As the voice of your project, a narrator must be able to do more than read clearly. He or she should have the understanding and expertise necessary to derive the fullest possible sense and tone from your phrases while having the ability to adapt to direction and recording requirements.
Beyond this, narrators must either be able to vary styles of delivery on demand, or possess a natural "sound" that lends itself to the desired tone of a particular passage or script. Whether the source of your narrators is a production company, radio/tv broadcasting, independent audio producers, or talented amateurs from community theater and the like, some scrutiny and thought must be given to their use and questions asked.
Some of the more obvious would be:
What type of narrator should you employ? At what cost?
What "sound" are you striving for -- will your narrator/s be able to achieve it?
How valid are demo tapes when selecting your narrator/s?
Who will play the role of audio engineer? Of director?
Should your script employ one or multiple narrators to achieve its purpose? Male? Female? Or both?
Do you plan to use a teleprompter during recording? How familiar are your narrator/s with this device?
Next month, we'll explore the answers to these and others. Until then, I'd appreciate your opinions and comments.
Carol Megrail
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