u/RealChristinaNR

Hi, everyone - over my few years of voicing, on occasion I get a person that doesn't post the entire script to their voice talent. They post only that talent's lines to them. Please always post the entire script. Reading the entire script -- or at least that entire scene -- is absolutely fundamentally essential for getting the context for what is going on. The context is needed when performing lines, to ensure the lines sound as natural as possible. "Good talent" can probably still do alright on the lines, but still not as good without the full context.

Why do people do this on occasion? Here's the reasons I've been given from them:

1. "I didn't want to burden you with the entire script. It's kind of long and just sending you the lines is easier for you." The entire script isn't a burden. It's actually needed. NOT sending the entire script comes across as grossly amateurish, like you have no idea what you're doing.
2. "I wanted the story to be a surprise." Not sorry to say that this is a terrible and dumb reason. Your voice talent need to know the entire story, at least one script at a time. They're not voicing for you to "be surprised" at what the story is, when they watch the finished piece.
3. "I don't want anyone taking my ideas." Then please have your talent sign NDAs. If NDAs are too intimidating for you (this happened, too), then you, perhaps, shouldn't be in this business. Also, if you think talent are going to use or share your ideas, you may be working with unprofessional, immature people that you shouldn't be working with. All decent talent have no interest in using or sharing your ideas. Still, NDAs are free and easy to make; and if talent won't sign, then don't use that talent.

EDIT TO ADD: Also, I'm aware that some "entire scripts" are literally just the lines for that one role. For instance, I have a role in a mobile game currently and it's the type where there's not a "story script". I just have the one-page of one-liner lines. The lines do, however (as a poster said below) give the emotional direction (said calmly, with some snark, for instance), so I get a good idea of the delivery. Also, in these instances, the general story and vibe of the game was provided to all talent.

Thanks for reading.

Just the next article in this ongoing topic....

Entertainment lawyer discusses if you can trademark your voice and protections for your voice against being used for AI training in the future. Insightful for voice talent.

Hi, everyone. Been voicing for some time. There's a stigma to asking voice talent to voice pro-bono, when you have no budget at all. However, it's more insulting to offer nothing when you can pay, than to honestly offer a voice gig that is very well-organized, ready for talent, and has high potential for completion. Offer imdb credit (free to make a project page) in the least, to attract good vos to a pro-bono gig.

Concerning monetized channels... it's far worse to ask or look for talent pro-bono to voice for you, if your YT channel is making some form of money and you can pay some amount, even a little. I and others understand that it takes quite some time and it's very hard for channels to creep up into 'good' monetizing amounts. But these 'good' money channels are the ones I'm talking about. Like, $500+/mo, I'll just throw out there.

If you look for flat-rate per line or even flat-rate per script, it may not cost as much as you think to get a voice actor. Say, $2 per line; or $20-$50 per script (depending on line/word count). Payment should be ongoing, per every new script. Non-union vos often don't charge as much as union vos; and in the indiesphere, you can find pretty good talent for those lower flat rates. Post around for talent on Reddit, Twitter, BlueSky, Discord servers, Casting Call Club...

Just please understand that you should also accept completely raw files from the vos. They shouldn't have to cut, clean, or treat the files at all. I do mean 100% raw, with all pauses and mistakes that you or your audio person deals with. You can keep vo cost possible for your channel if you do it this way.

I may get responses from some talent who will say those flat rates are too low; but it's better, like I said, than just not wanting to pay anything when you can. Possibly offer 'pay increases' to the talent as your channel makes more money over time.

I'm saying all this because (again), a very legitimately kind person I've voiced for off and on for some years has grown their YT channel a lot. Like 1 million or more subs. And all monetized. They have a team who help them produce the content and a voice talent roster. They asked if I'd like to voice a new, potentially ongoing role for them, and did not offer payment. I had to politely decline. They definitely can pay even at a $2/per line rate. This is not the only person who's done this over the years.

