Voice talent casting: The do’s and the dont’s
Are you looking for a voice over? Have you already tried but ended up finding yourself deep underwater in an ocean of different voice talents? Well, we know how difficult it can be to find the perfect voice for your project. And you don’t have to worry anymore! We have assembled some aspects to consider before choosing the right voice talent for your project.
The (please) do
Do consider: What type of project are we talking about here?
The voice talent casting all comes down to the project. Are you looking to voice an e-learning, Ad campaigns or maybe gaming? The type of project automatically narrows down the voice talent casting because different voice talents have different skill sets. Naturally, the voice talents prefer to work in projects that fit their skillset, so they can make your project shine. Therefore, it is important to initialize a briefing where the different aspects of your project are discussed. Once you have discussed the type of project you have in your hands, these are some other aspects that could be discussed: Does the recording have to be localized to other countries in different languages meaning you’d need different voice talents?
With more than 20 years of experience, and we are experts in the industry, we are confident to provide free consultations with our dedicated sales team to get some advice to help you choose the right voice for your project. We know what is trending in the industry and have a substantial view of our many different and skilled voice talents.
Do ask yourself: what type of voice over do I need?
Are you looking for a quirky voice with lots of creative potential? Or do you need a sturdy full of stamina read? Are you considering a male or female talent for the project? Perhaps something out-of-the-box and androgynous in terms of pitch. Another aspect to consider would be whether your project calls for a formal or more alternative type of voice, like street talk. As mentioned before, the voice talent choice depends on the type of project you’re working on. But it also depends on your preferences and wishes to bring your vision to.
When thinking advertising, voice talents can convey a comedic approach, and maybe they should be able to improvise. They should also be able to deliver several creative takes for your script. For the most creative projects, you might need a voice talent with various voices in their skill set. In e-learning territory, clarity, enunciation, and a stable pitch and delivery are key components for success.
Do talk numbers: what kind of production do you have in your hands?
Like with almost anything in life, the budget can play a substantial role. Much like in the translation industry, the price range can vary from one voice talent to another. However, our team can help you if your budget can’t cover a skilled voice talent with premium rates.
Does your project need one, three or more voices? This can influence the type of voice talent as well. Why? You might need to cast three, four, or six similar voice talents across languages that resemble each other. This is a very important factor for brands.
VoiceArchive’s sales team has a profound understanding of the latest trends. They can quickly and effectively help you find a selection of voice talents that will help you crunch your project.
What’s more: We’ll try to provide you with a few voice talents with an original twist of your briefing. Our teams tend to call these our “wild cards”. What’s a wild card? It could be a voice talent who has a “street” way of talking, or a querky and unique flow. Although wild cars might seem a very different choice, we’d never offer a voice talent that we didn’t think would fit your project very well!
Do: consider the wild cards
Let’s talk a bit about the voice talents that could have a completely different impact on your project – of course, a beneficial one. These voice talents have a skill set that, in some projects, stand out from other more normal skill sets.
An example could be a company wanting to implement a new e-learning course for its new employees. You could imagine men wishing to use a male voice over for the course, and the women preferring a female one (both circling the age of 50) to express authority and knowledge and inspire respect. However, a different approach could be to use a female voice for the men and a male voice for the women. Then the age of the voice over could be the same as the target audience.
Another example could be utilizing a voice over of a young man or woman who is an expert in talking slang or some type of street lingo for an e-learning course for Nike or Footlocker. The voice should obviously match the company, but it wouldn’t be expected to hear a man using words like “mandem”, “fam” or “allow it” (British slang). A calculated and branded risk could facilitate the learning process by utilizing a type of lingo that is more interesting, fun, and familiar to hear for young employees.
The (please) don't
So, what are the “don’ts”? For starters, we don’t recommend just “pick one” and hope for the best. Voice acting is a craft, and you shouldn’t choose a random voice, the same way you wouldn’t choose a random painting for your home. As we mentioned earlier in this article, voice talents have each a set of skills, and matching the best talent with the right project is the key for show-stopping audio.
So don’t skip your research to define what are the skills needed for your project and identifying a pool of potential talents that match them. Or at least letting us know so we can orchestrate things for you.
Do not run from a challenge
Challenge yourself! At VoiceArchive we believe we shouldn’t always take the easy path and the safe choice, both in life but also when it comes to your choice of voice over. It’s always a good idea to be open to other types of voice talents because you might find that hidden gem that could be way better for your project than what you initially had in mind.
Do not ignore the latest trends
This one goes out, especially to the advertising world. Audio-related content production has picked up rapidly, with brands looking into creating a personal connection through mobile and headphones. Digital audio has the unique ability to capture the feelings of a listener and engage in ways other formats can’t. The human voice is a strong selling tool that conveys not only authority but emotion. Appealing to the limbic part of the brain, ruling our emotions, presents an opportunity for advertisers to connect with people and for training producers to ensure employees are connecting with a company’s messaging.
Audio helps connect in an authentic and relevant way building up story and trust. Trust calls for authenticity. In castings, this means understanding your audience and following the trends that make their hearts flutter. Are you casting for a Tik Tok Ad? Consider what kind of voices will appeal to Gen-Zs. Crafting an e-learning module about leadership? Consider a female voice voicing it
Do not forget to filter
A small thing could help you a great deal: filter the voice talents. If there is one thing that could influence the number of hours and resources spent in casting voice over, is having a huge voice pool to navigate through. Without the expertise and the right guidance – it could be a very annoying process. Therefore, once you’ve gone through our list of “to do”, remember the next thing: apply those and filter your options.
Not filtering your options, could prove itself to be overwhelming for most people. With castings, many voice talents could apply for a job that’s not meant for their skillset, either because they misunderstood the brief or because the needs weren’t communicated in “voice talent lingo”. If you’re booking yourself, you might find yourself hesitating about the right choice, with precious minutes passing by.
Filtering the offered pool, from languages to the type of project, considering delivery style and age, will significantly simplify your quest.
Ready to start exploring talent?
Browse through our voicebank yourself, or reach out for personalized casting.
Looking for voice over? We're here to help
Get in touch to get personalized advice to find the perfect voice-over.