Lauren McCullough

Female Voiceover Talent

717-281-1991‬

LaurenMcCulloughVO@gmail.com

voice talent

Tips to write a storytelling ad

Business, Marketing

From the days of ancient humans huddled around their first campfires, sharing stories of the hunt, to the pictures they painted on cave walls, to every book ever written, and every TV show and movie, there is nothing more human than the telling of a story. Advertising has been neighbors with stories for many years also, and recent decades have changed the landscape there as well. What was once hard sells and pushing every inch has had to withdraw and change character.

Most people can spot classic advertising from a mile away and have little interest in direct sales. How does the responsible ad agency or company get their products in the customer’s hands then? Tell your story. Make it about human connection instead of just your product’s features. Show your company or your product solving a problem or helping someone, or just showing something cool you did. The digital age has given society unprecedented connections between people, and a lot less tolerance for things that seem “fake”. 

A storytelling ad will share your company and your product in an emotionally impactful, insightful, and human connecting way. People make many decisions based on emotions-as much as we’d all like to think we’re logical beings-and you’ll be able to tap into these basic human drives by creating a story vehicle for your ad. Plus, we remember stories much more than we remember lists of facts, 22 times more in fact. Add in some human connection and authenticity and you’ll have a winner of an ad in no time. Here are some great tips to create one. 

Unfulfilled Desire

Most of human history has been centered around people wanting to fulfill their various desires. From love to war, from self-examination to self-fulfillment, there are limitless themes and nuances in every story. Your ad should be no different. Hook the viewer with a need or a want that they can see and sink their teeth into right away. Whether it’s the needs of a child or the frustrations of an adult, putting the desire center stage will help anchor your story in the viewer’s mind. 

Don’t sell

This has already been mentioned, but it bears repeating. Traditional selling techniques are at this point an automatic turn off, exit out, or channel change for most people. Besides, classic selling techniques have limitations that stories don’t. With storytelling ads, you can do literally anything as long as you make it human and relatable. If Betty White getting tackled can sell Snickers, there’s no limits on what you can do with your stories. Ads these days are no longer about market saturation in the way they once were, but about standing out and creating meaningful content in a crowded, diverse marketplace. 

Hero

We all like someone to admire and look up to. Heroes have taken journeys in every age, from ancient to modern. Give your viewers someone to identify with, and you have one of the best hooks possible. It doesn’t have to be a strong man type either, a memorable ad from the recent past even featured a baby duck as a hero. Diversity is a common theme these days and choosing someone from a minority community can help customers you normally might not reach be able to identify with your brand. Think outside the box, and choose to center a variety of voices in our interconnected world to tell the stories of. Plus, it helps attach good feelings to your brand and company for showcasing people who don’t always get the spotlight. 

Follow the pattern

Stories always have a pattern of introducing a problem, building up tension, a climax and then a denouement. Although there’s a lot of room for variation within that structure, make sure there is a structure for your story. Getting a little too artistic or creative can confuse people and make it harder for them to get your real message or be interested in your product or company. Being confused or unsure is a pretty good gateway to people changing the channel or clicking away.  

Find what makes you different

Telling your story is a gateway to who you are as a company. Look into your company culture and values and find what makes you stand out in the world. It is a challenge to find differences when you’re selling a product, but who you are as people makes you able to connect with your viewer. Then it is that much easier to connect your product with its potential place and use in their life. Use the opportunity to find what you may have missed about yourself as a company and bring it to the forefront in your ad. 

