Do you know that audiences can immediately tell when an English voice-over is done by a non-native actor?
Accents are as unique as a fingerprint. A fingerprint can identify the biological and physical characteristics of a person, while voice accents can identify the pace, pitch, tone, and pronunciation of a speaker. An accent can hone in on the region, influence, and upbringing of an individual.
Choosing the right voice actor based on the audience you want to reach is crucial. The right talent can help your brand make your audience feel a sense of belonging and connect with them on a deeper level. Hiring english voice over professionals who master a neutral accent and know how to distinguish the subtle nuances between accents.
English Voice-Overs with a USA Accent
If you want to target the right audience and generate the desired results, your production needs the best quality American English voice-over artists.
Within the USA, there is a huge variety of accents that a production needs to distinguish between (even more differences from British English!). From southern charm to the relaxing lilt of the Hawaiian accent, knowing which regional accent to choose for your project is equally important.
Crafting believable dialects and accents requires specialised skills such as tonal differences, vocal inflexions, oral placement, and technical understanding, so the voice-over doesn’t sound like a performance. A professional voice-over agency understands these subtle differences.
Examples of English Accent Voice-Over
Over the years, there have been many memorable performances in TV, commercials, and movies. Darth Vader in the Stars Wars films was voiced by James Earl Jones. His performance was exemplary, and he speaks with an excellent Mid-Atlantic accent.
Another excellent example is Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. Although raised in Australia, he mastered the Wyoming dialect to play the character of Ennis Del Mar in the movie.
Choosing the right talent for the job also depends on the nature of your project, whether you are hiring for a corporate video, commercial, or educational video. Here are a few great examples:
Difference Between British English and American English
Although there are many similarities between British and American English, there are notable differences that make it necessary to hire the right talent for the right accent.
The most notable difference between the two is the pronunciation of vowel sounds and sounds like “r”. The intonation is also quite different between the two languages.
British speakers tend to vary their tone, and their voice rises and falls. American English speakers usually have a monotonous, flat intonation.
American English Voice-Over Tips
For a polished, high-quality, professional voice-over, it is important to find and hire the right English voice-over artist. Here are a few tips to help you ensure the final project is flawless.
Have a Clear Idea of the Type of Voice you Need
Before you start looking for a voice artist, it is important to have a clear idea about your exact needs. Think about the audience you plan to target and the style and tone of voice that will fit your project. If you need a regional dialect, that will be a major factor to consider.
Working with a professional voice-over agency is the fastest, most effective way of finding the right talent for your project. A professional agency will have a talent pool of professionals with different accents and samples available that you can listen to before hiring.
Provide a Final Script
Before the team can start working on recording, it is important to ensure that the script you provide them is final. Review and make any changes needed well in advance to save time during the recording session.
The final script needs to sound natural and read well, so it is important to focus on those when you are reviewing the script. While this may take a lot of time, it will ensure the record is completed on time and is of good quality.
Provide a Detailed Brief
Ensure the success of your project by providing a detailed brief to the artist well before the session. With the right instructions, a voice artist can deliver your intended message with the right emotions, tone, and intonation. This will help you get the most out of your script.
Work with a Language Director
Whenever possible, work with a native speaker and language director to ensure that the intonation, pronunciation, and delivery of the script are accurate and natural.
AI Voice Generator: Pros and Cons
AI Voice Generators are increasingly advertised as quick, cheap replacements for voice-over artists. While this technology is useful in certain situations, they have its limitations. For simpler projects, such as social media ads that don’t always need a person speaking, AI can provide benefits such as cost and time savings.
For professional projects, however, AI fails to deliver an authentic voice with nuances, intonations, and emotions. Real voice actors in our voice over agency have mastered accents through years of practice and can deliver a recording that connects with audiences and makes a real impact.
Apps that Change English Accents
Apps like The ACCENT Kit and dcode.fr provide users with the ability to convert text-to-speech in different English accents. While this is a fun way to switch between accents and see how the same sentence sounds different in various accents, these apps are designed for entertainment.
When it comes to professional projects, these apps simply do not have the capability to produce the quality needed for commercials, educational, or corporate videos. Working with a voice-over agency is more suitable for professional projects.
American English Voice-Over Services
GoLocalise is an English voice-over agency that can help you reach audiences in North America through voice-overs that are authentic, professional, and accurate. Our agency has a large database of American English voice-over talent with specialisations in various areas, such as:
- Narrative Voice-Over
- Commercial Voice-Over
- Educational Voice-Over
- Corporate Voice-Over
- Characters Voice-Over
- Documentary Voice-Over
Golocalise has state-of-the-art recording studios, advanced equipment, in-house sound engineers and language directors, and stringent quality checks. When you work with us you can rest assured that your project will be high-quality and completed in a timely manner.
