Video productions seem easy in theory, but when you start to work on them you realize just how much work they take. You could put your heart and soul into making the video but one wrong decision, and it could all come crumbling down. For most people, that “one wrong decision” is the finishing touch – the voice-over.
A skilled voice-over artist adds the icing on the cake for your video. They add that touch that makes people connect with the video. However, if you make the wrong choice, it could turn a well-curated video into something that falls flat.
There’s a lot that goes into making sure that the voice-over artist you’re hiring is the right fit for your video. These are the 5 main things you need to keep in mind that will make sure that you end up making the right decision!
5 Things To Keep In Mind When Casting a Voice Over Artist For Your Videos
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Make sure you have a great script
The first thing you need to make sure is in order, is the script. You could have great voiceover artists but if the script is poorly written, they won’t be able to be of much help. Even if they’re really good at their job, they can’t breathe life into a dead script!
Make sure that your scriptwriter writes a script that’s engaging and relevant to your product and video as a whole. It’s even better if you can have the scriptwriter work together with your voice-over artist so that the writer has their voice in mind while writing the script. A good script and a great voice-over artist work together to create the perfect video at the end!
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Cast someone that knows what they’re doing
You might think, “anyone can do a voiceover, it’s not that much work” and have a friend or a family member just record the voiceover for your video, but that’s one of the best ways to absolutely destroy your video.
Having someone that has no experience in the field will end up in a video that clearly looks like it’s been done by an amateur, even if the rest of the video was done by professionals. -
Don’t limit yourself to the voice-over artists in your area – Think global
It’s possible that there just aren’t that many voiceover artists in the area you live in. This doesn’t mean that you should just “make do with what you’ve got”. It’s easy to forget that we’re living in a globalized world. The internet has made it easier than ever to hire people from anywhere in the world!
There are lots of freelancing websites where you can find great voiceover artists from another state, city, or country. You simply send them the script and they send you the voiceover file all complete. It’s easy and seamless and if you have something specific in mind, you can even work with them on a custom order that’s especially for your animated video. With the internet, your options are literally endless! -
Remember the saying “you get what you pay for”
With the fact that there are millions of voiceover artists available for hire on the internet, you’ll find that there are some that are charging really, really low. This might be tempting. You might want to save a few dollars and just get any voiceover artist but you have to remember that they’re charging low for a reason.
Artists that are good at their craft, don’t work for a very low price. This ties in with the first point we discussed earlier too. It’s possible that you end up paying for something that ends up being the quality that you could’ve gotten for free. Don’t cheap out here, keep a budget big enough that you can get an artist that will be able to breathe life into your project.
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Hire the person that can really speak to your audience
There are some specifics you need to keep in mind before hiring a voiceover artist. You could pay a lot of money, and get a voiceover artist for your video that just doesn’t match with the overall theme! For example, if you’re making a product that’s aimed at women from Australia, it’ll be better if you hire a voiceover artist that is a woman and can do an Australian accent!
Then, you need to make sure that their expertise lies in speaking the tone that you want your video to be in. Getting a super dramatic voiceover artist will do nothing if your video is all jolly and fun.
Make sure that their style of speaking, matches your style of video perfectly, only then will the end result be perfect too!
Your voiceover artist will literally be “the voice of your brand”. Make sure that you treat them as that and not just an afterthought. If your voiceover actor isn’t perfect, it’s unlikely that your finished video will be. Keep these 5 tips in mind and you’ll have an easy time making the right decision!