Relatable

This can be tricky to perfect in our cynical ad saturated culture. There is so much that has been done before or shared in ways that makes our attention skip and our brains turn right off. But authenticity is the watch word here. People don’t want polished actors delivering lines from inside a perfect, spotless home, they want to feel how the story they’re being told connects to them. Emphasize the qualities and stories that we all share culturally and worldwide to make those connections for the viewer. Everyone has fallen in love, or known a kid who had a problem, or been frustrated at work. A recent Budwiser ad featured a dog left at home as his owner went out drinking with friends. The dog doesn’t understand why his owner doesn’t come home, and you’re led to think the worst at first. But then the owner comes back and we discover they made a responsible choice to stay the night with their friends instead of drive drunk. This ad slam dunked relatability through the eyes of a beloved pet, and made you look at the possible consequences of irresponsibility through the eyes of those left behind instead of the person doing the drinking. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative

Whether you’re sitting down with your family watching the Super Bowl, or some other time when they show the best ads, we remember the ones that take new pathways and share new stories. Often, the ones we remember the best are those that connect with us and give us a little surprise in an unexpected connection or outcome. The world is changing so fast and there are many challenges for us all, but there are also always ways to uplift and bring light to the world. Don’t be afraid to look in a new direction or try a new voice for your ad. You might get even better results than you expect. 

The drive for relatable stories isn’t going away any time soon. A wise company will learn how to connect their customers with the human elements that touch us all, and make their ads harmonize with their viewers. Advertising is much more than getting facts and figures in front of your customers, you want to show them how your product can be part of their lives, and connect with them on the level and nature of the problems you can solve for them. Without a story, an ad will be forgettable, and you and your company will just be passed by. 

Why Voiceover Communities Matter

Voiceover Industry

Why VO Communities Matter

Are VO Communities important to your work life? They can be! There are a great many options for voiceover communities now, far more than existed even ten years ago. There are in person groups in many locations, as well as a plethora, and endlessly growing number of groups on social media. It’s easy to find these groups overwhelming and not want to bother with finding a good place to hang out and find community. 

Our industry can be extremely isolating since there is no automatic group of co-workers nearby that you can talk to and share with. If you’re going to have an ‘office environment’ you kind of have to make your own. A good component of work/life balance is to find people to share with and discuss work elements with. VO communities can be tricky, so first I’m going to give you a couple cautions. 

Vet your communities

  • If there’s one thing true in voiceover, it’s that there are more groups for the industry every single day. The vast majority of these will be a waste of your time, even if you’re just starting out. Most groups are little more than captive audiences for various sales and coaching pitches, or stadiums full of ignorant cheerleaders who will send you off into the weeds for bad advice. A little googling will give you a quick idea who is who and what their backgrounds and experience are, and who is full of crap. There are plenty of people out there with a moderate amount of knowledge who will present themselves as an expert, but they’re not. Or if they have good knowledge in one area, they might be lacking where you ask the question. 

Expect Ignorance

  • In all but the most carefully curated communities, ignorance can make its way inside. Expect that sooner or later you will encounter someone who thinks they know better than you, or who thinks that your experience doesn’t mean anything against whatever they want to believe. A good group moderator will send them packing or school their attitude before they can cause harm. 

So enough with the cautionary tales. You can and will find friends, teachers, and helpers through the communities you can connect in person and on social media. Like any online group, there can be a lot of okay people, a few great ones, and some that you don’t have much to do with. But the overall quantity of helpful people you can turn to is pretty great! Everyone understanding the ups and downs of a freelancer’s life make things much closer than they might otherwise be. Here are some benefits to your VO community both local and worldwide!

Get together in person

  • Depending on the group you find, this can be easier or harder. There are always conventions to meet up at, but these aren’t necessarily within everyone’s budget. If you’re in or near a major city, you can often find local meetup groups to hang out with, but these can be kind of hit or miss depending on the group expertise and what they’re interested in looking into or talking about. If you’re outside of a major city, well it’s something to save for to find a place or time to meet with your friends–and hey depending on the nature of the trip, it can be a tax deduction too! 

Industry news

  • Our industry, although one that affects more and more people every day, is rather a niche one in terms of news. Voiceover groups are a great place to find the sifted news that’s most relevant to us. There are voiceover specific blogs and news sites, but hearing news from colleagues can add a personal touch. For example, the recent suing of app giant TikTok by Bev Standing for using her voice without permission or compensation. Or the latest trends and concerns over AI voices, and who’s done a cool project or was able to win an award. 

