How to Brief Voice Actors

Crafting a convincing brief for your voiceover talent is the cornerstone of achieving unparalleled audio content. Here’s your guide to briefing voice actors, providing clarity, efficiency, and effectiveness in every aspect of your project.

At the heart of every successful voiceover project lies a well-defined brief. A comprehensive brief is needed to avoid unnecessary revisions, misaligned delivery styles, and unsatisfactory experiences. Understanding how to effectively and efficiently brief voiceover talent is pivotal in transforming your vision into reality.

Aligning Vision with Voiceover Talent

Your first step is to make sure that all stakeholders are aligned with the desired outcome of the voiceover. This consensus is crucial for crafting a brief that voice actors can execute flawlessly, making sure the final delivery aligns perfectly with your project's vision.

Identifying Your Audience and Brand Voice

A deep understanding of your target audience is the key to any successful branding, advertising, or marketing initiative. Defining whom your project speaks to, and the voice it carries is essential in guiding the voiceover artist's approach, ensuring they deliver a performance that resonates deeply with the listeners.

Crafting a Compelling Narrator Persona

The depth and authenticity of the narrator's persona can significantly influence the impact of your voiceover. Sharing detailed insights about the character or brand personality the voice represents enables the voice actor to deliver a performance that genuinely speaks to your audience.

Specifying Vocal Delivery and Style

Detailing the nuances of the desired vocal delivery, such as pace, tone, and emotional depth, provides voice actors with a clear direction. Avoid ambiguous terms and offer concrete examples or reference points to ensure your instructions are interpreted accurately.

Utilizing Reference Points for Coherence

Providing reference materials such as completed animations, background music, or even a rough voiceover track can significantly aid in achieving the perfect tone and pace. These elements help voice actors fully understand the context and atmosphere of your project.

Clarifying Technical Requirements

Explicitly state the technical specifications for the voiceover recording, including the sample rate, bitrate, and desired format. Clear communication of these requirements upfront doesn't have potential issues in post-production, making sure the voiceover seamlessly integrates into your project.

Ensuring Script Readiness and Flexibility

Confirm whether the script is finalized or very close to finalization. Pro-tip for the brave: Flexibility in script delivery can enhance the natural flow of the voiceover, so consider allowing minor adjustments for a more authentic sound.

By following these guidelines, you're poised to brief voiceover talent in a manner that guarantees clarity, efficiency, and a captivating result. The meticulous crafting of your brief optimizes the voiceover process and elevates the quality of your audio content, making it resonate with your intended audience.

Remember, the more precise and thoughtful your brief, the smoother the collaboration with your voiceover talent, making sure your project reaches its full potential.

About bodalgo

bodalgo is a multi-award-winning online casting website founded in 2008. bodalgo enables clients to find the perfect voiceover for audio/video productions. As a free service to clients, bodalgo turns this process into an efficient, easy, and fun process. bodalgo features more than 12,000 professional voiceover talents speaking more than 80 languages and has helped more than 60.000 projects find the perfect voice.

Since its launch, bodalgo has become an integral part of the backbone of the voiceover industry. Unlike other platforms of its kind, bodalgo encourages direct client-talent contact. To maintain its unrivaled quality, the platform strictly vets talents and jobs – a world-exclusive mechanism.

In 2023, bodalgo won the One Voice Award for "Best Voice Job Web Site of the Year" for the sixth time.

About the author

Armin Hierstetter, born in 1970, is a German entrepreneur most well-known as the founder of the online casting platform bodalgo. Before turning to the voiceover business, Armin worked in magazine publishing for close to two decades, most notably as Editor of "PENTHOUSE" and the highly successful teenage magazine "Sugar" as well as Publishing Director for the men’s magazine "FHM".

Armin lives with his wife and two daughters in Munich, Bavaria. ??