How to startCustom Audition on your Script
The easiest way to know if I’m a good fit for your project is to request a custom audition on your script. Send an email with a portion of your script to Erica@EricaBrookhyser.com. Also provide me with a description of your project, including the kind of voice you’re looking for (e.g. caring, authoritative, wry, etc.), the purpose, target audience, or the overall effect you’re going for with the project. Custom Audition on your Script The easiest way to know if I’m a good fit for your project is to request a custom audition on your script. Send an email with a portion of your script to Erica@EricaBrookhyser.com. Also provide me with a description of your project, including the kind of voice you’re looking for (e.g. caring, authoritative, wry, etc.), the purpose, target audience, or the overall effect you’re going for with the project. Quote If you like what you hear in the audition sample, and would like to work together, the next step is to discuss your voiceover budget and come up with a quote together. Every voiceover project is priced differently based on different factors. For example, if your project is a commercial, I will ask you about usage, market size, broadcasting outlets, and length of run. If you have an eLearning project, I’ll ask you for the script’s word count, as well as how many individual files you will need to have named. Other projects are based on length, use, audience size, and other factors. Once the project has been recorded, I will send an invoice via email. I accept payment through credit card, ACH, wire transfer, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle. And for my international clients, I will provide you with my Wise account information. Timeline Mapping out a timeline helps me know how I can make sure you meet your deadlines. For shorter projects of less than 10 minutes, I will typically deliver audio within 24 hours. For longer projects, I may need a few days. For audiobooks, it takes me a few weeks to complete the recording and editing process. In addition to initial audio file delivery, I’ll be sure to factor in time for audio review and script revisions. File Specifications I record my sessions as 48k/24-bit wav files. This is the highest level of audio quality detectable by the human ear, and the standard for broadcast-quality audio used for radio, film, and television. Depending on the needs of your project, I can provide you with 48k/24-bit wav files, or another file type that better meets the needs of your project. Video tends to need the highest-quality audio, so that music and other sound effects can be added without the voiceover quality suffering. eLearning projects often require mp3 files - a form of compressed audio that doesn’t overload the streaming of graphic-rich online training. Audiobooks also rely on mp3s for compatibility with audiobook apps such as Audible. Telephony and IVR often depend on legacy systems that aren’t suited to handle high-quality audio files. Your phone messaging service provider will know the kind of file (e.g. mp3, AIFF, wav) and the audio quality (e.g. 8k/8-bit) that your system uses. RECORDING YOUR PROJECT Working with a voice actor for your project should be as hands-on or hands-off as you want it to be. There are two main processes for recording your voiceover: live-directed sessions, and recorded sample feedback. Live-Directed Session Some clients love jumping on a Zoom call or SourceConnect session to direct me live as I record their script. This way they get all the versions of a reading they want, and can oversee the tone, pacing, word-emphasis, pronunciation, etc. throughout the voiceover recording. Typically this method is used for shorter commercials and marketing videos, but I’ve also done live-directed sessions for documentaries, and eLearning. Recorded Samples for Feedback Instead of directing me live, other clients prefer to have me send them a short sample recording from their script for feedback. We’ll go back-and-forth until the sample excerpt has the character and pacing that fits the vibe of the project. Once the client is happy with the short sample, they give me the go-ahead to record the rest of the script in the same manner as the short sample. Longer-form narration, such as audiobooks and online trainings, often benefit from this kind of feedback method, as does shorter content, since it can involve stakeholders who may not be able to meet for a live-directed session. Mistakes in audio After receiving your audio files, check them thoroughly for any mistakes I may have made in reading your script. I always proof my work, but occasionally I miss something. All corrections are recorded free of charge. Script revisions I include one round of minor script revisions with every quote. I define minor revisions as up to 10 words in a 30-second script, or 1-2 sentences per recorded minute. I am happy to record any script revisions, and can deliver them either as “pick-ups” (short audio snippets for you to add into your project), or I can insert the revisions into the original audio and send you a new version of the original file. |