How to Direct Trailer Voiceover
Let's talk about how to direct voiceover actors for trailers!
I will caveat this by saying I am NOT a voice director by trade and I'm sure if you search for how to direct voice actors you'll probably find someone with more experience with a more in-depth article. I've directed for trailer narration which is a very specific style of voiceover so I thought I'd share some of the techniques and lingo I've learned so you can get better results should you find yourself directing voiceover. Don't consider this a checklist for everything you should do to direct a voice actor; think of this like a set of tools you can have at your disposal to help you and your voice talent achieve the best results.
First, let's start with the omniscient trailer narrator whose job isn't necessarily to exist in the world of the movie or game. Of course, they should be selected to fit the style and tone of the trailer, but they're typically not playing a character so it's less likely you'll send them a one-page brief which explains the character's backstory, motivation, etc.
If I get to live direct over the phone or a video call I usually let them record the script once without any direction to see what they do. The things I'm listening for depend on the script, and it's tough to pinpoint why something feels right, but some criteria include:
Does this "sound" like trailer narration?
Does this have the right energy and tone?
Did they emphasize the words I wanted them to?
Is the pacing fast or slow enough to fit the cut?
I feel the "sound" of good trailer narration largely comes down to a sense of confidence and authority. Less professional reads sometimes emphasize things in weird places and sound unnatural because they're not used to doing narration. With really good trailer narration either they just hit that sound we all know from years of watching trailers, or you can hear the well considered acting choices put into the performance.
Energy and tone is something which you'll have to feel out according to what the narration is going to do in the trailer. What will match the tone of the game and the story? I've said many times before that editing is all about matching things up, so try to listen carefully and imagine whether it fits into your rough cut.
I usually consider the pacing last because I don't like telling actors: "do the exact thing but faster or slower" because the speed and pace can be part of the acting choices which I don't want to walk all over.
Some quick tips/terms for working with a trailer narrator!
Even though I said I try not to give speed notes, sometimes you just have to do it, so feel free to at least ask if they can do it faster. I don't use precise measures like "Can you do that 200% faster?" or "50% slower?" because I feel like that's treating them like a robot rather than a person. But if there are two reads which have a big range I might say something like "Can you split the difference?" if I want something in between.
Another directing style which may or may not work depending on the actor is to use numbers for scale. For example: "Right now, your enthusiasm is at 5, but I need you to be at 10." This helps give some context which is more specific than "Can you give me more!?"
Sometimes I really want a particular word to receive the emphasis within a phrase, so I'll sometimes ask that they emphasize or hit a word "harder." I've noticed this direction tends to work better with professionals, but amateur voiceover people (or devs!) sometimes have as good of an idea what it means to emphasize a particular word, so it might take additional direction for them to interpret that direction.
Another standard voiceover direction is to "ABC" as in "Can you ABC that?" What that means is you're asking the voiceover artist to quickly read the same line in three ways of their choosing. Early in my career when working with major movie trailer narrators they had a set few ways of saying something when asked to ABC something like the movie's title or a cast member's name.
One contentious topic are "line reads" which is when the director reads the line for the actor to say: "Just say it exactly like this." I would consider this a last resort when directing, especially a professional. The actor of course wants you to get what you want, but they also want to have creative input (and you know, acting!), not be treated like a voiceover generator. If you're about to do this while directing I would first ask the actor if they're okay with it; it will depend on the person and probably their level of frustration if it's taking a very long time to get the line right. Nobody wants to be treated like a machine or button pusher, and that's why this is a last resort.
It's been my experience that non-professional voiceover people will be more inclined to accept a line read since they might not understand how something should sound. Also, they're much less likely to have invested years of their life crafting this skill. Again, if you're ever unsure, just ask the actor!
Don't treat your creative collaborators as button pushers, give them the room to use their creativity and expertise!
