Zen And The Art Of Voiceover

By Dan Friedman

This book is about the art and skill of voiceover communication. It includes personal stories, updated versions of previous articles as well as tips, tricks and information needed to succeed in voice acting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667895079

Book preview

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ZEN AND THE ART OF VOICEOVER

© 2023, Dan Friedman. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1-66789-506-2

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66789-507-9

Dedication

To my sons.

I am so proud.

Contents

Introduction

Four Questions

Elements Of Voice And Emphasis

Breaking Down Copy

DIRECTING

Demos

CONCLUSION

Introduction

When I thought about writing another book, I knew it wouldn’t be about the tech side of things. However, my first book Sound Advice - Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, is still relevant today, even though it has been over a decade since it was published. In April 2022, it was named one of the Top Nine Best Voice Acting Books by Backstage Magazine. I am grateful that it has stood the test of time.

When thinking about this book, I wanted it to be different. Instructional, yes. But not just another voiceover book about techniques and tricks. Don’t worry, that will be contained in the pages within, but voiceover is a job that must be experienced to be done well. That being said, I thought I would also share some of my experience with the hope that you will find it beneficial as you travel your path.

Everyone has their own unique story of how they got interested in voiceover. I always say, It … found me. I went to five different universities after graduating high school. I majored in Journalism, Hospitality Management, and Fine Art. None of those felt right. I didn’t feel they would lead to careers in which I wanted to spend my life. Little did I know, all of these subjects would later have strong connections to everything I do in the voiceover industry.

I began working for my best friend’s band as a manager/promotions person. Soon afterward, I was given the opportunity to learn how to run sound for live bands. I jumped at the chance. My first solo show was in December of 1994. By mid-July of 1995, I was running live sound all over Tampa, FL. I took six weeks to earn my certification in Audio Recording and Music Production from the Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio and was pretty certain that being a touring sound engineer was my likely future. I had finally found my career. Then, I met the woman who would become my wife and well, that changed everything. Touring isn’t a good gig for a guy who is, at heart, a family man.

I began working in a boutique recording studio where I had the chance to experience and learn about the greatness of Neve, Manley, API, SSL, Neumann and Sennheiser. I simultaneously began working in radio, where not only did I help build and wire new booths, broadcast studios and control rooms, but also got to meet the rockstars I had only dreamt of meeting as a kid. I was hooked. I was the on-site broadcast engineer for the infamous Bubba The Love Sponge’s first gig on WXTB 98Rock in Tampa. Regardless of his reputation and the trouble he eventually got into, he treated those of us on staff like gold.

My wife-to-be and I moved to Atlanta. She got a job offer and I was invited to join her, but only if we were going to seal the deal and get married. It was a crazy couple of years before that would happen. When we first got to Atlanta, I worked for a live sound company and also started working at WKLS 96Rock. A year later, I was on-air for the first time co-hosting the local music show and was essentially the production manager for every 96Rock event, big and small. I regularly worked 50-60 hours a week. The long hours took a toll on our relationship and after a while, I was once again in the position of having to make a choice (between my career at that time and my relationship.) Commitment is a difficult thing. But making a choice and committing to it is one of the most freeing things you can do. Eliminating other possibilities can be scary. It may not always be a good thing, after all, keeping an open mind is important. But making a choice and committing to that choice is necessary and the only way to move forward. This is true in life and in voiceover.

As anyone who knows us would tell you, I won the lottery with my wife. I can still vividly remember seeing her for the first time on the dance floor, while I was running sound for a local cover band. Other than being beautiful, she is outgoing, kind and a real go-getter. When she truly commits to something, she will work on it almost obsessively. Whatever it is, from managing a company merger and integration as the human resources director of the brewery for which she works, to landing on the cover of the local news magazines, multiple times, for her beautiful and over-the-top Mardi Gras costumes … the results are always amazing. The Harry Potter-themed birthday party we had at our house for my oldest son (now 20) is still raved about among our circle of friends.

Speaking of sons, there are many things that qualify me to be a good voice coach. I have years of experience and have worked with many people under many different circumstances. But the best representation of the success I have had working with other human beings … is my two sons. To say I am proud is an understatement. My oldest son graduated high school as Valedictorian. He is an Eagle Scout. He graduated simultaneously earning both his High School Diploma and his associate’s degree. They … pay him… to go to college. SWEET!

My youngest son is about to finish high school. When he competed in middle school, he was the best baritone sax player in the state of North Carolina. He led his high school marching band, and took first place in the regional competition, as Drum Major. He has been accepted to the honors program at Western Carolina University and plans to study commercial music production. He’ll be amazing at it and I am sure, someday, we will be able to work him into the Sound4VO business model.

