Every media production begins with an idea. The creative person often already has the end result in mind or already has an idea of what the work should look like later. This is especially true for films, but can also apply to apps, tutorials, YouTube posts, trailers, radio reports or tutorials.
The prerequisite for convincing media production is to plan and stake out the framework of the project in as much detail as possible with a good concept, a few screen designs and a rough storyboard/wireframes. But what will decisively shape the perception of a film or an app later on are the personalities that can be seen or heard in a media production, the people who convey the narrative.
Commercials sometimes do well without voices, in which case they rely more on emotion and less on information. If you want to convey information, it is important that the thread is carried by a strong personality. This can be an expert, a company leader, a guru, an actor or even a professional voice-over artist. This list alone shows the responsibility of the voice-over artist in media productions. It doesn’t matter whether the voice-over artist can be seen in the picture or accompanies from off-screen. The voice in films and media is the human factor, the reference to the narrative, and thus far more important than is often assumed. The speaker touches the interpersonal, emotional side of our brain and conveys trust, transparency, authenticity and thus provides more commitment between the recipient and the consumed medium.
An unbelievable amount of information, advertising messages, news and mail pelt us. The attention span is often only a few seconds. We also speak of the age of information overload. Anyone who plans an image film in such times, for example, in which the focus is only on pretty pictures, company buildings and tracking shots without telling a story that is relevant to the target group, will not leave a lasting impression with their message, or at least will not exploit the full potential of the attention span granted by the recipient.
But let’s assume they already know all this. Then the questions still arise: how does one proceed when looking for a spokesperson for a media production and when is the right time to involve the spokesperson/actress in the production?
The answer is: “Involve an expert as soon as possible.” Voice actors and actresses can be helpful in many ways when planning media productions. For one thing, you have a good feel for language, speech rhythms and timing. For another, it’s important to make sure early on that the spokesperson/actor you choose fits the subject matter. Nothing is worse than a voice that is friendly and put on, but you can hear that it has little idea of the subject matter it is talking about or that it is only moderately convinced of the product being advertised.
The casting is crucial for a convincing result. And this is where many projects fail. Partly for reasons of cost, partly due to a lack of experience on the part of those responsible for the project, not enough time is spent on research when selecting a spokesperson. Every media production is also branding. Choose a speaker who is technically experienced, who fits the subject matter and who has charisma and persuasive power.
Our tip:
Determine the narrator/actor before the film shoot or the music composition and get in touch with him/her. Let the personality of the narrator flow into the design of your concepts. Do not focus on the price of the speaker or actor. If you are on a tight budget, think about replacing some film sequences with animations or stock footage and see the visuals as an aesthetic background to a story that is already moving and worth listening to.
