Quality Commercial Voice Over

Sharing resources and knowledge is essential to Alan, and he believes all the work he produces isn’t just for a bigger audience. Everyone on the other end of the project is only half of the target audience. Job after job, a list of credits grows, but more importantly, his craft becomes sharper. Alan understands that commercial voice over is undoubtedly the most crucial genre an artist can have.

The vast majority of common, well-paid, and accessible work available to artists is in commercials and has been around nearly as long as televisions. An advertisement is a powerful tool, and a good amount of commercial work pays well even in a challenging economic climate. We work in a market that is heavily oversaturated and highly competitive! This means that the commercial demo needs to be well-produced and powerfully performed. 

The commercial demo is the equivalent of the key in the car ignition, and it is the centre point and source for all the other components to come together. The evolution of commercial reels is long, but many qualities are transferable to other areas. 

Take an energy drink and a pair of top-end headphones, for example. What do they share in common? Both need to be presented in a way that reassures the buyer that the product will deliver on the promises of its intent. They both need to seem appealing, and they both need to reflect quality. But how do they differ? 

The target audience as a starting point differs. The energy drink is for those who want to work out more often, and the headphones may be desirable to someone who works in audio. The delivery can go in several directions, but there are choices to be made, and the ability to act is vital. A performer is not just a performer but also a director. There is usually a director in the session, but the voice-over artist is their own director for the audition process! 

How can we spark our creativity and explore our imagination? Watch commercials! Listen to them on the radio, don’t skip when YouTube is booting up your video. The next thing is to practice, play and have fun. Every audition you ever do, whether you book the job or not, is a phenomenal opportunity for you to practice and experiment with your craft. Alan is a huge advocate for multiple takes (should the brief permit it). 

A powerful commercial reel creates more opportunities. Having voiced a range of commercials, Alan has learned there is no one-size-fits-all. Each project is a fantastic opportunity that requires energy in some areas and subtlety in others. Strong characters are needed in some cases and others a more relatable approach. Pace and tone differ from job to job, which is why commercials are the strongest of all reels. If you can maximize all these different elements whilst you begin to master the tools needed for other genres such as corporate, gaming, audiobooks, and more.

Commercial voice over is desired globally, so how do we make our way into the genre? There is no one-fit solution for everyone, but Alan finds that having a Northern English accent prevents him from tapping into the usual English or American markets. But the joy is he doesn’t have to be a little fish in a big pond. Instead, he has a niche and can work in a less saturated space. There is always competition, but from experience, Alan has learned that if you love what you do, you naturally do what you love. The two components work hand-in-hand harmoniously together. Passion, talent, dedication, imagination, commitment, and perseverance are all critical ingredients needed to begin, explore and thrive in commercial voice over. Let’s get started on your project today!