BEGINNER
One thing that separates beginner voice talent from experienced voice talent is understanding PACE. What type of pace to use and when.
There’s a lot of nuance to pacing but here’s a basic guide to get started.
COMMERCIALS – these vary in pace. We used to be able to use categories to guide pacing. If it was a medical spot, it was usually slower. If it was a fast food restaurant, it’d be faster. You can’t use that as a tried and true rule these days but many times you can determine the pacing from the breakdown, script and brand.
CORPORATE/E-LEARNING – moderate pacing is needed here. You don’t want to go too fast that the listener gets lost or overwhelmed at the information. You don’t want to go too slow and put them to sleep.
AUDIOBOOKS – pacing can vary in audiobooks depending on genre but overall, you want to air on going slower than the pace you’d read at. Listeners can always increase the speed if they prefer.
ANIMATION – since animation features dialogue between characters, the pacing will be closer to authentic, everyday conversational pace.
Also make sure you know your default pacing. Have coaches told you to slow down? Have they said to speed up? Know the pacing you tend to go at so you can adjust for different scripts.
ADVANCED
Were you able to listen to Tina Morasco, of Sound & Fury Casting, on EP 78 of the Atlanta Voiceover Studio and ProVoiceoverTraining.com podcast?
In the episode, she said national commercial clients aren’t creating ADS they’re creating FILMS. Think about your favorite TV shows and movies. Pace is used in films all the time to create emotion and intrigue.
Here are just a few ways to use pacing to enhance the message of an “ad film.”
VARYING PACE: mimics our natural, conversational pace which helps establish a human connection and keep interest.
FAST PACE: can build tension, create a climax and is often used for comedic tones.
SLOW PACE: can build anticipation, create emotional connection and be used to establish what’s going on.
Try thinking through pace on your next audition and how it can be used to enhance the “film.”
