Voiceover for Adult Content, Fighting Temptation

Deciding whether or not to provide voiceover for adult content is just such a slippery slope (no pun intended). On the one hand, many of us agree that adults should have all the consensual fun their private lives can manage. On the other hand, as voice talents, we also recognize we often have little or no control over the final production and distribution of voiceover we provide. So there is no guarantee that our narration would remain strictly adult, consensual and private.

That’s something to consider, because voiceover isn’t just performance; it’s business. As business owners, most of us are trying to attract clients that are predominantly, if not exclusively, outside the adult content markets. I think it’s safe to say that some of these clients would be put off by hiring a voice that does Dallas.

Of course, not all erotica is cheesy porn, which brings me to the third hand (someone, lend me a hand).  So many of the adult content scripts I get are bad.  Really bad. Just because the main objective may not be the telling of a story, doesn’t mean it has to be so poorly written.  That really kills any possibility that I may be tempted to voice adult content. Because even if I can be sure the producer markets only to adults, the content doesn’t promote hate or violence, and the distribution is selective enough that any of my other clients are unlikely to ever hear it, I won’t memorialize badly written adult content. What kind of a prude am I?

There’s just nothing redeeming about bad adult content. Not even the paycheck. You can’t even say: “I did it for Art.” Besides, Art just wants to look at the pictures.

Talent Agents Are Not Publicity Agents

I just read a good article regarding talent agents. Check out Agents: Traditionally They Don’t Promote, But Hybrids Bring Change written by Jennifer Vaughn, a respected voice over talent, also from Florida. Her article appears in Voice Over Xtra, a reliable voice over resource site.

Vaughn’s article helps to clear up the old misconception that talent agents are talent promoters. Traditionally, they haven’t been. Even if they provide the hybrid services she discusses, those tend to be one-time publicity events. For the most part, talent agents only hope to connect a particular job to a particular voice actor in their talent roster (someone they represent). For that particular job, they may sell you.

Only a publicist will promote you to the hiring public at large. This is why top celebrities tend to have both talent agents and publicity agents. A seasoned publicity agent will have solid media contacts and a genuine knack for promoting you: knowing how, where, what and when to promote.

Of course, not many of us can afford a publicist. So, I guess we can turn to the Internet and look for ways to become our own publicists. In fact, a search on Amazon.com, turned up How to be Your Own Publicist by Jessica Hatchigan. It was right above How To Be Your Own Therapist. Hmmm — add to cart.

Vocoder Effect In Adobe Audition 1.5

A vocoder basically makes a musical instrument or sound effect talk like you (or mimic whatever you use to modulate the carrier wav, your voice). Adobe Audition 1.5, my favorite editing program, comes with a vocoder in the multitrack section under effects. Here’s a vocoder video tutorial by Jason Levine. It’s part of the excellent Total Training DVD for Adobe Audition 1.5. I definitely recommend that training DVD which I think is still available on eBay. Jason uses the vocoder for the great intro clip that loads when you first launch Adobe Audition’s multitrack feature.

Anyway, here is a vocoder sample mp3 file I produced.

[audio: http://nikkisaco.com/audio/vocoder.mp3]

You’ll hear the original clips and the vocoded effect using a guitar loop. One portion has a dry voice recording saying “voice over services”. I enhanced that with the vocoded version of the same phrase on a separate track. I also added a cello wav file that I love. (The cello is probably my favorite instrument; so much emotion.) Then, I added a vocoded phrase I created with the cello as the modulating track. Very interesting sounds. I love to play with this stuff.