When you choose the right pitch and cadence, you instantly build trust. This applies just as much to a persuasive radio commercial as it does to internal training.
Flanders is a small region, but our ears are very critical. A forced Antwerp accent in a video meant for the whole region can quickly create resistance. A stiff, formal Dutch accent from a newspaper also creates distance.
- The natural balance between an approachable Flemish accent and flawless pronunciation.
- Their experience with the medium: e-learning requires a very different rhythm from a short commercial spot.
- The ability to quickly pick up on directing cues without sounding artificial.
A director's tip from the studio for the best results
As a voice director, I see this daily: clients give instructions in seconds instead of focusing on feeling. They say, "this sentence needs to be four seconds long," which makes the voice actor sound rushed.
My most important directing tip: give the voice actor space to use a slight smile at the start. You can hear a smile immediately in the tone of the first three words. That draws the viewer into the video without you needing to shout louder.
How the price of a voice recording is truly calculated
There's sometimes confusion about rates in our industry. However, the structure is very clear and logical. For commercial work, like a radio or television commercial, you pay a fixed basic fee for the studio recording plus a 'buy-out'. This buy-out covers broadcast rights, depending on the channel and the period the commercial will be heard.
For non-commercial projects, such as an internal corporate film or e-learning, it's different. Here, we usually calculate a rate per word or a fixed project fee. Since every project is unique, you should request a tailored quote for an exact price.
