Something that experienced voice actors will think is obvious but beginners might not know, is that you need to wear comfortable clothes that make absolutely no sound. Engineers would rather have talent showing up in baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt than something that looks very professional like a suit, that creaks if you move in certain ways. A suit top might look nice but if you hear it rustling as you move your arms it’s a no go, plus since the air is off during recording, sometimes booths get kinda warm. Ideally, sweatpants or cotton shorts with a basic cotton tee shirt are ideal as they’re both comfy (so you can focus on the part) and they make almost no noise.
So true! I did my first vo commercial when I was 9 and I showed up to the session in Umbros, the kind of shorts that go "qewish qewish" when you move. My grandpa in the spot was amazing- after the first noisy take he realized what the problem was but I literally wasn't allowed to move AT ALL while we recorded. I wasn't fired though, and I heard the spot on the radio a few months later.
Sir, these videos have taught me more than I ever learned in college as a tv/radio major. You are providing an amazing resource, which given that you are potentially training your competitors means that you are just a good dude. Thank you so much!
Honestly, performance and art in general share a lot of terminology. Especially when voice acting, film making, and the music recording industry use the same technology and infrastructure to create.
In addition to teaching the lingo, you have also provided some interesting insights into the VO process. I’m an elderly man with no desire to start a second career, but it’s fun to take a peek behind the curtain.
I started down the VO path a few years ago and hit some financial hard times. Since thin I started listening to you on the No Sleep Podcast. I had no idea you had this channel until I found my mic in storage and started researching VO work again. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Hey Mike, you're doing a great service for aspiring VOs everywhere! I help run an association for voice talents here in the Philippines, and your videos are what I recommend our members to watch. Keep up the good work!
It's so nice of you to share your experiences and knowledge for us. You do such a great job. Also your voice is great. It does sound like it can be very stressful to do the voiceovers. Having to know all these things. I recently started a job as a radio DJ in small town Alaska which has opened up a whole new world for me. Now I'm researching things about getting my own station started, doing voiceover work, home studio, etc. So fun, yet a beast unto itself. I really enjoy our "talks". I say that because the way you portray yourself is like we do on the radio, where you're talking to one person. It is very comforting and relaxing the way you share this information. It's like a one-on-one training session. I also think you did a great job with your tag line. It's a good one. Thanks again for all the help.
I think you found a great niche with this subject. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom. This is a great window into another world, for noobs like me. A $200 an hour coach couldn't touch this.
Love the videos! Lots of valuable info. One comment on this video, you recommended when the engineer forgets to press the talkback button to tap the mic. PLEASE DO NOT TAP THE MIC! Just say "excuse me, talkback button?" or something along those lines (plus international pressing button gesture). You don't want to potentially damage the mic by shaking, push dust through the grill toward a condenser capsule, knock the mic out of proper placement, or provide that extra turn it needed to fall off the mount. Also if it's a ribbon, an air pressure wave could knock the tension of the ribbon out of calibration.
He made a mistake, and has big red letters on the screen that says just this. He meant headphones and emphasizes to NEVER touch the mic. Like I was doing for most of it, you may have just been listening and not watching.
Great walk-through, Mike. How about a video about voice-over warm-up exercises - and voice-over practice exercises in general? And how you take care of your voice? (things you may avoid drinking before a session, etc). I'd love to see your take on it!
Just teaching us the vocabulary alone actually taught us A TON of stuff about the recording process as a whole! That was awesome! Subscription well earned!
You are amazing in sharing this info. I thank and praise you and thank you on behalf of newcomers. I have been a v.o. artist for a long time and all you are saying I had to learn by my own experience, which means it has been a painful process!!!!! I wish all the best to anyone trying to get into this art. Mostly you will do it because you love it and not the money. The money comes from time to time. I have been paid a lot for 3 words and very little for 3.000 words, for example. I have dyslexia which means I can not really do "sight reading" The way I deal with this is always to ask the agent to send me the script as soon as possible, so that I can practise as much as possible before getting to the studio. I always joke saying that God has a great sense of humor: he gives you a talent (a nice voice) but you need to struggle to get there! Best of wishes to you all Voice Over Artists ! 😍🥰🤩
Good info. I can see how familiarity with this jargon could reduce the stress for someone new, who's already going to be nervous enough. Thanks Booth Junkie.
I was really hoping that you might explain, and gives samples of what the terms "warm, bright, muddied" mean, show me examples of them so that i might identify and add/remove them.or just so that i know what they are and know when i hear if one is too much or something.
The first time I was in a studio watching an album being produced, it was veeeerry hot in the booth and in the (control?) room with the engineer. So hot in fact, that the rather old producer fell asleep sitting up in his chair.
"wild" takes also refers to the times when you're in a lip synch (dubbing) session, but they want you to do a line without the video, without the synch, just freely. Biggest problem with scratch tracks is that they're often way too fast.
Loving the videos man. Just got an NT-USB for course voiceover and video blogging (cbf with an interface yet) and getting lots of tips and tricks from your channel
Really good! I've already shared this with some aspiring VO friends - and I subscribed! Thanks for the information! Going into a directed session without knowing exactly what could be thrown at you is intimidating. Going in armed with knowledge is crucial. I'll keep this as a video to share with anyone new to the business.
Very helpful video. I'm a musician and have done some recording for friends, but I still learned a lot. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with new VO artists.
Mike, I'm a new recruit to your excellent channel. Here in the UK, as well a Patch Through to record you remotely, we might say they are recording you Down The Line.
I've really loved your channel Mike and have learned so much from you, as well as checking out Newfield which was really good sir. Keep on keepin on brother
Another excellent video. Watched all of the videos of you building the booth and treating the booth. I only want to get better equipment for doing game videos, and I'm learning a whole new profession. Thank you.
There is a local radio show host who occasionally subs in for bigger national personalities whose delivery is absolutely maddening because he speaks ...with so....many pauses and...sometimes you may think....your....radio shut off. If anyone needs to learn about connecting words, it is the guy I'm referencing. It just drives me nuts when broadcasting pros make rookie errors in either the engineering or delivery sides. There are many famous folks who could use your tutorials.
Good information as always. But there are a few terms that you did not bring up. Pete-Repeat is a term I have had in the studio, where they will play a line or phrase and you record your version right at the end of it. Also there are terms for a cued punch in (3 beeps), and one where you just start your dubbing lines right away with no cue (can't remember the term for that, if you can let me know). Most of this is for ADR or dubbing work. There are a few more, but can't recall them right now.
Mike, I look back on your videos from the last. First of all, I enjoy the hell out of your videos. But what I can't get over is how you went from where you were to having the voice of God 7+ years ago. We're those videos of your first E100S real? With the accent and the drunkenness? Telling mom to leave you alone.... I find them hard to believe because I can only believe that you were born with that voice.
Mike, thanks a lot for your many tips. I haven't had a chance to dive and look for the answer to this question but I was wondering where you pick your demo scripts from. Do you transcribe them yourself from already distributed commercials and what not?
Oh ok so when a voiceover actor does these sessions . You don’t read the commercial all the way through . You do it incrementally with several takes and do overs . Than they splice it all together to make it sound like you read it all the way through and that’s what the people at home hear . Is this correct ?
So The Drop in/ Punch in, is like The Naming of Cats in CATS 2019, Where they had a good Pace going, and all of the sudden a Huge Chunk was cut out, would it be Close to That Rough Idea?
"How much will you charge us to play this on the radio/online/etc for one year?" Means they can do whatever with it for a year, then after that they need to renegotiate the contract with you or your agent.