Referrals

  • Making friends and community in the industry is a great way to get referrals for jobs! Not only will colleagues recommend you if they know that you’re a good fit for a part from time to time, but you can also get casting notices from colleagues. 

Borrowed Studio

  • Traveling is the greatest trick to get urgent work for a voice talent. Many people set up makeshift pillow forts in hotel rooms. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you can also look to borrow a treated space from a colleague. This can be a better option than balancing pillows on a luggage rack and hoping for the best! We all know that consistency in delivery is one of the better ways to keep good clients. 

Who to watch out for

  • Unfortunately, in recent decades, voiceover has been framed as a get rich quick industry in some quarters. This has ramped up the number of snakes and other dishonest folks who are looking to make a buck off of voice talent. A good community group can give you a heads up to avoid this type, and tell any newbies you know the same. And as any industry, we have our bad apples. Thankfully there’s lots of folks willing to watch your back, and give you a heads up. 

Water Cooler Time

  • When you’ve spent days or weeks locked in your little room on a deadline, isn’t it an incredible joy to share with people who truly understand? It’s hot. The neighbors won’t stop mowing the lawn. Seventeen trucks passed by today. Oh and two airplanes. 
  • Or the complicated array of equipment that’s needed to create a recording space. There are so many things that can go wrong or get confused, someone will always be around that you can get techie knowledge from. Software updates can throw things off, and driver updates can mess them up further yet. Someone will know whether or not you should hit that button, or if things suddenly broke, what you might be able to do to reset and get back what you lost. 
  • There are a hundred ideas on how to stay cool in your tiny hot box, and different strategies to minimize noise and maximize breeze. And every voice talent has to deal with a family or home that will be roasting while they record in hot summer temperatures. 

When you join a new group, it can be pretty intimidating. But well established groups and boards often have archives that can give you a hand up. It gives you a chance to get familiar with the types and flows of discussions that happen. You also can answer any questions you may have before you even start. (Plus it’s a bit of an etiquette thing to at least try and search archives before popping yet another question up about v dot com or another voiceover perennial!) Reading will give you ideas of who you might want to approach. Or what events are coming up on the calendar where you can have a chance to meet people in person. Just remember that giving people the benefit of the doubt goes a long way for first impressions. If someone tells you you’re wrong, or not making the best effort, doubling down will start your community life badly indeed. 

Tips For Creating The Best On-Hold Messages

Business, Marketing, Voiceover Industry

Tips For Creating The Best On-Hold Messages

Great on-hold messages can be a critical component of both your marketing and sales funnels. On-hold messages keep callers engaged with your brand and more likely to stay on the phone, rather than hanging up before they can speak with someone. An on-hold message can be leveraged to share your latest sales and initiatives, opportunities, and upsells. They can also be used to share your story as a brand, spread the message about what you’re seeking or generally cultivate your company culture. 

Even though we live in an internet age, phone communication is still very financially relevant. In fact, click-to-call is ever increasing, as people use their mobile devices to search and find businesses about which they want to learn more or with which they want to do business. 

Over two-thirds of customers who call a business or company are put on hold at some point in their interaction, according to this Spectrio blog. That’s a lot of business just waiting to be mined – or potentially being lost, if the customer hangs up. This Mitel blog post purports that 60% of callers that are kept on-hold without a message, in just silence, hang up before speaking with someone. An on-hold message can change that. 

A great on-hold message can keep them interested and engaged with your brand, while also reminding them that you are still there and that their call will be answered in due time. An on-hold message can also provide valuable information, such as your hours or location, which may answer your callers questions before they even speak with anyone. 

What Is An On-Hold Message?

An on-hold message is the message that callers listen to when they are put on-hold through your phone system. A truly great on-hold message takes advantage of those audio spots to inform, educate, and potentially upsell your callers. 

