for the poor guy who's doing the tag).
_________________
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Last edited by asnively on Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bobsouer Frequent Flyer
Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 9882 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:09 am Post subject: |
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voice of vicki wrote: | Now, what else? |
Vicki,
I've had several sessions at which the director will say, "Perfect! Now, would you do it again?" I understand about wanting a safety take, but still, if it's truly perfect...
The most helpful direction is the kind that helps me be where I'm supposed to be, or hear and see that to which I'm reacting. Just the other day I was recording a trailer for a new animated Christmas special. The director was superb, helping me understand the kind of feeling he was looking for. I ended up putting myself in a moment that had happened just a few days before, hugging my 16 year old son and hearing him say "I love you, Dad."
After he picked up the audio from the FTP site, the director wrote back:
"Sound quality is just fine and the perfmance was exquisite."
But, it wasn't really my performance, it was the direction that got me there. _________________ Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
ISDN, Source Connect, phone patch |
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audio'connell T-Shirt
Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 1950 Location: in a dark studio with a single bulb light...day after day after....
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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Hi.
I don't know if it’s a pet peeve as there could be peeves on both sides and likely equally justified.
However, I think there are three areas that producers and directors could improve on to help make the voice session more effective for all parties.
1. Copy timing: One doesn't have to be a VO to read a piece of copy with the second hand on their watch to know that an average read for their copy will NOT likely fall within the prescribed time they need it to. (i.e. two pages single spaced does not a sixty second spot make.) And these changes need to be made BEFORE the client sees the spot. Now I will grant you sometimes the client, not the producer or director, tries to jam in the extra phrase(s) and no amount of reasoning will work with the client. But just as often the producer/director should be making copy cuts and has the authority to do so. They just can't be bothered which leads to a second problem....
2. Copy grammar/accuracy: I'll grant you that our ed-u-ka-shun system (globally speaking) has its problems but I think this problem has to do with our go-go-go, “good enough” society/mentality. Its like driving 60 when the speed limit is 55....you physically don't get there much quicker at the higher speed so what’s the point of speeding? Taking a moment to REALLY proof read, or even better have a second set of eyes read your stuff is a step stupidly not taken often enough (but VO’s can make the same mistakes…we all do it).
3. Time for discussion/Knowing what they want: Again possibly falling under the go-go-go mentality, the "Here's the copy, go!" procedure leads to some shitty reads (can I say "reads" on here?) If a producer could articulate what they want ("I'll know it when I hear it" only means somebody might be too lazy to do a bit of homework) the voice will likely get "there" faster and with more variations in the "general vicinity" as it were.
Hope this helps. If not, well, at least I feel better! _________________ - Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent |
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dhouston67 VO-BB Intarwebz Glossary Administrator
Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 1166 Location: Right next door to Sandra Bullock. No, really.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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audio'connell wrote: |
2. Copy grammar/accuracy: I'll grant you that our ed-u-ka-shun system (globally speaking) has its problems but I think this problem has to do with our go-go-go, “good enough” society/mentality. Its like driving 60 when the speed limit is 55....you physically don't get there much quicker at the higher speed so what’s the point of speeding? Taking a moment to REALLY proof read, or even better have a second set of eyes read your stuff is a step stupidly not taken often enough (but VO’s can make the same mistakes…we all do it).
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Thank you. Spelling & grammar are important... _________________ Great Voice. Great Choice. For Voice Talking and stuff.
http://davidhoustonvoice.com
Do That Voice! - The DHV Blog
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13016 Location: East Jesus, Maine
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: I'm gathering info on what you think is good VO directio |
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voice of vicki wrote: | 1) What is your pet peeve in VO direction? (Mine is getting a 30 sec commercial with 40 seconds worth of copy, with the direction "caring and compassionate")
2) What types of direction work well for you? Key words? Phrases?
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I am working on a similar thing for a conference.
The most keen element is having a vocabulary that's easily understood by both producer and talent.
One of the things you quite often hear from a director is "More energy!"
Our pal and fellow boardie Pat Fraley has some ideas about this-- he separates energy into types: kinetic, psychological, and nervous energies.
Kinetic=motion=volume
Psychological=mind=intensity
Nervous energy is the stuff that kills you in a session unless you can tame it and make it work for you.
As actors, we have to come equipped with withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous ignorance on the part of the folks on the other side of the glass or the darkness. Our job is to be ready to intuit beyond what they say in words and deliver the goods.
My peeve is the "perfect" peeve as well.
"Great-- now give me another one just like that."
Why?
What I like the best is when I've got a great idea for a read and I can get them to listen. Sometimes it takes a bit of finesse to make the suggestion, but it's all about diplomacy and service and ultimately-- making the client happy and having the commercial WORK well for the client. _________________ DBCooperVO.com |
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voice of vicki
Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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In reading the responses so far, I am struck by two things.
First, how basic our needs are as talents. In my article I have mentioned the necessisties of a clear, clean, proof-read script, good descriptive words, allowing a few extra seconds for that 'something extra' sound, and other simple requests. I kept thinking-- this is too basic, I must be missing something.
We really don't ask for much.
Secondly, I am struck by how we place a great deal of importance on doing a good job. I hear a lot of pride in what we do-the good kind- the kind of pride that produces high quality work. |
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Drew King's Row
Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 1118 Location: Tumbleweed Junction, The Republic of North Texas
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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Timing the copy is my peeve.
Just today I had this exchange over phone patch with an ad agency prod. director and A.E.
After motoring five takes, I said, "No disrespect, Julie, but you do understand you've got me stuffing 40 seconds of shit into a 30 second sack."
Then through my phones I heard all this muffled laughter and then, "That's a good one. I've never heard that expression before. Can I steal it?"
"Sure," I said. "I stole it myself."
"Well, great. Now do your voo-doo Drew and stuff that 40 seconds of shit in my 30 second sack so we can all go home."
I stuffed it. PayPal arrived 20 minutes later.
Was that direction? _________________ www.voiceoverdrew.com
Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald. |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13016 Location: East Jesus, Maine
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Yep.
They directed you to stuff it.
_________________ DBCooperVO.com |
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