This is part 2 of the Talking Creative and Voiceover Social workshop: “How to Direct and Be Directed”. This is the live, in-the-moment directing section of the workshop Here I direct two voice actors Leonie and Leonor voicing an advert and a TV promo (but don't worry, it isn't a prerequisite to have a name that starts with "Leon"!) Both the ad and the promo are fictitious - but they're fully written with ideas behind them so just like real-world projects. In this 30 minute episode we cover all k...
Mar 11, 2022•30 min•Ep. 64
A Talking Creative and Voiceover Social Podcast Special In January 2022, Talking Creative and The Voiceover Social hosted a workshop: “How to Direct and Be Directed”. A live event with an audience of voice actors, directors and producers. This is the podcast from that workshop - part 1 anyway! And the title says it all. The original event was a panel discussion with audience Q&A about voice directing and how to get the best out of your voice actors, followed by a live directing session and b...
Feb 01, 2022•49 min•Ep. 63
In this first Talking Creative episode of 2022 - rather later than planned - we are looking at telling stories, and how to tell them well. Storytelling - it's a really simple idea - the concept of putting a story at the heart of all the content you're creating. But finding the storyline is just the start - it's also important to tell stories in the right way: with the right words, the right tone, the right voice. Amongst other things in this episode, I'm going to be looking at 4 examples of stor...
Jan 25, 2022•20 min•Ep. 62
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today is National Cocoa Day. So why should you never feed dogs or voiceovers chocolate? Find out in this episode! If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far.
Dec 13, 2021•5 min•Ep. 61
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and time for a Christmas Audiobook special. Christmas Audiobooks are a little like Christmas movies and music for me - a bit traditional, a bit of an indulgence in the run up to Christmas Day to get me in the mood. Here are my top 3 but perhaps they'll inspire you to think of your own list. I also talk about narrators and what they bring to the festive audio party1 If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking C...
Dec 12, 2021•8 min•Ep. 60
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today we're talking about why the first line of your script is so important. With a little help from Charles Dickens and a certain Christmas story! If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Dec 11, 2021•6 min•Ep. 59
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today we're talking about pronunciation and why it matters. We're looking at Tricky words that trip you up How to deal with foreign words in scripts Why you need to do your homework - as directors and as voiceovers Making decisions And lots of other stuff Here are the useful apps and websites I mentioned: https://howjsay.com/ Oxford Dictionary of English app https://forvo.com/ If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and r...
Dec 10, 2021•8 min•Ep. 58
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and it's Christmas Card Day. There were so many things I could have talked about but the History of the Christmas Card seemed like a fun topic. So here it is! A (brief) history of the Christmas Card. As promised - here is the link to Mark Ryes and his personalised Santa messages: https://markryes.com/ And you can see the very first Christmas Card here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-first-christmas-card If you enjoyed this podcast - plea...
Dec 09, 2021•8 min•Ep. 57
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and I've got a quick win for you. All sound files are equal but some are more equal than others. So how can you tell if your voice actor can deliver professional quality files BEFORE you book them? Find out in this quick episode. If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so...
Dec 08, 2021•4 min•Ep. 56
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ......and today we ask the question: do you always need a voiceover for your videos and commercials? With people increasingly watching on mobile with their phones on mute - is there any point? Find out in today's episode! If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Dec 07, 2021•7 min•Ep. 55
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today we are talking Explainer Videos. Is there a perfect length for an explainer video? Well, it depends - and you can find out why in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Dec 06, 2021•6 min•Ep. 54
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today's gift is the recipe for my favourite cocktail. Why? (You may be asking.) Well - because this is a calendar with surprises behind the festive mic. Because it's a mini how-to audio guide . And because it's the weekend - and you don't always have to make stuff that's work-useful. So, enjoy the recipe - and even give it a try. It's super-simple and there's a Christmassy twist too! If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rat...
Dec 05, 2021•7 min•Ep. 53
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today's gift is the intro to the Christmas film "Love Actually". There's an awful lot we can learn from the opening to this film - and you can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/rl44pV2-9R8 If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Dec 04, 2021•8 min•Ep. 52
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today's gift is all about the number 3! Think Harry Potter, Superman's mantra and the BBC's mission statement: inform, educate and entertain. The power of 3 is all around us. So why is this important to voice directors, voice actors and content producers? You can find out in today's episode. If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to h...
Dec 03, 2021•8 min•Ep. 51
It's the Talking Creative Countdown to Christmas... ...and today's gift is a little bit of inspiration to be more innovative, brave and bold. What links Inspector Morse Pixar BBC audio drama Home Front Apple’s Voice Memo App Find out behind today's festive mic! If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Dec 02, 2021•7 min•Ep. 50
This Christmas - Talking Creative brings you a Voiceover Advent Calendar. The Talking Creative "Countdown to Christmas"! Every day on the run up to Christmas - instead of a treat behind a door, you'll get a treat from behind the mic. A voiceover gift to inspire, help or just entertain you - who knows what each day will bring! Today is December the 1st... ...the perfect day to talk about only having one director in a session - not a variety of people, all saying different things! If you enjoyed t...
Dec 01, 2021•9 min•Ep. 49
How do you keep your content - and your projects - feeling fresh and new? This week's Talking Creative is looking at 4 ways you can do that. We cover: Keep learning new stuff Keep meeting new people Watch what’s happening in your niche Be aware of new trends If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Nov 17, 2021•14 min•Ep. 48
You've done all the prep. The session is in full swing. But how do you actually direct your voice artist? Here are 3 techniques to help - which don't involve line reading or being too prescriptive: Be specific and clear Tap into their imagination Relax and create some space If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative for the whole series so far....