You can create a series of on-hold messages that loop through while your customers are waiting to speak with someone. Many of these messages begin with a short musical start and some musical breaks in between each message. According to this Mitel blog post, most messages are 3 to 4 minutes in length total, made up of a series of shorter messages. If you are typing out a script, this tends to be about 300 to 400 words. 

What Are The Best Types of On-Hold Messages?

There is a lot of opportunity in that on-hold message series. Don’t miss out on the variety of chances you have to engage relevantly with your customers. 

  • Facts and Info Often people are calling to get basic information about your business. Go ahead and share the basics on your on-hold message. Don’t forget your website, hours, location, social media pages, and basic product and service information. 

  • Sales and Initiatives Got a great deal going? Now’s the time to share it, especially for new or returning callers who might be interested. Consider seasonal or timely initiatives that your customers may not know about, but may want to add on to their purchase.

  • Brag Time Callers call to find out more about your business. An on-hold message is an ideal time to tell them what you’re all about. Share your story and brag on the achievements or accomplishments you’ve gathered. 

  • Have Fun!

Now’s your chance to get a little silly or have a little fun. Humor goes a long way in easing the pain of sitting and waiting on hold. Take a note from these Southwest Airlines on-hold messages from the past. Offer some tips, some trivia and some jokes to keep your customers smiling while they wait to talk with you. 

What Technology Can Be Used To Create On-Hold Messages?

There are really two main options for creating on-hold messagings.

  • Legacy or Traditional Phone Systems This is the way you always remember phone systems of days gone by, with a boxes and recording equipment and technicians who need to set the whole system up throughout the office. There are a number of reasons to abandon this way of doing things. Here is a great list of reasons from Intermedia. 

  • Cloud Based Phone Systems This is the way of the future and definitely the way to go if you are setting up your on-hold system or just want to upgrade. Here’s a list from TechRadar with some of the best options out there, according to their writers. The advantages of cloud are endless, but as a voice over actress, my favorite parts are the ease of updating and creating new messages. You can keep your on-hold messages relevant and up to date much easier with a cloud system. 

Who Should Record An On-Hold Message?

When you are deciding who to employ to record your on-hold message, remember who your audience is. Your listeners are your customer base. Where do they turn for advice? What kind of social media influencers do they follow? That’s the kind of voice you want for those messages. 

Don’t forget to consider the tone of the on-hold messages. Should they be serious? Upbeat? Fun? Inspiring? Make sure that you employ a voice that conveys the emotion and spirit that align with your brand. 

For these reasons, we would recommend checking out the services of a voice over talent. A voice actor can provide consistent sound and messaging throughout your on-hold system. They also bring a level of professionalism, with the ability to maintain a certain tone, upbeat nature even after a number of recordings. An amateaur recorder’s voice may start to tire or drop off with each recording, which may not keep your callers engaged throughout their on-hold time. 

Interactive Voice Response Messages

Overall, in this article, we have spoken about the 30-second commercial or informational “spots” that can play, in loop, while your customers are on-hold. These can be informative, and real value adds, for your callers, and can even upsell them. However, if you use an Interactive Voice Response (or IVR) system, you don’t want to neglect the action messages that will be required throughout the process. Things like “To speak with Bob, please press 3” or “To learn more, please hold” or “To access your accounts, please say ‘accounts’.”

If you choose to hire a voice actor, or use one of your own team for your on-hold messages, you will want to also use a similar or same voice for your IVR message system and your on-hold messages. Working with a voice over talent means that your on-hold messages will be clear, crisp, audible, and engaging to keep those customers on hold even longer – until you can talk to them and make your sales.  

Does Professional Voiceover Help Sell Products?

Business, Marketing

Does Professional Voiceover Help Sell Products?

