Thursday, February 11, 2010

Finding Voice Over Scripts For Talent Interviews

If you're considering hiring voice over talent for an upcoming project, you'll need to schedule an interview, review demo tapes, and request a sample script reading from potential applicants. Voice over scripts make it easier to find just the right match for your business, and can make the interview process much more valuable. Think of the script as a sample of work your applicants can produce for you.

It's up to you how much time you give them to rehearse each piece, but most experienced individuals can complete their testing within a few hours. Since they'll be reading directly from paper, they will just need time to practice their lines, learn about the background or nature of the script, and proceed accordingly. There are very few cases where a voice over script will need to be memorized word for word; since the recording will take place in a studio, your talent will have the script right in front of them.

The general demographic group that you are targeting will be the chief determining factor in the style and tone of the sample script you ultimately choose. Deciding in advance as to what vocal styles will be appropriate for your target market is important for the efficiency of the hiring process, as you will otherwise find yourself performing excessive numbers of interviews with applicants who are not right for the job.

Regardless of exactly what it is that you're marketing, you're going to need several different scripts in order to judge the nature of a particular actor or actress's talents. Think about what your company is trying to produce. Are you looking to create an informal, humorous advertisement, and therefore seeking a voice that will make your audience laugh? Are you trying to create an air of journalistic integrity, necessitating a more authoritative-sounding voice? The tone that you ultimately want in your finished product will serve as the basis for your sample script.

Finding voice over scripts is easy with a simple search online. Many script databases are available free of charge, and give you a chance to search by keyword, theme, or subject. Look for scripts that are similar in scope to your field, or pick something that challenges the applicant to try different styles and themes. Many voice over script collections are royalty-free, affordable, and from trusted sites and projects. These can also be a great resource for developing and adapting your own scripts, and give you some more ideas for making different types of scripts with your key goals in mind.

In making the final decisions as to whether or not to hire a particular voice actor, you're going to want to be able to refer to his or her demo and compare it side-by side with the tapes of other applicants. This demo should include several script selections that are representative of an actor's range of talents, and how well they will fit in with your vision of the marketing you would like to produce. You may either have your voice actors send in demos along with their applications, or complete them in your studio.