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I just recorded a McDonald’s Voice Over commercial.

Writer's picture: Christina SouzaChristina Souza

My Home recording studio/closet.

Here are some of my voice over recording tips.

Recording the actual spot.

1. Have energy! As actors we want to make everything as real as possible but often times the first take is flat because we are afraid of overacting. In the audio heightened emotions usually need a higher pitch, a strained sound or shorth breaths. Voice overs don’t have the luxury of facial expressions to validate the emotions. Experiment with different tones and breath qualities.

2. Don’t Take direction Personally, but do take it! Usually at the begining of a session they will ask me to lose the breathless quality to my voice. My speaking narrating voice tends to be sexy sounding initially. Although some may see this as a desirable trait, for most products it’s not appropriate. (Except for that Herbal essence commercial I did.) When I first started I would take offense to this note, but now I just view it as my voice needing to warm up.

3. Annunciate but don’t drag. It’s important to speak clearly so that the description of the products can be heard and understood. However, you‘ll want to annunciate quickly. Each spot is timed and time is Money. They use words like “tighten it up“ which means increase the rhythm of your words, and lose the spaces between them. Think of speaking over an electronic beat. Sometimes I listen to Music while I record to help with the vibe.

4. Don’t wait for validation for a great job. They usually won’t give it to you. Often times you’ll hear nothing the only validation you’ll receive is if your spot airs.

5. Practice! Pay attention to other voice over recording’s. Write down the qualities that you like about them. Practice practice practice. I am recording all the time whether it’s music or VoiceOver‘s I am familiar with the sound of my recorded voice. I am much more comfortable with the way that I sound but there are still things that make me uncomfortable I have made peace with this perpetual discomfort.

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