In business, the bottom line is always on everyone’s mind. Cost and trying to get the next thing out the door are a constant battle. When you’re presenting your product to the world, you want a smart, catchy presentation that puts both your company and your product in the very best light. The marketplace grows more and more crowded and noisy by year, and the changes in advertising that have come with the digital age make it so that every person in sales needs to consider where they put their dollars. 

7 REASONS TO HIRE A PRO

Whether it’s an explainer video, a television commercial, a radio ad or what have you, a great voiceover is a natural part of the bargain. But there’s some important things to keep in mind about the voice you choose, and why paying a professional rate is an important part of the process. There are a number of ways to get a cheap voiceover rate these days, and cutting costs might seem like a great idea. But below I have seven reasons why it’s worth paying a professional rate rather than $5.

  1. Natural sound: like your customer. (Not like someone reading something.) – Relatability is the name of the game these days. The announcer sound has seen it’s sunset and we’re into the kind of ads that say more than just what you have on sale. High technology has connected us more than ever, but the real currency people want in their advertising is a feeling of human connection. A pro voiceover will know how to shape their words and tone to both your product and to sound like someone your customer could have just next door. 
  2. Creates emotional connection— without the ability to connect emotionally to the script, no one is going to buy into the pitch. Natural sound leads to emotional connection, which makes your potential customer more likely to remember your product and want to buy it whenever they might need it. 
  3. Positive and lasting impression of your company. Making sure that you have the best sound and presentation shows your customer that you are a solid, professional company that cares about your presentation as well as your product.
  4. Saves time. You don’t have to worry about someone who is new to their equipment. You avoid having to redo your ad if there’s an issue with the performance, recording space or the post-production. 
  5. Consistency. Hiring the same voice helps build your brand in the mind & ears of your customers. This is an easy tool to use alongside all your other branding and marketing efforts and create a feeling of reliability for your consumer that you’re a company they are familiar with. 
  6. Long term ROI. Creating and building a consistent, professional image for your company and your products helps ensure that you will succeed not just with your current offerings, but with anything that you do in the future. 
  7. Helps build trust– Although we might not know their names, the history of every brand has trusted voices in the media that people feel comfortable with and this is true with your company also. People will learn the kind of values your company stands for and the things that your product makes them feel with the right voice, and this will help build the trust consumers have with your company.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT VOICE

So you want to grab that pro voiceover! There are lots of ways to get in touch with pro talent, from individual websites, to agents, and some of the casting sites available with an aggregate of talent. The online casting sites have both their advantages and their cautions. Are you and your team available and prepared for potentially hundreds of auditions? That can be a lot to process, especially if you have a quick turn around. Yes it’s nice to have lots of choices, but the choices can cause you a lot more work. Plus, with the aggregate sites, there’s less personal selection of the voice talent that might fit your specific product the best. Most of those sites use algorithms to select who auditions for you. That being said, here’s four things you need to consider when you’re getting started finding your talent. 

  1. Language- if you’re operating in foreign markets to wherever you are, make sure that you take good care of the language you use. Google translate is not good enough for ad copy, since it misses the fluency of a real speaker, and can easily lack idioms or other cultural markers that will help bring your vision and company mindset across.
  2. Accent- Not all accents within the same languages are created equal. With many languages, there are various regional dialects and sounds depending on where you are or what country you’re in. Although you can make a splash using an accent different from the one people are used to hearing (British voices in the United States, for example.) this should be done carefully to make sure that you don’t make the wrong choice. Another example would be the Spanish spoken in Spain, and the Spanish spoken in Mexico. There are differences in pronunciation and word usage from country to country and you need to take care to get the right voice for the job. 
  3. Script- It can be hard to find a good writer, but the words are a huge part of the game, and the better script you write, the better your voice talent will be able to help create your image and product lineup. Make sure that you focus on showing, not telling with your writing, so that the script is more than a list of product descriptions, and evokes a response in your viewer. The goal is to connect with their imagination and feelings, to sound less like a salesperson, and more like someone they know giving them good info on your product.
  4. Gender- there’s lots of products that typically are counted as being for one or the other gender. The choice of voice for that one is probably easy enough. But what about when your product is something that fits neither? Women’s voices are considered by most people to sound more trustworthy. That’s an important characteristic to tap into. But gender doesn’t have to rule your casting, if you want to take something in an unusual direction.

