If your project needs a professional voiceover, the pronunciation guide is essential to facilitate the work of the voice-over actor. It’s the perfect complement to the script to be sure that the recording will come out right.
You know that Benjamin Franklin axiom, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Well, Franklin was not thinking specifically of Voice Over at the time he said this great truth, but he might as well have.
Professional Voice Over. The Pronunciation GuideWhen you decide to request voice over services, preparation and prevention are in order. This means, among other things, to take a good, hard look at your script from the eyes of someone who does not know what you’re talking about.
What could potentially cause confusion? What could be read or interpreted in a different way than we expect? What needs to be explained further so that the voice talent can strike the right tone?
All of this needs to be compiled into one neat, all-powerful Pronunciation Guide, or P-Guide, and provided to the talent. Otherwise, these little things could end up being recorded incorrectly, which would in turn force you to ask for retakes. And guess what this means?
There are many things that could potentially need explanations in any given script, but here are some classic examples to look out for:
1. Trademarks
2. Foreign words
3. Acronyms
4. Numbers
Trademarks. How should your selected voice talent pronounce them? In the native language of the voice actor or the native language of the brand?
Foreign words. Should the voice talent pronounce them in the foreign language, or how she/he would normally pronounce them in their mother tongue?
Acronyms. Should they be read as words, or spelled out letter by letter? And if so, in what language?
Numbers. If there is a long series of numbers, like a telephone number, how should they be read? 1-2-3-4-5, or 12-34-5, or 12,345? What about decimals and fractions? What about dates?
Remember, in voice over, there is no such a thing as over communication. Any tiny detail could be vital, and more importantly, could save you good amounts of money in retakes. Never shy away from sharing information about your script to ensure that its integrity is preserved intact during Voice Over. Because, well, that way, we all win, right?
If you need professional voiceover services for your projects, and you want to have a better understanding of what voiceover is, to know working methods that help you save costs and be more efficient, DVO Lab is the ideal place for you.
Have a look at our videos and benefit from our voiceover tips!
Voice Over. What is it, and why you should consider it
What kind of voice over does your project need?
Remember, if your project needs professional voice over, a pronunciation guide is quite important. It will help you avoid additional costs.
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