The right pitch and the right character
Every voice has its own colour and character. We often compare it to a musical instrument: a double bass simply sounds very different from a flute. For a corporate video, you’ll usually be looking for a warm, reliable and calm voice that exudes expertise. For a flashy advert, on the other hand, it can be a bit more energetic, faster and more enthusiastic.
Think carefully in advance about the feeling you want to convey. Do you want to convince, inform or perhaps even move the listener emotionally? Listen to various voice samples, paying attention not only to the voice itself, but above all to how that voice makes you feel. The right emotion behind the words is often more important than perfect articulation alone.
Pronunciation and Accent
In Flanders, we’re very sensitive to accents and pronunciation. A voice that sounds too ‘Dutch’ can sometimes fall completely flat in Flanders, unless that’s precisely the intention for your brand. But there are also many nuances within Flanders itself. Are you looking for a neutral, cross-regional voice that is easily understood throughout Flanders? Or do you need a rich, local dialect to give your brand an authentic and down-to-earth character?
When making your selection, bear the following points in mind:
- The voice actor’s intelligibility to the wider target audience.
- The natural rhythm of the delivery (does it sound as though the person is improvising the text on the spot, or can you tell it’s being read out in a stiff, formal manner?).
- Whether the accent is suitable for the region where your campaign is running.
Professional recording quality
Unfortunately, a fantastic voice is of little value without a flawless recording. When you work with an experienced partner, you can be sure that the recordings are made in an acoustically insulated studio using professional microphones. Distracting ambient noise, echoes or a ‘tinny’ sound are absolutely out of the question for a professional production.
Professional voice-over artists also know how to handle studio equipment. They control their breathing, avoid harsh plosive sounds and deliver audio files that are immediately ready for final editing. This saves you hours of editing work and technical frustration later on.
Flexibility and direction
A good voice actor is more than just a reader; they are an actor who can play with tempo, intonation and stress. Sometimes a sentence needs just a little more emphasis, or a pause needs to last just a little longer to really let the message sink in with the listener.
It’s therefore useful if you can direct the voice, for example via a live connection during the recording session. This allows you to make immediate adjustments where necessary. An experienced voice artist will quickly pick up on your feedback and deliver exactly the variations you want in no time at all, which significantly shortens your project’s turnaround time.