Why is a pro voiceover still important when more people are watching videos with the sound off? This is a newer phenomenon with the rise of smartphones and crowded public environments. No one wants to be the jerk who blasts the whole bus or car with a high speed auto ad. (Or at least most folks don’t.) It is wise to add subtitles to your video to make sure that this segment of the population can still get the full impact of your advertisement. But it may seem silly, if so many people don’t use sound, why include the pro voiceover? Because there are always times and places for sound, when people will listen as well as watch, and there are people who do prefer sound still, especially older folks. No matter how your viewer chooses to take in your message, choosing a professional voiceover will make sure your presentation is as professional and diverse as possible. 

9 Ways to Keep Moving when You Work from Home

Health

The internet age has given us the ability to telecommute, and it’s an option that seems to be growing in use by the year.  More people than ever are working from home, and it can have some serious disadvantages for your body. When you have to create a work space from scratch, or even just sit longer than you’re used to it can spawn all sorts of aches and pains. And that’s just the start! 

It can affect your digestion, sleep, and many other parts of the body. A google search turns up nearly 2 billion results for whether or not sitting is bad for you and all the reasons why. The methods for improving sitting too much are just as varied, and can range from expensive things to purchase like a standing desk to exercise equipment or workout routines. 

For healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services has put out these exercise guidelines: Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. That’s only 22 minutes a day! And if you’re working harder, it’s even less. Any significant health conditions would indicate that you should probably ask your doctor first. Stay safe everyone! 

But have no fear! There are simple alterations and additions to your routine that can have you feeling better easily and quickly. Although there’s nothing wrong with purchasing new equipment or routines you can also take advantage of things already in your home and your own body. I’m going to include a few ideas that would require a purchase, but you don’t have to take those steps if you don’t want to, and there’s always the option to substitute something you have at home. It does take more effort and attention to make the time for these things, but not only will it help your body, it’ll also help you work better and longer, and clear your mind when you may be stuck or need a refresher. 

Long hours at a desk or in front of a screen can cloud anyone’s mind, and it’s easy to get so wrapped up in what you’re doing that you forget to move away. It always seems like there’s more to do these days, and it’s a special challenge when the director of how and when to spend your time is yourself. You doubtless have outside obligations, but it’s so much easier to get distracted in a comfortable place, or when comfortable places are no great distance away. . 

I don’t need to tell you that this is particularly relevant right now. Since 2020, the number of people working from home has increased. Moving your body can help you stay fresh and work out some of the tension. 

