You just finished recording and editing your video. It’s perfect, worthy of an Oscar—or least a People’s Choice Award. All it needs now is some audio. With a polished script in hand, it’s time to lay down the dialogue and complete your production. To create a professional video, visual and audio elements must be excellent. To accomplish this, use these voice over recording tips.
Find a Good Spot
Even if you don’t have a huge budget, you can still create a professional home studio. You only need a few
key components. Most people already have a computer and a microphone—that puts you halfway there. Purchase some headphones and recording and editing software to finish your set up. From here, you’ll want to choose a room in the house that has the best acoustics. Read the script in each room to ensure you pick the best one.
Get a Pop Filter
You’ll want to avoid plosive and sibilance—these are fancy words for the sounds associated with words starting with “P” or “S.” That extra pop or ess sound can make your recording sound unprofessional. As such, invest in a pop filter for your microphone to reduce or eliminate these sounds.
Do a Practice Read
The script might read amazing, however, when said aloud it might come across completely different. What sounds good in your head might not sound good to your ears. As such, read the entire script a few times and edit it as needed. Remove any words that you trip over and are hard to say—keep it concise and easy to pronounce.
Use a Stand
No matter how far away from the microphone you are, it will pick up the sound of paper rustling. To avoid this, don’t hold the script in hand while performing the read. Put the script on a stand so you don’t have to handle it.
Battle Dry Mouth
If you have a long script, prepare for the dreaded dry mouth. Talking a lot will quickly dry out your mouth. If you’re doing a long recording, keep water close by to sip throughout the session. However, be cautious about how much water you drink. Multiple bathroom trips will take away from recording time. Another good trick is to bring a Granny Smith apple with you. A quick bite will naturally get your mouth watering.
