Being available for directed sessions with clients via Source Connect, ISDN, Zoom, Skype, over the phone, etc. is critical to winning work in the Voice Over Industry. Your client has requested the session because they have a vision of how they want their finished presentation to sound and they want to communicate it to you directly in real time to achieve it.
Most of the time, your clients will be very experienced in directing a Voice Talent to bring their vision to Life, and it’s your job as the awarded talent to be ready at the outset of the call to begin recording and implementing their directions after each take – which includes everything from having researched their product and rehearsed their script before the call to knowing the specifications they want for their final audio files.
Those clients are great. They know what they want, how a directed session works, and how to maximize the time on the call to get the specific read they want along with a few options in speed and, perhaps a few taglines as well.
However, I have been on several sessions where the client had their vision in mind but had limited or No experience directing or even participating in a directed session with a VO actor. In one instance I knew before I even got on the call my client had no experience. This is because I had been the one to suggest the session in the first place as an alternative to multiple emails, revisions and uploads of their script.
In another instance, I was on a call where the creative director was very experienced and had facilitated the call but the clients in attendance, while understanding the principle of the undertaking, had little practical experience with it.
This can seem counter-intuitive – shouldn’t the client know what to do? The short answer is, not always.
In both of these instances (along with other similar sessions) I could discern my clients were all very excited to be a part of the process but needed guidance and a bit of leadership from me to get the session started. This can be daunting…
But, no need to be apprehensive, because I’ve found it to be quite simple to take charge of a directed session.
First, you’re prepared right? You’ve researched their product or production-type (if it’s an animation or podcast or a new video game for example), you’ve rehearsed their script, you’ve created a new folder on your computer for their audio files, and you’ve got your audio software window open and ready to go right?
Now remember how the experienced clients directed you – they told you how they preferred you to record their takes, they told you the type of audio file they wanted for delivery, and they had several different interpretations of their script they needed you to record right?
So, now what you need to do is quite simple – take that list and gently but quickly move ahead with the session.
Once the pleasantries of introductions are finished and before the awkward silence can set in politely proceed right into a suggestion of the various ways you’ve done directed sessions in the past –
“I can click ‘Record’ right now and we can record everything and I’ll send you the raw audio afterward.”
Or…
“I can announce to you all that I’m about to record, you mute your end, I’ll record the take, and announce when I’m finished and then we can talk about it.”
Or…
“I can record multiple takes of our various conversations and my reads.”
Or…
“I can read several takes of your script after each set of directions.”
And so on…
I’ve found that offering up these suggestions at the outset helps the inexperienced client to understand their options in how I can help them realize their overall Vision.
Generally, they will respond positively to this and choose one of my suggestions. (This is the point where you’ll need to clarify what kind of audio file they want for delivery – WAV? 16 bit? 32? Maybe something different? You need to find out beforehand because it’s easy to forget this little detail.)
OK, so this will get the session started, and you can start recording their script and saving the various audio files to the folder you created beforehand. Additionally, I like to ask them the format they prefer for naming their individual audio files or if I can simply name them according to their directions – “TakeTwoFaster”, “TakeThreeSlower”, “TakeFourTaglinesThreeTakesEach”, etc…
This sets a protocol in place during the session of allowing you as the talent to save each file immediately after recording it.
Now, the next thing to be aware of is prompting your client for creative directions after a take. Again, this may seem counter-intuitive but it happens – you’ll finish your take and they remain silent. This is when you gently ask them what they thought? Is there a different idea they have for it? Should it be slower or faster?
Typically, your client or clients will understand very quickly that this is their moment to implement their vision. Quite often they may need to talk among themselves first or they may immediately say, “Yes, a bit faster please.”
Whatever they do add a comment that the session you’re on with them in that moment is the Perfect time for you to record All of the interpretations they have of their script. You’ve blocked out the time, and you are at their disposal with the understanding being that once the session is finished they should have all the takes they need.
That’s the whole point of the session right?
Additionally, this is the perfect time to allow the professional representation of your Best self to shine through. Smile, laugh with them, tell small anecdotes about your experiences in the VO industry. They’ll appreciate it tremendously.
Remember, this may be your clients first directed session and this is your chance to endear yourself to them. You want them to get off the call feeling Great. Where everyone looks at each other, smiles, and says, “Hey, that was fun wasn’t it? That Voice Actor knows their stuff!”
More to the point, they’ll praise you to their superiors and you may just have earned yourself a Repeat Client, and repeat clients are wonderful!
I hope this is helpful, friends. Until next time, stay safe and be useful!
