1. All we do is read. So why do we get paid as much as we do?
This couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is, we don’t merely read a script. We take time to read the script several times in advance of a session. We internalize the content, understand the profile of the role we take on as the voice, who the audience is and get into character, if needed. When delivering the read, we don’t read. We say the words that are in the script, we bring them to life; we give voice to those words, applying the appropriate emphasis, correct inflections, tonality, mood, feel and intensity.
2. More than one script = economies of scale. We are living, breathing people. We put actual man-hours into our work. You can’t say that about a loaf of bread, or ten. Economies of scale are the cost advantages derived from scale of operation, usually measured by the volume of output produced per hour or other unit of time. A loaf of bread, baked by one person, and then cut and packed by a machine may take n amount of time. Ten loaves of bread, baked by 10 different people (it doesn’t matter who does it, as long as all follow the same process), and then cut and packed by a machine will take exactly the same amount of time. Ten voiceover scripts, on the other hand, read by the same person, takes ten times the amount of time it would to read one. Even when read by ten different people, it would still take an accumulated ten times the amount of time in terms of man and studio hours, not forgetting editing. This can hardly be referred to as ‘economies of scale’.
3. We are voiceover artists, so we should read a script right straightaway. Clients are present in recordings primarily to provide direction. Without direction, or with only a loose brief, we will read the script in the way we think is most appropriate, trying not to go too overboard. We cannot second-guess how you might like the script read nor can we record the script multiple times, in every conceivable way, so direction is absolutely necessary. We don’t have a crystal ball to tell us what clients like, or don’t like. And if words are meant to be emphasized, we need to know beforehand.
4. A one-liner re-record should take as long as it takes to say that one line. We don’t enjoy re-records. So many things can go wrong. Different day, different mic, different room, different energy level. First, we need to be set up in the same room with the same mic or else the drop in can sound markedly different to the rest of the read. Then we need to listen to the original recording a few times, and practice to get the same tone, pace etc. We might record the line a few times for the engineer to pick the take that best matches the original recording. He replaces the original line with the new take and if the tone, pace etc don’t match, then we have to record again. Only when everything matches are we done. Not forgetting, as with any recording, the studio needs time to set us up in the booth and get levels first. So, a one-liner re-record isn’t ‘just one line’. A lot more goes into that process.
5. If a word needs to be replaced, it can be cut and pasted. This is one of the worst presumptions. If a word is replaced in a script, guess what? We have to re-record all the relevant lines that contain that word. A word cannot simply be recorded once and then stuck in the middle of a sentence, or it’ll end up an audio equivalent of Frankenstein with bits and jagged edges sticking out all over the place. This is also why, with acronyms and such, we need to know how they’re pronounced before we record.
6. Home studio recordings should be cheaper. When we record in our home booths, we are voiceover artist and engineer. Not to mention, our equipment and booth set-up costs us money too. Why should we give a discount for more work? We have to prepare the script, reference material, set up the sequence in our DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), plus do our usual preparation for the actual read. When we’re recording, we need to listen out for noises, distortions or anything that could affect the audio quality. We also have to get into ‘the zone’ and focus on our performance. Once the recording is done, we need to remove outtakes and do a playback for all parties listening in. This process will repeat for each take. Then once everything is approved, we sit there and QC the recording to make sure we didn’t miss any issues before. Then render and deliver. With all the additional work, we should charge additional fees rather than give discounts.
7. We finished the recording in record time, so we should be paid less. What you don’t see is that we prepared. We read the script multiple times, we added notes, scribbles, and checked the pronunciation of unfamiliar words. Oh, and we’ve been doing our job for a long time, and finishing a session in good time comes with years and years of experience. We are professionals, this is why we get in there and waste no time. It’s good for clients, good for the studio, good for everyone. And we shouldn’t be penalised for being good at what we do. You could get someone cheaper, I suppose, but what you’d save on voiceover fees, you might quadruple or more in studio fees not only for the recording but editing as well.
Myths, busted. Now you know!
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