{"id":19019,"date":"2021-06-18T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/blog\/?p=19019"},"modified":"2023-01-03T11:30:47","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T19:30:47","slug":"assessing-a-voice-actors-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voice123.com\/blog\/hiring-freelancers\/assessing-a-voice-actors-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"How to truly assess a voice actor\u2019s performance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Knowing how to truly assess a voice actor’s performance is very important. Why? Well, while you\u2019re reading this for the next few minutes, let\u2019s imagine you\u2019re a business owner who\u2019s busy ramping up your efforts for the launch of a major marketing campaign<\/a>.

You\u2019re releasing a great new product, and your copywriter has come up with an awesome voice over script<\/a>. Late last week you posted the project on Voice123, requested 50 proposals, and all the auditions are in.\u00a0
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Armed with headphones and a steaming cup of coffee, you\u2019re ready to listen to the voice overs one by one and make your choice.
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Simple, right? 
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Perhaps not.
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How to truly assess a voice actor\u2019s performance may seem<\/em> simple enough, but it actually isn\u2019t. Here’s why and what you need to listen out for as you click through your stack of audition proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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image: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just a moment \u2014 first, let\u2019s backtrack a little.
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How well did you brief?<\/em><\/strong>
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It may come as a surprise, but clients don\u2019t always <\/a>know<\/a> what they want<\/a> before posting their projects. It’s a bit like grabbing a shotgun, shooting from the hip, and hoping you\u2019ll hit a distant rabbit hopping into a hole. Chances are pretty slim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do know exactly what you want and you did provide a comprehensive<\/a> brief<\/a> as part of your project submission, all the auditions now listed on the computer screen in front of you should fall within its parameters. This will make your choice a lot easier because you\u2019ll be able to focus on each voice actor\u2019s nuanced interpretation of your script. There’s nothing worse than frustration because so many of the reads sound way off the mark. 
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If the majority of reads you received aren’t what you were hoping for, go back and check your brief carefully. Maybe you left out something important. Maybe you forgot to convey the emotion you required. Rather start over and resubmit the project.
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Voice actors aren\u2019t mind-readers and they do need direction no matter how seasoned and professional they are. The more descriptive you are in your project brief, the more likely the actors will provide you with the vocal performance you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving on.
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Storytelling<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No matter what you\u2019re selling, if there\u2019s voiceover involved, you\u2019re storytelling<\/a>. Whether the voice over is a 10-second tag or a 2-minute narrative, you want your target audience to resonate with it, and react positively. We humans are suckers for stories; tell a good one, and we’re hooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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image: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the days of yore \u2014 and we\u2019re using the term lightly as a reference to the pre-interwebs era \u2014 voice actors subscribed to certain mannerisms when they read a script. It was an affected style of presentation that has subsequently become known as \u2018announcery\u2019. Adjectives associated with it are \u2018stiff\u2019, \u2018stilted\u2019, \u2019preachy\u2019, \u2018exaggerated\u2019, \u2018and \u2018fake\u2019. It was all about dramatic salesmanship if you were a radio announcer doing voice overs back then. Times have changed and public tastes along with them.
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Unless you\u2019re specifically aiming for a script interpretation that needs to reflect sarcasm, irony, or a brash, over-the-top kind of vibe, audiences expect voice overs to talk to<\/em><\/strong> them, not at<\/em><\/strong> them. It\u2019s an important distinction that can make or break a marketing campaign. Of all the tips on how to truly assess a voice actor’s performance, this may be the most important one of all.
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Even if you have impactful visuals in your product video, more often than not, the actor\u2019s read is what captures your target audience\u2019s collective heart and mind \u2014 and lingers there long after they’ve forgotten the visuals. Great vocal performances become a memory as easily as a tuneful song does. It\u2019s a fact worth remembering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Performance:<\/em>
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When listening to each voice actor\u2019s interpretation of the script, consider the performance-defining elements listed below. Purpose is mission-critical. Once a voice becomes associated with your product or service \u2014 as it will if it repeatedly advertises what you\u2019re selling \u2014 it quickly gets regarded as your brand voice<\/a> and a reflection of your brand personality. Choose wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonal elements<\/h4>\n\n\n\n