I guess you know you're an advertising geek when you spend time spotting which actor is currently doing the voice-over on which spot for which brand. At the moment Caroline Quentin and Hugh Dennis seem to be leading the pack in the UK, with at least three campaigns apiece. Then again, you can never be quite sure if you're listening to Miriam Margolyes or not, such is the incredible range of her voice box.
"The highly lucrative voice-over industry is now being disrupted by technology."
Perhaps it's my radio background, but I love the art of the voice-over. I've done one or two in the past, but not for years and I regret that somewhat. Anyway, it seems the highly lucrative voice-over industry is now being disrupted by technology, as more voice-over roles are being cast online than ever before. And a strike by video game voice actors has resulted in a boom for non-union voice artists who are snapping up the roles online.
"Voice-over websites make the job easier and more cost effective."
Voice-over websites, such as 'The Voice Realm', have seen voice-over jobs and revenues double year-on-year. The industry is shifting from expensive London and Los Angeles recording studios, to voice actor's home setups that can deliver the client with comparable sound, at less than half the cost of traditional casting methods.
Karen Makedon is a Senior Director, working with the health industry and says that voice-over websites make her job easier and more cost effective. "I can search online for the voices I like, post a free audition, and book the job without ever having to leave my office. The talent I have used produce high quality work, quickly and at a great price. For all of our projects, I send the talent a link to the video we need voiced over. Their timing is so spot on that we can drop in the audio file with minimal to no adjustments to the final video file."
"They can listen in as the voice artist records in almost perfect quality."
Business Development Manager from The Voice Realm, Kurt Myers says that the rate at which traditional ad agencies and production companies hiring their voice actors online is incredible. "We've got clients from all the major advertising agencies globally auditioning and hiring professional voice talent through the website. They can listen in as the voice artist records in almost perfect quality and direct the talent on the fly. The audio files are then delivered through the website. It really is amazing how it all works without anyone ever being face to face."
"Homemade YouTube videos can now feature voice actors at affordable rates."
As applications that require a human voice grows, thanks to the video game boom, talking toys, e-learning courses and internet explainer videos, the little-known industry shows no sign of slowing down. Homemade YouTube videos can now feature voice actors at affordable rates of around £100 for the actor's fee, something that would have cost around ten times that in the past, requiring days of auditions and expensive studio time. Thanks to this casting technology clients in the United States can now have instant access to a female British voice over artist in London, Manchester or any other city. And a producer in Australia can instantly access a voice talent in Zimbabwe, if required.
"This is just another industry that's being shaken up because of technology. You can't stand in the way of it," Mr Myers said. And as a self-confessed advertising nerd, I'd say that can only be a good thing.
