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VOICE OVER TODAY – August 26, 2002

Published by EDGE STUDIO
     New York training - 212-868-edge
     Washington DC training - 202-398-edge
     Connecticut training - 203-374-edge
     Tele-Training - 888-321-edge

demos. training. guidance. CD duplication. resources.

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WANT WORK? visit www.edgestudio.com/marketingresources.htm
NEED SCRIPTS? visit www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm
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THIS ISSUE INCLUDES:

1.)... Free Marketing Workshop: THIS THURSDAY August 29, 7pm, NY City
2.)… Timing is everything

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Are you tired of reading off of cue cards? Memorizing long scripts only to get to the job and receive changes? Then this is for you.

EAR-PROMPTER--The ability to speak, simultaneously, pre-recorded material from a micro-cassette recorder, while hearing it through an earpiece, giving a flawless performance.

This extraordinary on-camera class comes from a leading ear-prompter proficient actor and trainer. Receive a nation-wide list of "Ear" agents at the end of the course and open the doors to more moneymaking opportunities.

Call Andréa Urban 212-591-1097 for private or group lessons

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1.) FREE MARKETING WORKSHOP *** only in New York City ***

THIS THURSDAY – AUGUST 29th

WHAT IS IT?
Come to the FREE one night voice-over workshop Thursday, August 29 at 7pm. BRING YOUR DEMO.

LOCATION
122 West 26th Street, 10th floor - Suite 1000, New York, NY (Class only available in New York City)

WHY IS IT FREE?
It’s an introduction to the VOICE-OVER MARKETING CO-OP, with Scott Glasgow. Learn what this workshop offers, meet the instructor, and decide if you want to sign up for the 12 week class.

DETAILS
Complete details at: www.edgestudio.com, click “marketing resources,” click “Marketing CO-OP.”

RESULTS?
Historically over half of participants have been called in by an Agent or Casting Director before the 12 week class even concludes.

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2.) TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When handing you the script, it is common for a producer to specify how long your recording should be. It is then your job to turn on an internal tempo-clock, and ensure that the finished recording is that specified length (or at least close).
This article will discuss ways to control your timing.
The producer will time your reads and let you know if you need to speed up or slow down, and by how much. Learning how to control your speed is essential.
Note: Today’s digital recorders give the engineer the ability to automatically adjust your timing by as much as 10%. However, engineers prefer to not rely on digitally timing, as sometimes the sound quality is degraded.

FOLLOWING ARE WAYS TO ALTER TIMING:

a. Speed up or slow down the speed of the words, by elongating or shortening them.

Practice reading the following example at different speeds. Your reading can range between 1.25 seconds long and twice that fast, or 2.5 seconds long.

It’s the largest selection anywhere.

b. Lengthen or shorten the pauses between sentences and paragraphs. Note that when you’re forced to read copy so quickly that it sounds rushed, a tiny pause between phrases will help make the read appear significantly less rushed.

Practice reading the following example with different spacing between the listed items. It can range between 3.5 seconds and almost double that, 5.5 seconds long.

Johnson Lighting Company has bulbs, fixtures, lamps, shades, candles, and chandeliers.

c. Add or delete dramatic pauses.

Practice reading the following example with different degrees of dramatic pause. Your reading can range between 2.5 and 5 seconds long.

The Johnson Lighting Company, we’re light-years beyond our competition.

HERE ARE EXAMPLES TO PREPARE YOU FOR REAL RECORDING SESSIONS:

a. Split-second timing in commercial recording is a must. Advertisers purchase specific length “blocks” of air-time from television and radio stations, so voice-over producers need to ensure that the spot is exactly the right length of time.

Note that :15, :30, and :60-second commercials are actually 13.6, 28.6, and 58.6 seconds long, respectively.

Most radio commercials require the voice-over artist to read for the entire spot. Conversely, most TV commercials contain only a few lines of copy — the rest of the spot is filled with background music, sound effects, other voice-over artists, etc.

The producer will tell you how long the script should be — sometimes down to the tenth of a second.

Try reading this commercial in 12 seconds, 14 seconds, and 16 seconds.

Got a problem with a home appliance? One phone call to Sears Home Central fixes
your Kenmore, GE, Whirlpool — any major appliance brand. Call Sears Home Central at 1-800-4-REPAIR. Sears Home Central. The service side of Sears.

b. A tag is the closing line of a commercial. Tags are usually just a few seconds in length. The producer will tell you exactly how long the tag needs to be.

Try reading this tag in 3 seconds, 3.5 seconds, and 4 seconds.

Stove-Top Stuffing. Anything less is just stuff.

c. A donut is a section of a commercial that is sandwiched between two other sections. For example, if a :30-second-long commercial has 10 seconds of music at the beginning and 10 seconds of music at the end, the producer will say, “Your script is a :10-second donut” — meaning that your voice will be in the middle :10-second portion of the commercial.

Your job is to read the copy at just the right tempo, so that you completely fill the space but don’t cover up anything else.

Try this 2.5-second donut inside a :30-second television car commercial. (During the donut, the on-camera actor points to a sunroof and leather interior, and then to the car.)

0.00 - 14.5 = jingle
14.5 - 17.0 = VO: It’s things like this, that make you want one of these.
18.0 - 28.6 = jingle

Timing is not generally as much of a concern in narration recording, because many do not have a predetermined. For example, telephone messaging systems, new-employee training films, audio-books, educational material, etc, often do not have specific timing requirements.
For narrations that do have specific timing requirements, such as an hour-long documentary, the timing requirements are not as strict as commercial recordings. This is because there is normally more video and/or film footage than there is audio recording, so the engineer can space out your audio recording throughout the footage.
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WANT CUSTOM CD DEMO CARDS?

We can work by phone, Internet, or IF YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY I can meet you at your place of work, home or even Starbucks. If you live out of the New York City are, I cannot travel to you.

Together we’ll listen to your demo and create artwork suitable for it! Everything is stored on file for future duplicates.

CD Front Card - $1 per card
CD Tray Card - $1 per card
Cassette J-Card - $1 per card
One time Set-up fee - $40
Cutting Charge - $8 per order

Paul Liberti (212) 229-7856
PlibertiNY@aol.com

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Call 800-506-1212 or visit www.audiofilemagazine.com to order your copy now. Just $24.00 (inc. s/h). For info on the Voice Talent listings email jennifer@audiofilemagazine.com.

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HAVE A DEMO? We're always searching for new talent. Please mail us your CD demo to: Edge Studio, 251 West 30th Street, suite 9-fm. NY, NY 10001 USA
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Voice Over Today is an Edge Studio publication
- advancing voice-over careers since 1988 -

www.edgestudio.com
888-321-edge

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To advertise, email info@edgestudio.com or call 1-888-321-edge
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