In March of 2005, Seth Stevenson wrote one of his Ad Report Card columns about the Voiceover business. It’s really good stuff, and if you haven’t read it, it’s well worth your time.
He makes several good points, each one valuable for all of us working in voiceover. But, I think his last one is especially spot on…
It’s still an inexact science. Ad agencies can serve up all the adjectives they want—wry, edgy, authoritative, sexy, textured, real. It’s still a know-it-when-you-hear-it kind of business.
He then provides this quote from Harlan Hogan’s book VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Artist as an illustration…
The voice for this spot should be younger, probably thirty-something. It should be honest and real and not too zany like a Steven Wright or Mark Fenske. If the voice were music it would sound more like the Dave Matthews Band or Bryan Ferry. Angie Harmon, formerly on Law and Order, would be a good start as a description for a female voice. Self-assured, with a brassy tone. George Clooney, if he could talk with more enthusiasm and speed, would be a good example of the quality we seek in a male voice.
Uh, huh. Could you be more specific?
(update: I found this article while reading the archives at the Voice-Over Bulletin Board.)