  1. Move while sitting. This might sound a little silly, but even if you just can’t get up right now, you can still benefit your body by moving while you’re sitting. Stretch your arms and shoulders. Roll your ankles and wrists, roll your neck. Put on your favorite tunes and dance in your chair. Bend forward and stretch towards your toes. Straighten your back–you don’t need a computer hump!
  2. Take breaks. Although this doesn’t have to be regular, it can help if it is. Any kind of break is better than none, and they don’t have to be long. Get up, pace back and forth a few times. Go wash some dishes or fold some laundry. You don’t even have to finish the chore, but spending a few minutes up and around will help you go back to work in a better place, and you’ll have less chores to do later. Stretching, dancing, any kind of activity will help make sure your blood is flowing and your mind stays clear and fresh.
  3. Add good resistance. Some small purchases can really help make your everyday movements around the house better for your body. Wrist and ankle weights can be purchased at a number of different configurations and weights, and for whatever time you wear them, you’re giving your muscles a bit of extra workout. Even 1-3 pounds can add up over the course of a few hours. It might take a bit of searching to find something comfortable enough to wear for a while, but there’s plenty of options to choose from. There’s also grip strengtheners, or resistance bands that can be used for a seated bit of exercise, or in addition to your other items.
  4. Get outside. It can be hard to make yourself get out of the house, but it can do so much good to get a breath of fresh air and feel a little sun on your face. It’s a fantastic way to push the hard reset on your brain, and you don’t even have to go that far. A turn around the block can be good enough, but don’t hold yourself back from walking longer if you’re really feeling restless. If you have a deadline, settling your mind will make you work better than you might otherwise. 
  5. Standing Desk / Desk Treadmill & Bike. This is definitely the most expensive option out there, but could be worth the long term investment. There are lots of standing desk options out there these days, along with under the desk treadmills and “bike” units. If you know that taking a break away from your desk won’t really work for you, these are certainly avenues to consider. Personally, I’ve had a standing desk for about years, and thinks it’s incredibly useful to be able to change from sitting to standing throughout the day.
  6. Get online. There are so many workouts available on youtube and many other places for free, and there is so much variety that you can find any kind to suit your tastes. From yoga to weights to using any sort of exercise equipment there’s a ton out there to help and support. One excellent quick, and free yoga option, is YOGA WITH ADRIENE.
  7. Find a buddy. It’s so much easier to get moving when you have someone to help motivate you! If you can find a friend (or any number, group stuff is cool too!) you guys can check up on each other and make sure that you’re not slacking and nothing’s holding you back. And they can also encourage you if you miss a day and help you stay on track.
  8. Stretch. Working yourself through full body stretches is a great way to warm up your muscles and get your blood moving without moving far at all. You don’t have to stretch like some yoga guru to do good things for your body. But to be safe, do a little jog in place for a minute or two or dance around a bit to warm yourself up so that your muscles aren’t completely cold when you start. You don’t want to pull a muscle!  Work from your head and neck, to your shoulders, elbows and wrists. Twist from side to side, and then bend at the waist. There’s lots of diagrams and instructions of great poses to help with this online, but be sure and hold your stretch for 10-30 seconds to help make sure the muscle warms up all the way.
  9. Put things away. Not everyone will find this one useful, but if you’re anything like me, putting away the clutter helps me stay productive. We all have a lot of stuff, and it’s easy for things to get rearranged and left lying out through our busy lives. Walk around your house and look for things you can put back, whether it’s a book, a box from the pantry, your headphones or charger cable, or what have you. Your future self will thank you when you can find what you need when you’re wanting it later!

Eye Health as a Voiceover Talent

Health

Eye health and voiceover? Probably not the first thing you’d think of when considering possible health problems in our profession. We’ve all shared the best throat remedies, or methods to help your sinus issues clear up ASAP, and wondered if that rasp you picked up could land you one of those vocal fry/millennial things that’s all the rage. There’s throat coat tea, a thousand kinds of cough drop, and a dozen other remedies we’ve all shared for throat health and reducing mouth noise, not to mention keeping yourself hydrated. But who thinks about eyes? 

Turns out you should be. Screens are a part of life in general, from phones to TVs to tablets for every sort of person, but in voiceover we all spend a great deal of additional time between recording and editing, not to mention dealing with all the clerical and bookkeeping work that is part of running a business. We all have heard about how bad sitting for long periods can be, well the eyes are another major part of the body that deserves some TLC. Staring at a computer for long hours can cause eyestrain and all kinds of associated problems, and although eyestrain can go away after a while, how many of us go from work to a relaxing TV show? Or staring at a book? Just as it’s true for the rest of your body that it’s a good idea to vary your activities to make sure you don’t harm yourself over the long term, the eyes are the same way. It’s important to take time to vary what you’re pointing them at, and to take breaks just like you would for recording long form. If you think about it, most of us use our eyes even more than our voices, since for everything we record, the editing, billing, file transfer, and all the numerous emails are an attached part of the process. 

Below are nine tips that will help you keep your eyes as healthy and happy as the rest of you. These tips will help you make sure that this vital part of your body doesn’t hold you back from whatever jobs you may have come in! 