Please do not do this. Thanks.

I've been voicing for 6 years and, most of the time, directors say nothing about cutting individual takes into their own files or not; so, I submit in the default way: 1 .wav file per role per script. Never gotten any negative response to that (so far). Every now and then, though, the director will 'require' a va to cut every take into their own file. This means 3 files for 3 takes of a line, then repeat, ending up with potentially hundreds of little .wav files.

When this happens, I've always (silently begrudgingly) done so. Honestly, I get upset when the project has no compensation. When there is compensation, I'm still a little upset about it, but I tend to oblige. On the point of there being compensation, it still upsets me a little since the compensation has never properly covered the amount of extra time and labor to cut up the files myself.

The 'reasons' I normally get from the director is as follows:

1. "It's easier for me to import into my software for editing";

2. "My game system needs the files split up" (aka - importation again);

3. "I tried to cut up the lines, but it got so confusing for me" (yes, I got this one a couple weeks ago).

This comes across to me as lazy (doesn't want to spend the time themselves) or incompetent (doesn't know how to cut/export themselves).

I'm sure there will be people responding, "Just don't audition or accept the role then?" or, "Just tell them you won't cut up the files and they can either accept that or not," or, "Tell them it'll be XYZ extra cost since they are requiring you to do extra time & labor."

Yes, true; though there's often the pressure of wanting to just 'do it' if the role otherwise seems pretty good in order to get more portfolio material; or, if the role is paid, just to 'deal with it', because every va knows that there's hundreds of shortlisted talent that the director will merely cast in your place if you say no, who will absorb that extra work.

However, I am (finally) at my limit of dealing with this extra work without extra compensation. A file that's say, 30 minutes in length, will take 2-3x the time to listen through, cut, export the audio. I think it's taken me far too long to get to this point of 'I am not desperate for any role; and I will back out if you tell me I have to do this without being properly compensated.'

Is anyone else at this point? Do you just accept the extra work and think it's fine? Or accept it but are annoyed about it?

And, I really would like to know from the director or producer's POV, why do you try to make vas do this? Do you have no ability, no software, or just don't want to spend the time yourself? Thanks.

Goldblum and his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra will bring "The Night Blooms World Tour" to Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver on Tuesday, Oct. 13, for a performance with the Colorado Symphony.

Goldblum launched the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra 30 years ago. The Denver concert will showcase Goldblum’s forthcoming album, "Still Blooming: Night Blooms," and will include orchestral performances produced by Christian Wiggs and conducted by Grammy- and Tony Award-winning conductor Bryan Carter.

I just want to say, that though I enjoyed this video, the Japanese mispronunciations were honestly so bad, that I must risk suggesting wendi ask someone who speaks Japanese or look up audio pronunciations for the words to attempt their correct pronunciation.

I also understand as a non-Japanese speaker, all one can do is put in effort to say the word somewhat correctly. And it seems wendi didn't try at all in this video. I'm a non-Japanese person that took a year of Japanese language in college.

Yes, he has a team or someone else that writes or contributes to the scripts now, but does that person also not put in a pronunciation guide? Or audio links?

The scripts and topics are otherwise very well done. And I personally appreciate that wendi is a person of faith and mentions it from time to time.

Example:

Hokkaido (hoh-kai-doh)

Nigiri (nee-gee-ree)

Edo (eh-doh)

Etc. Thanks for reading.

Parents with smaller kids will find this interesting. Looking forward to how the new spot wil look next year!

My toddler is in a big cactus phase. We've been to Kendrick Lake Park, Cherry Creek State Park, Dinosaur Ridge... there's a cactus at Lion's Park he noticed and 1 in our neighborhood (lol).

Anyone know of any other easy-to-walk-to areas with cactus? It would need to be accessible basically by a paved trail or sidewalk.

I've searched before and read broad "the Foothills" type of answers. That doesn't help me, hah.