Three Character Voices in One Beak is Better Than a BOGOFF!

Three character voices in one beak is better than a BOGOFF, not least because it makes your life simpler!

I didn’t know you did character voices little bird?

Ah yes, I do! That drama degree I did way back in the mists of time always comes in handy. Time spent creating a daft comedy podcast during lockdown to make people laugh has, too. All that play helped me reawaken and stretch muscles I’d forgotten I had, and find a few new ones, too! Which is good news for you, lovely clients.

So, how did you end up providing not one, but three character voices in one beak?

People don’t know what you can do unless you show them and tell them. So, I shared my Northern reel at a lovely networking event I go to every month. People were genuinely taken aback by the range I’ve showcased at those events over the last couple of years. A useful reminder that I don’t talk about this stuff often enough, hence this blog! It’s led to some lovely projects that need character voices, including this one.

Thanks to those events, the lovely Nat, a fabulous motion designer, gave me a call. She knows I can do character voices and this particular project for a museum exhibit at The University of Birmingham’s Exchange required not one, but three, so she immediately thought of me, bless her cotton socks!

This is where the BOGOFF comes in.

Except if we’re being factually accurate, it’s a BOGTWOFF really! Anyway, it was far easier for everyone to deal with one voice over artist rather than three. The whole piece is short, so it made good financial sense, too.

The subject? The Flying Squads that were introduced in the 1930’s by Dr Hilda Lloyd, to help reduce high maternal and infant mortality rates. The three characters? Dame Hilda Lloyd of course, Dame Cadbury, and the narrator. Because Dr Hilda Lloyd and Dame Cadbury were real people, I want to take time and care to really capture who they were and bring them to life.

The client sent a clip of Dr Hilda Lloyd, though she was much older in that clip than in the quote I had to voice. I wanted to encapsulate the accent, tone, rhythm and pace of her voice, whilst making her sound younger. Dame Cadbury needed warmth and the client asked if the narrator could have a slight Birmingham accent. So, I listened, played and made sure the client was happy before recording and this is the finished animation with Nat’s gorgeous motion design.

If in doubt, Ask!

That’s my message to you. Whether it’s a voiceover for your next project, or something else entirely. It’s easy to assume someone can’t do something, when in fact they can. Confession – some client requests have meant I’ve even surprised myself! Curious? You’ll find demos here.

Fancy a chat? Do get in touch and I’ll be more than happy to talk things through. Oh and yes, those are birds on my shirt and the book on my head? It’s The Crane Wife. Well, you wouldn’t expect anything else from your bird in the booth, would you? 😉