Readers of The Magazine of Santa Clarita always send me great questions about the voiceover business. Last month, a voice actor asked about ISDN.
Q: I need to know some basic info about doing an ISDN session. –Bob J., Los Angeles, CA
Here’s part three of my answer:
A: An ISDN session is where two studios (and engineers) are communicating directly, where all of the V-O tracks generated in your studio are being digitally “captured” by another studio.
If you have a director who knows what they want, you’ll be in luck, because they’re very direct (no pun intended) and quite discerning. If, however, you’re unlucky enough to have a not-so-nice director, they could rake you through the coals, so to speak. That’s rare, though. Most directors are people-persons and just want to get the session over with as quickly and efficiently and pleasantly as possible. There are times, though, where a session is presided over by a committee, with multiple people chiming in, telling you their opinions, which sometimes results in conflicting direction.
If that happens, aim any and all of your questions to the person who hired you. They’re supposedly the designated director. If it turns out to be someone else, aim all of your questions toward them. And don’t worry if you’re being asked to do multiple takes of the same line or paragraph. That’s just their way of covering their respective butts, and having enough material “in the can.” And if they give you a “line read” (where they speak a phrase or line the way they hear it in their head), don’t take it as an insult. Consider it a gift. You can’t read their mind. Repeat their emphasis note-for-note, giving them exactly what they want and move on.
Cashman Commercials © 2010
Marc Cashman creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television, was named one of the “Best Voices of the Year” by AudioFile Magazine, and was the Keynote Speaker and Master Class instructor at VOICE 2008 and 2010 (in Los Angeles, June 2010), an international voiceover convention. Winner of over 150 advertising awards, and a working voice actor as well, he instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, CA.
Marc can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com.