The morning my son auditioned to be drum major, I told him to remember to breathe. Breathing is critical in maintaining calm and giving a great performance. I also asked him to answer this question, Whose band is this? His answer … MY BAND. Confidence.

As you’ve been reading, I’ve mentioned things in this part of my story related to connection and confidence. But, what I hope for most, is that I communicated to you. Maybe you felt my enthusiasm and pride as I wrote about my family? If you did, hold on to that feeling and recognize what that feels like in your mind and body. That feeling is an experience. An experience you can refer back to when needing those intentions in a script.

Connection. Confidence. Communication. These are the three most important elements to being a successful voice actor. Keep in mind that when I say successful here, I don’t necessarily mean monetarily. Much more goes into financial success. I mean that to communicate effectively, you must connect with the emotional intentions of what it is you are seeing in the script. Solid connection allows you to feel and be more confident, ultimately making you a more successful communicator.

***

In 2000, now married and out of radio, I began managing a recording studio specializing in voiceover for telephony. It was there I met my first voiceover mentor Paul Armbruster. He started his workshop by saying, Voice talent are communicators, first and foremost. It is so basic but so true. Most of what I teach began with Paul. He was old school. His knowledge built the foundation on which all of my teachings are based today. Naturally, I have expanded on it tremendously over the years, but at the core of it, it is him. I wrote the following blog post after he passed away.

In Memory of Voiceover Talent and Teacher,

Paul Armbruster

Published to the SOUND4VO Blog - 24 October 2013

When I think back on pivotal moments in my life, I can’t help but think about my teachers. I’ve been so fortunate to have great teachers and mentors throughout my life (a pattern that, thankfully, still continues today). Paul Armbruster was definitely one of those great teachers. He is responsible for building the foundation on which my career in voiceover rests. He made me the producer, director and voice talent that I am… and I am eternally grateful. He was a sweet, talented and humble man who touched many lives. More lives than he could ever know.

Paul Armbruster was my first voiceover teacher. When I took Paul’s workshop in 2000, I had very little idea of what voiceover was really all about. Rock radio hadn’t exactly been the best training ground to learn how to be a voiceover talent and back then, it didn’t even occur to me that voiceover was a career. I met Paul when I took a job working as a studio manager at GMVoices in Atlanta. Paul was one of our voice talents. I knew about recording engineering and about being on the radio, but not what it really meant to be a communicator or how to do it.

He taught me how to break down a script and how to identify the message behind the words… to read between the lines. Like any good coach, he could be tough, but also offered plenty of encouragement. As his student, I really got the sense that he was on my side and wanted me to succeed. I appreciated his honesty… even on our last day of class when he told me I wasn’t ready. He was right. At the time, I wasn’t ready to be a voice talent and it would be nearly five years after taking his class until I would do my first paying voiceover job. However, in my role as producer and director, the tools he gave me proved to be useful immediately.

Paul taught me the language of voiceover. Thanks to his lessons, I learned how to direct other voice talent with clarity and confidence. I learned about the different styles of copy and how to get the best read from a talent. His toolbox… became my toolbox.

The skills he taught me are the skills I teach and practice everyday. If I think about all of the voiceover sessions on which I have played a role as engineer, director or as the talent since taking Paul’s class (which is an enormous number), I can’t help but think how much better and easier so many of them were thanks to him and all that he taught me. Through those sessions, he touched more lives than he ever could have known. Even now, after passing on, he will continue to do so through my work and the work of many of his students.

A couple of years ago, at FaffCon 2 in Atlanta, I was able to thank Paul at FaffCon’s closing circle. In front of all attendees, I had the opportunity to tell him just how much he meant to me. That the education I received from him allowed me to have a place in this industry and that he was instrumental in helping me develop into who I am today. That opportunity was a gift and I will never forget it… and I will never forget Paul.

Thank you Paul Armbruster… I will miss you.

Over the years, I have been to and been a speaker at many conferences, workshops, webinars, Zoom meetings and classrooms. In addition to Paul, I’ve learned from many great coaches and mentors. You will read about some of them. Many of their nuggets of wisdom will certainly be infused throughout this book. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically mention Roger Love. I was first introduced to Roger Love when my singing coach, Caitlin Krisko, mentioned him. Just days after hearing his name, an ad showed up in my social media feed. Thanks, internet.

Roger Love is the voice coach to the stars. As a teenager, he began coaching superstar singers