FREE VOICE-OVER LESSONS: BASICS/NAME SLATE & PERSONAL STYLE

I discontinued voice-over training and coaching, and for years still received inquiries about how to start a voice-over career (which simply has no concise response.)  While no longer teaching, I have decided to post increments from my Basics Training Event Workbook here, with a link to an audio track narrated by me.  It's my hope to help those interested in learning more about voice-over and what's involved in starting a career.

The 8th in the series of voice-over basics is on the Name Slate & Personal Style.

 TCVO Presents…

SPRING INTO VOICE-OVER!

© Teri Clark Linden, 2014

Name Slate

I’m going to jump in here with one of the basic things you’ll need to know about before auditioning for voice-over jobs and that is the name slate.  In voice-over, your name is usually the first thing the casting person listening to your audition will hear.  Sometimes, your name is all they hear before moving onto the next audition, so it’s extremely important how you sound while saying it.  

Ways to Slate & Personal Style

There are many ways voice-over talent slate.  Sometimes a slate is determined by personal choice and sometimes by the genre of job being auditioned for.  Personally, when slating for straight-forward commercials and narrations (no character roles) I simply say, “This is Teri Clark Linden.”  If the script is light and humorous, I’ll bump up my energy and say, “Hi!”  or “Hello” in front of that.  I will always slate in the vocal style the direction calls for in the script (speaking to commercials).  If they want a textured, smoky or husky sounding voice, that’s the voice I slate with.  If it’s upbeat, friendly Mom, the slate gets that energy and voice, and so on.  

With cartoons I slate in character, be it for animation or commercial.  For demos, I have heard several where a male voice slates on a woman’s voice-over and woman slates on a man’s (I have done this for a couple of students whose demos I helped produce).  I have also heard what’s called “end slates,” where the name slate comes at the end of the demo, usually saying something like, “Thanks for listening to Teri Clark Linden.”  I haven’t heard end slates nearly as much as front end ones though and they are usually found on character-voice demos.  I think the demos that really jump out when I listen all have a unique way they are produced.  Frequently, I listen to top-tier agency demos on the website www.Voicebank.net (where my demos can be heard as well) centering in on those in the larger markets like LA or New York.  At my New York agency there is a talent named Mindy Bell whose commercial demo is quite funny.  Right away I get the sense that Mindy Bell’s personal style is comedy.  I would say my personal style is texture.  I can jump in and out from using a textured, throaty sound (think Demi Moore) to a clearer one.  I think I also have a warm quality with commercials and a good sense of comedy as well.  The more training and practice you have the better you’ll be able to identify your personal style and what scripts you best perform to include on a demo.

© Teri Clark Linden, 2014

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO FOR FREE VOICE-OVER LESSONS: BASICS/NAME SLATE & PERSONAL STYLE, NARRATED BY ME!