Nov 06, 2021•12 min•Ep. 47
'Tis (nearly) the season to be jolly. But have you thought about your Christmas voice yet? Well, now is the time and this week's episode should help you get in the festive mood. Plus hopefully give you some Christmassy ideas. Character voices Kids voices Parent voices Singers Is there even a "Christmas" voice? There were a lot of people who made this episode extra-special... Santa was the excellent Mark Ryes : https://markryes.com/ As well as live Santa voiceover and TV and radio commercials, sh...
Oct 22, 2021•13 min•Ep. 46
The Talking Creative podcast is a whole year old! To celebrate, I've looked back at all the great ideas and interviews in a year of podcasting - and pulled together the top 10 pieces of advice. Here's the list: The listener is King - or Queen (Amber Bates and Sean Pratt) Be an ace planner (Verity Panter) Do your homework (Tanya Rich) Be authentic (Elinor Hamilton) Make your voice talent feel confident (Sean Pratt and Nic Redman) Write scripts to be read out loud (Nic Redman) Be clear, be specifi...
Oct 13, 2021•30 min•Ep. 45
This episode of Talking Creative is less about "how" and more about "why". A more inspirational episode perhaps! I can sometimes struggle to explain exactly why voiceover work feels important. And when I talk to people about what I do for a living - I tend to fall back on the lighter weight stuff because it’s an easier “in”. Still, in comparison to midwives, accountants or firefighters - it can feel a little, well, frivolous. But in this episode we look at how voiceover is used in more serious w...
Sep 24, 2021•10 min•Ep. 44
It’s one of those days when everything’s gone wrong. The client is having second thoughts about the kind of voice they want... Or the voice who was coming in for 2pm has called in sick... Or the voice you booked wasn't great, or their studio was pants and you need to recast... Or maybe you just forgot to book a voice. Whatever it is - you have to get this done today. So what do you do? In this episode, I discuss 4 great ways to find the right voice for your project when you're really up against ...
Sep 13, 2021•24 min•Ep. 43
The start of a new academic year is the perfect time to talk about eLearning voices. Scratch that. Anytime is the perfect time. We are all learning online more than ever before - and as a consequence, the eLearning industry is booming. In this interview with Elinor Hamilton from eLearning Voices, we talk about (amongst other things): How the eLearning industry is changing Why finding the right voice is important What listeners are looking for in eLearning voices Audio Description And lots more v...
Sep 06, 2021•41 min•Ep. 42
This week’s One Hot Voiceover Thing - be decisive. Yesterday I had the fun of performing in the Overnight Plays. 7 Plays devised, written, directed, tech-ed and performed in 24 hours. Like most creative projects - each play needed a director at the heart of it, making the decisions and shaping each one. So that's what I'm talking about today - another hot creative thing for you to remember and take into your week. If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creati...
Aug 31, 2021•6 min•Ep. 41
TV promos are small but perfectly formed. Definitely: short and simple. So how tricky can it be to direct a voiceover to picture, get them to interpret the script, take on board the nuances you've built into the promo, voice to the music and up- sound, voice to time, make every syllable count, create intrigue and excitement and land your message - all in 30 seconds (or less)? Er... easy, right? In this episode of Talking Creative - I run through a typical promo session. We cover: What happens ri...
Aug 27, 2021•27 min•Ep. 40
The Authentic Voice - the new Hot Topic in the World of Voiceover I only managed to get to hear 4 talks at the One Voice Conference 2021 but they all had something in common: discussing authenticity. In this episode, we look briefly at this One Hot Thing and see what it means for you as a director. As promised too - here are the links to last Friday's episode 38 about conferences and why they're useful : https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative/38-why-the-one-voice-conference-is-useful-even-...
Aug 23, 2021•6 min•Ep. 39
This weekend it's the start of the UK One Voice Conference. A 4-day conference that’s totally focussed on the voiceover industry. And so what? Unless you’re a voice actor, why should you be excited about - or even vaguely interested in - a Voiceover Conference? In this episode of Talking Creative, we talk about The changing landscape of the media industry Community Learning and inspiration And why conferences are greater than the sum of their parts You can find the interview I did with Tanya Ric...
Aug 19, 2021•11 min•Ep. 38
Today is National Tell a Joke Day . The perfect excuse to talk about funny voiceovers. In this episode we look briefly at the 9 different types of humour - and why being aware of them is crucial when you're attracting an audience. Physical Self deprecating Surreal Improvisational Word-play or being witty Topical Observational Bodily Dark And we also look at why it's less about finding a "funny" voice actor - and more about finding the right voice actor. If you enjoyed this podcast - please do su...
Aug 16, 2021•7 min•Ep. 37
So here are 4 ideas that could help you. In this episode of Talking Creative we look at 4 ways of approaching radio ads that go beyond the “grab them in the first 5 seconds” rule: Be relatable Be funny Talk to your audience directly The power of silence There are lots of other things you could think about - but this is just the start. If you enjoyed this podcast - please do subscribe, rate and review "Talking Creative - the Art of Voiceover Directing" on Apple Podcasts and Go to https://samantha...
Aug 13, 2021•13 min•Ep. 36
This week’s One Hot Voiceover Thing - make your first line count. It is National Book Lover’s Day today. The perfect time to celebrate the art of the opening line. But why are they so important and how are they connected to Voiceovers? In this short episode we find out why - with a bit of help from Stephen King! Incidentally - in case you're burning to know - The Catcher in The Rye's opening line is: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I wa...
Aug 09, 2021•6 min•Ep. 35
