In ep 109 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Bruce Duncan joins Sam and Mark to talk about alternative ways to create a power 30 second commercial, bringing out the pride in a script without going over the top and what to be wary of when your kid decides they want to be in front of the mic!
Our VO question this week is all about keeping voiceover in the family!
Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to podcast@britishvoiceover.co.uk
Script 1
Well, it just so happens that digital City have been doing all of this and more in 2024.
The City served as a testbed for uncrewed aerial technology, thanks to a unique drone trial – an example of how innovators are using our sandbox environment in exciting ways.
We made real progress with our LifeCycle data trust pilot project – a groundbreaking initiative that draws on the City’s world-leading trust structure and applies it to data stewardship - an area that offers huge commercial potential for the city. Not only introducing innovation but by mapping route data, we can help make cycling across the city safer and more rider-friendly.
Script 2
Direction: Classy, 30s, relaxed, smart, measured
Harrington Smith has the perfect excuse to ‘take a look’ at the stunning new BMW X5 50e xDrive
It’s a ‘Personal Contract Hire Offer’, hmm
24-month agreement with an initial rental of £3,882 … hmm!?
Monthly rental of £999 … nice!
Plus the hybrid model is the perfect balance of petrol and electric …
… thought that might do it
The new BMW X5 50e xDrive
Search Harrington Smith.co.uk
Ts & Cs apply. Harrington Smith is a credit broker
We'd love your feedback - and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit the follow button today!
**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"
About our guest:
Bruce Duncan has been behind the mic since 2009 and has voiced thousands of Commercials, Corporate narrations, Explainers, and E-learning, Museum Audio Guides, Animations, Video Games, In-store and Telephone systems. You'll hear him greet you on the phone at Aviva (and a stack of other Insurance Companies), he'll advise you about special offers in B&Q, and try to sell you BMWs on the radio. In fact, the only place you're unlikely to hear him is narrating an Audiobook (if you exclude 'Penny the Penguin' sleep story on the Calm app).
Bruce grew up in Surrey, and lives with his wife Rachel, two daughters (both Child VOs) and a newly adopted Saluki Sighthound. They enjoy holidays in their motorhome and given the chance, Bruce would spend his life mountain biking and snowboarding.
Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin
Short trailer for Episode 109 of "How Do You Say That" sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk featuring Mark Ryes, Samantha Boffin and Bruce Duncan.
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin
In ep 108 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Melissa Sinden joins Sam and Mark to talk about the irony of being asked to play an AI voice, how sessions with lots of people involved can get quite unruly, and how to sound natural when you're playing the part of a voice actor!
Our VO question this week is all about how you create a rounded, three-dimensional character for animation.
Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to podcast@britishvoiceover.co.uk
Script 1
Right... I’m just getting my characterisation sorted... do you want to hear my thoughts? So, with the main course... our seven nut ‘nut’ roast... I’m thinking I’m a nut connoisseur, but I not only embrace the taste of the nuts, but I also travel to where they’re produced and soak in the local culture, which gives me an insight into the source of their taste... and as for the vegetables... they’ll be picked by students on summer vacation, working on organic farms in Norfolk... they’ll be first and maybe second year students, from all around the world... How does that sound?
Script 2
MVO: (vintage style) In my day motor vehicles had keys not buttons and they didn’t need plugging in! When you get a ding, dent, chip or scratch in your techo Tesla, who can repair it now ask! Robots? Pah.
FVO: (modern voice of a smart AI) Prestige cars can be repaired at A and B Vehicle repairs. They are manufacturer approved for Audi, Mercedes, BMW and now also Tesla. Does that answer your question?
MVO: Who said that? what witchery is this?!
FVO: Go direct to A and B Vehicle Repairs; where accidents unhappen.
We'd love your feedback - and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit the follow button today!
**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"
About our guest:
Melissa is the child of a pair of opera singers and has been a voice actor for many years - despite being only 39!! She trained as an actor but went straight into voicing.
As well as corporate and commercial, she was also an animation voice - Jess the Cat's meow in Postman Pat as well as Strange Hill High, Little Monsters AND a background clucker in the first Chicken Run film! Melissa has also done tons of radio drama over the years as well as BBC Radio 4 short stories, book extracts and poems. Melissa finally went back into in vision acting about 15 years ago - programmes like Shameless, Brassic, Vera, Corrie and Emmerdale, as well as theatre and she writes and does public speaking gigs!
Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin
Short trailer for Episode 108 of "How Do You Say That" sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk featuring Mark Ryes, Samantha Boffin and Melissa Sinden.
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin
In Ep 107 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Ruth Urquhart joins Sam and Mark to talk about terrible writing and what you can do with it without offending the client, there's a touch of scurvy about our reads, and we get stuck into THREE scripts for a change!
Our VO question this week is all about how to make a duff script sound better!
Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to podcast@britishvoiceover.co.uk
Script 1
In 1747, James Lind set up his study at sea: Twelve sailors suffering from scurvy were split into six groups with two men in each group. All six groups shared living quarters in the same end of the ship and were given the same diet during the course of the study, with the exception of six different treatments that Lind wanted to test.
The first group got cider. The second group got diluted sulfuric acid. The third group got vinegar. The fourth group got sea water. The fifth group got two oranges and a lemon. Finally, the last group got a purgative mixture of commonly used medicines.
Script 2a
She grasped her carefully embroidered reticule, a present from her beloved aunt Mary, given to her at Christmas, a gift that she treasured dearly, despite it’s garish colour, and stepped off the sidewalk into the busy London street, narrowly avoiding a huge puddle. She hailed a hackney which appeared suddenly through the fall gloom. The driver’s rough attire of sackcloth pants held up by suspenders looked filthy but she tried not to stare as he pulled his horses to a halt beside her.
‘Can you take me to Clarence House?’ she asked. The man grimaced.
’Clarence house be 5 blocks away, he growled in his distant London accent ‘ I ain’t got time, lady! I be workin’
Script 2b
As she walked she thought about her brawny Highlander, Hamish Campbell, the one who had proposed to her only a week ago and to whom she had run from despite her longing to be with him. ‘Doona go!’ he had pleaded earnestly, ‘I doona want to live without ye, I can no.’
His deep voice resonated in his head and she flushed to remember it. They had not been alone, his 5 cousins, Angus, Calum, Bret, Jed and Colin had witnessed the whole embarrassing episode there on the riverbank next to their little croft house in the little village of Firth on the banks of the river Forth.. she had stood right on the waters edge, the men behind her.
We'd love your feedback - and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit the follow button today!
**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"
About our guest:
Ruth is a trained actor and an experienced, award winning voice actor. Known as the Tartan Chameleon, she is extremely versatile. Being a native Scot with English parents effectively means she has two natural accents as well as a very good ear for many other dialects.
Ruth has narrated over 200 audio books to date as well as voicing animations, animes, commercials, games, corporate videos, film dubbing and documentaries. She lives in Scotland with her family and an array of rescue animals.
Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin