VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[banjo]

Last week one of the agencies I work with called to schedule a “live” VO ISDN session for a national spot (13-weeks). After hanging up the phone and writing the session in my scheduler I thought back to previous live sessions for a national client. Always interesting.

What kind of adventure was I going to experience this time? Would the session actually start on time as scheduled? Would it be a lengthly session with multiple copy rewrites and calls to get copy approval? Would I be directed by not only the agency rep, but the copy writer, the client and the producer? Would the script arrive before the session so I could do a couple of reads or would I have read it cold? Most likely all of the above.

I was surprised to receive the copy the day before the scheduled session. An easy read :30 TV. I read over the script several times aloud then set it aside for the live session the next morning..

Another surprise! The morning of the session the studio calls me on time (11am). ISDN sync was painless. No redials or dropped lines. A solid lock the very first time.

Surprise again! Without me asking, the studio producer gives me the job/session # for my reference. In another time-zone already listening on the studio phone-patch was the agency rep. Surprise # 4 there were no additional agency people or the client who'll be patched-in to listen, direct or revise the copy. Very cool!

All three of us exchange greetings and introductions

(11:06) The agency rep and I briefly discuss the client and script. I ask the rep how “he” hears me reading the copy. He reads the script aloud. I mark the copy. I'm ready to go.

(11:13) Studio producer asks me to do a mic-check so he can set the record level. I read the first line of script. In my headphones I hear, “Great...looks sweet, you ready to go?” I reply, “Yep, you want me to stop if I flub a line and do a pickup with a 3-2-1 countdown or do you want to the slate?” Producer says, “I'll slate...ready?”. “Roll it!”

(11:15) Producer slates “Take 1”
VO read
Producer, “26 and half seconds”
Agency rep, “Good read. Slow it down a bit and lower your voice a smidgen”
Producer slates “Take 2”
VO read
Producer, “27 almost 28 seconds this time”
Agency rep ”Very nice, but could you do the same read and this time give me a little more smile?”
Producer slates, “Take 3”
VO read. Flub on second line.
Agency rep, “Keep the first line it's perfect...keep the smile all the way through up to the tag this time.”
Producer slates “Take 4, pick-up on script line 2”
VO read
Producer, “28, almost 28 and a half seconds Let me do an edit and put this together for playback. Here's the playback.
Spot Playback
Agency rep, “Excellent, very nice. Could I get an A-B-C read on the first and last line?
Producer slates, “Take 5 line one with A-B-C reads”
VO reads
Agency rep, “Perfect...now the tag please”
Producer, “Take 6 tag line with A-B-C reads”.
VO read
Agency rep, “Now, could you give me a read all the way through making your voice a little raspy?
Producer, Take 7..raspy read...all the way through.
VO read
Producer, “That was 28 and a half seconds”. Here's the playback.
Agency rep. “That's it! That's the Money Maker! Very nice job. Great working with you,we'll be in touch".
(11:28approx)

The entire session took approximately 28 minutes. No multiple redials for ISDN. No gallery of directors in the session. No copy revisions. No need for the client to be in on the session. No hassles.

Have you had a good session lately? They do happen. Keep the faith!

Best Regards,

[bobsouer]

Mike,

What a delightful story. Thanks for giving us this glimpse into your world.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[Donovan]

What is an A-B-C read?
_________________
Donovan

www.DonovanVO.com

[ConnieTerwilliger]

[banjo]

Three different reads of a line, phrase or tag. Letters are used as a reference only. Pickup lines are not slated as "A", "B" or "C". This might be "old school" for a few folks but this has been my experience in the majority of sessions I do. I guess you could say a "1-2-3 read".

However, most of the time the producer or director will say, "Can you give me an A-B-C on that line?"

[Donovan]

gotcha.. I've done that before in sessions, but they never called it that. One said "Give me a few throw-aways." Most just said something like "Gimme that first line about 3 or 4 times."

Interesting... thanks for the lesson! Damn I love this place...
_________________
Donovan

www.DonovanVO.com

[BenWils]

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_________________
Ben


"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."