If you're working with a voiceover actor playing a character there's a lot more fun to be had both for you writing the brief and the actor interpreting it! Before getting into the guidelines, I recommend showing the actor character artwork if you can because well made concept art will tell a story all on its own, so you might as well use it to help the actor find the voice. Also, in video games (especially in a lot of big budget AAA games) it's exceedingly rare for professional voice actors to see character art, or even know what game they're working on, so I think every little bit will be much appreciated!
Without further ado, here are a few guidelines about creative briefs and voice direction which I'll explain in more detail:
Basic character info
Be specific!
What's Their Motivation?
Basic Character Info
The most basic information includes: gender, age, regional accent (be sure to specify if you need a native speaker if speaking in a particular language). I would also include their role and/or occupation. I'd consider all of this just a starting point, because there are so many places an actor can go with this information and not all of them will fit what you're looking for. This is why I recommend you...
Be Specific!
In interviews, award-winning voice actor Cissy Jones (Delilah from Firewatch, Fury from Darksiders and many more!) said one bit of backstory she learned to ask for was: "What kind of shoes does the character wear?" I love this little tidbit because a person's shoes can say a lot about a person and also both give the director a means to think more about their character while giving the actor what they need to find an "in" to the voice. Do they wear work boots which get worn until they turn into dust? Do they wear six-inch red heels? Steel toe-ed boots with spikes on them?
Another way you might add specificity is if the voice is sort of a combination of other characters or actors. For example, award-winning voice actor Logan Cunningham of Supergiant Games was inspired by Ian McShane's character from Deadwood as well as actor Sam Elliott. The explainer video I made for Neo Cab was narrated by voice actor Erin Yvette who described the direction she chose as: "... a mix of “yoga coach” and “tech industrial ad.”
The answer isn't to write an enormous thesis about a character and hope that one bit of information helps the voice actor find the voice (it's called a "brief" for a reason!) but to find the right combination of things which will evoke a unique character rather than some generic archetype. In one of my recent trailers I was amazed to receive an audition from Elias Toufexis (Adam Jensen from Deus Ex: Human Revolution) playing a middle aged Eastern Canadian fisherman.
Lastly...
What's their motivation?
You might've heard this question as a stereotypical actor question, but there's good reason for it! If the brief helps the actor find the voice, their motivation is what helps them find the moment to moment intonation necessary for each line. Another way to think of it could just be the context of the line or how the character is feeling in that moment. For example, here are a few ways you could direct the line:
"And that's when I decided to kill him."
Said nonchalantly to some buddies, as if they were describing going to the corner store to buy some popcorn.
Conflicted and scared, a confession, this choice was a last resort, but they think it's the only way out.
Badass and determined. They don't take joy in it, but this is what they do. Like Liam Neeson's character in Taken.
Again, the goal of these tips isn't to overload the actor with information and choices. It's about having some tools and ideas in your belt should the need arise. They might nail the line read from scene/story context or the lines alone, but these are a few ways to help them find and understand the direction.
You're a fluffy wuffy adorable cat who thinks they're super tough :3
A final tip about working with voice actors!
The joy and fun of working with voice actors are the choices which sound totally different from your initial idea but add nuance and character which are fun an unexpected. Try not to be too rigid about what you're looking to hear because otherwise you might stifle the creativity and close yourself off from some amazing possibilities!
As to where to find voice talent, I've mostly worked with Dean Panaro Talent. I'll send him a brief and then shortly after receive a handful of auditions, some of which I've shipped trailers with without any additional direction at all. I've never worked on a project where I had to provide more than one round of notes. Talents who work with Dean will be on the more expensive side, you should expect to spend at LEAST a few hundred dollars and up depending on how much experience the actor has.
There are cheaper places like Voices.com, but the tradeoff can mean less experienced actors and also a lot more work on your part to search and find actors, listen to a lot of auditions, etc. As with most things, you either pay more money to save time or spend your time to save money.
I hope this helps you find the voices you need for your game or trailers and to direct them according to your vision. Also, if any professional voice actors are reading this I welcome any critique or additional tips!
Find the right fit together!