From sophomore year speech class, I remember learning that clear communication is a communion between speaker and listener. With the speaker initiating some form of communication that the listener willingly receives and then responds with their own verbal or nonverbal feedback, thus completing the circuit of communication.
Since we don’t have the luxury of real-time feedback in the realm of voiceover, we’re required to rely more on our abilities to relay imagery that will actively engage our audience’s imagination after capturing and commanding their attention through the more technical aspects of speech communication and storytelling.
So, for me, The Essential Element of Voiceover is our desire to connect with our audience to paint intriguing pictures for their minds that will evoke their willing emotional participation, and lay the groundwork for them to be open to our current message. It’s about piquing their true interest and building trust.
When recording voiceover auditions I’ve easily gotten trapped in the technical aspects, and forgotten to return to the intent: the desire to connect. In doing so, I get a combination of pretty sounds and phrases that do absolutely nothing in terms of actually connecting with the audience! That wonderful focus on the building blocks that make it sound like a “professional” Voiceover, and lacking all of the magic of connecting with another human being.
So now, after I’ve worked out some tongue twisting phrases, feel more comfortable with the words and flow of ideas, and landed on a quality/texture of voice that I believe captures the spirit of the spot, I consciously shift my focus back to that true desire and need for connection. I think that’s why, often, the first set of takes and the last set of takes (out of the dozens of runs at it) are the ones I submit (or will cut together to submit). They are the purest in intent.
Much like the learning of a part in a play, I experiment and work through many technical aspects, ask questions and make choices, and then, consciously, shift my thoughts away from all of that practice/prep work and focus back on the desire to connect.