How do you go about choosing a voiceover?
How do you go about choosing a voiceover? And what determines whether you choose a male or a female voice?
When I first started working in production, when casting voiceovers for parts we had a “go-to” list of key voiceovers who instantly came to mind when we read a script.
Things have moved on a lot since those days and there have been big changes in the world relating to the Male and Female divide.
But, if you’re writing a script for a commercial, video, social media campaign, website or training material, what are the differences between using a male or a female voice?
As with many things in life, in casting voiceovers there’s no black and white, right or wrong, it’s simply a matter of using your judgement to choose a voice who meets (and hopefully exceeds) your needs.
Think about the qualities of your brand, product or service. What are they? Pinpoint those attributes that are important and find a voiceover that emanates those qualities.
You may want a voice who offers a sense of assurance, to instil confidence in your audience that your offering is one which can be trusted.
Or, you need a voice that can command the airwaves, to make people sit up and listen. To really drive home the benefits and deliver traction on the call to action.
With so many different kinds of voices across female, male, non-binary and transgender counterparts, perhaps gender isn’t the thing to think about, maybe it is all about the voice.
Here are my Top 3 tips for casting a voiceover:
1. Think about who you’re talking to. Does the voice sound relatable to your audience?
2. Are you writing content for a specific region? If so, consider casting a similar accent.
3. Decide what overall sound are you trying to portray? Professional? Down to Earth? Trustworthy? Forward-Thinking? Dynamic? Then, find a voice who matches that style.
Choosing a voiceover may not be set in black and white but, finding the right voice can create colours that are out of this world.
Happy voice shopping!