  1. Moisturize those eyes– Long hours of computer use make people tend to blink less. One way to combat this is to grab some eye drops to help make sure that sensitive tissue doesn’t get dry and uncomfortable. If you have contacts, you’re probably already familiar with how useful these can be, but otherwise, some artificial tears can really help your eyes feel better. If you have any questions, a consultation with your doctor can help you find the best brand and type.
  2. Don’t rub too much– I think most people have heard this before, but it’s such a natural gesture I wanted to make sure and reiterated it here. It’s normal to want to do that, and boy does it feel good! Rubbing your eye can stimulate the vagus nerve which lowers your heart rate and decreases stress, and can also stimulate the production of tears. But on the flipside, if there’s anything in your eye, you can cause tears in your cornea or scratches on your eye that can lead to infection. It’s also important to remember that your hands are the most germ laden part of your body, and it’s very easy to let germs into you in that way. Lastly, you can also cause the tiny capillaries in your eyes to burst, increasing the bloodshot aspect of your eyes. (If you have eye conditions already, there are even more dangers here for you, be careful!) 
  3. Make your monitor match– Make sure that whatever text you are reading from is an easy size to read, and that your monitor settings are a good level for your comfort. This is especially true if you’re working on longer material like elearning or an audiobook. Don’t forget you can change color, text size, brightness and many other things to find the most comfortable way to read what you need to.
  4. Take eye breaks- The Mayo Clinic recommends the 20-20-20 rule if you work on a computer for long periods of time. Every 20 minutes, stare at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 
  5. Exercise those eyes– another way to combat eye strain is to exercise your eye muscles. Move your eyes in a figure eight shape, up and down, and then side to side. Take your fingertips and gently rub the muscles around your eyes. 
  6. Light it up– make sure that your lighting setup in your booth and your work space in general doesn’t have a lot of glare, or lighting that’s at a bunch of different levels. If you read from printed material, make sure you have a good light coming from behind you to shine on the paper, and if you are reading from a screen, like I said above make sure your light levels aren’t bugging your eyes. 
  7. Blink– take actual blinking breaks, and remind yourself to do so whenever you can. I know I mentioned that above, but it’s an important element to make part of your routine. 
  8. Master your flow– the airflow in your workplace is an important element to consider. This is yet another thing that can dry out your eyes and increase eyestrain. Make sure there’s nothing blowing directly in your face, and consider using a humidifier if needed to make sure that your eyes stay healthy. (Obviously not in a booth, but in your office, or a space you take breaks to, for example.) 
  9. Get eyewear with care– if you wear glasses or contacts, the Mayo Clinic recommends talking to your doctor about considering lenses that are specifically intended for frequent computer use. There also are a considerable array of lenses designed to block out the blue light spectrum that comes from every kind of screen we stare at. The American Academy of Optometrists says that they are not needed, but a writer for Good Housekeeping mentions that they provided other benefits, such as making her more aware of screen time in general. For a long time I wore lenses that filtered out blue light, even before I started to need a prescription for astigmatism and it helped a great deal with eye fatigue and headaches.

The single best thing you can do to help your eyes stay healthy is reduce the amount of time that you are looking at a screen.

So much of our entertainment these days is digital, so when you can, find alternative things to do after your work day. Take a walk, read a book (or better yet, LISTEN to one), and of course spend some time with loved ones which will give your eyes a chance to take a break and relax along with the rest of you.

As for blue lights, which reduce the production of melatonin at night, both Apple and Android phones have settings to turn off blue light, both when you choose to or on a set schedule. Before this feature became available I also used a free program called fl.ux to help control the blue light levels on my computer. This is also a great tip for your family and loved ones, since screen time is so much a part of all our lives these days.

All in all, be thoughtful about your screen intake, turn off your blue lights at night, and take time to rest your eyes, and you’ll be as eye healthy as you can possibly be.