Voice Over Actors?

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Jameela M Boardman
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Voice Over Actors?

Post by Jameela M Boardman »

Does anyone have any tips on how to get Voice Over Actors for a manikin to be in role properly?

It seems like a chicken and egg scenario, as both voice and manikin create the character together. So what or how can we direct our speaker to help create the character?

I know professional filmmaking studios have audio booths where the manikin or animated character is displayed on a video screen to assist the actor, but a home made video has to be much more modest.

Basically, it seems to me that the voice has got to lead as it needs to fit in with the screenplay story, and the manikin made to follow, so what or how do we give guidance to our voice-over actor in the first place?
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TimStannard
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Re: Voice Over Actors?

Post by TimStannard »

Surely the key is in the name, voice over actor.
You'd direct them the same way as you'd direct any actor, translating the expressions of emotions and sounds you have in your head into sounds from the actor. Or am I over-simplifying?
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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Jameela M Boardman
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Re: Voice Over Actors?

Post by Jameela M Boardman »

At the moment we are very limited as to who we can get to help us. Yesterday I recorded a close family member reading the Voice Over parts to my script. His voice was clear, full of strength and the recording was technically good, but it just wasn't the right mood for the character or the scene, regardless of how much I tried to explain.

Then I realised I am asking too much, I need to give him some visual cues, but the video is not edited together yet... Yet I can't put it together without all the component parts, both video and audio!

So chicken and egg scenario.
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TimStannard
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Re: Voice Over Actors?

Post by TimStannard »

Presumably the words aren't going to change. You could record the voiceover yourself, edit (even a roucgh edit) the video to that and send your V/O artist the video.
I do this whenever I'm producing a video with a voiceover - even my own voice over.

Think of it as like a guide vocal in music recording sessions where the vice is recorded along with the band so that the instrumetalists can play off the voice, even though that's unlikley to be the final vocal track.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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Jameela M Boardman
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Re: Voice Over Actors?

Post by Jameela M Boardman »

Thanks, something like that needs to be put together before we repeat the voice recording session. If it is put on a laptop, then it could be taken outside where I want to re-record his voice.

I have gone back to using a desktop computer with duel screens for my editing, but it is in a poor room for audio recording. So as you suggest, put the temporary video on my old laptop so it can be taken elsewhere.
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TimStannard
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Re: Voice Over Actors?

Post by TimStannard »

Or put the temporary edit on a smartphone? Even more portable (but possibly not so useful if both the director (you) and the talent need to see the screen.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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