VOICED. with Fiona Boylan
VOICED. is a series from here. We’ll be talking to creatives, storytellers and those in the audio industry doing things their own way. We’re thrilled to be kicking off with a seasoned voiceover artist for 15+ years, vocal coach and producer Fiona Boylan from Cake Hole Productions.
How’s it going?
It's going pretty well...I think. I just finished a course in Accent & Dialect with KT Speech as I have always been fascinated with accents and how you can feel like someone else when shifting your oral posture and vowel sounds to imitate something other than my Manc dialect. So that's why I did the course, to coach others. I am also starting rehearsals in August for a new play I am performing in called 'Mona & Mimi' in September. So that's exciting! Not to mention we have a Masterclass on the 13th July which I always love. 80 Hertz is an awesome studio to record in - we're very lucky. And the people we get to work with are always fab.
In a few words, tell us what you do..
So, predominantly I am a voice over artist, proudly so. I have been grafting away in this industry for the last 15 years. And I love it. I love how playful you can be when you just hone in on one means of communication, your voice, in order to convey a feeling, emotion, or message to a wider audience. I got told at school I could excel if only I learned to be quiet. Well I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't! I also produce voice over reels for clients through my voice over company 'Cakehole Productions'. I love directing people in the studio. I also love running Voice Over Masterclasses with you. It's lovely to engage with people, share skills and see them fall in love with recording on mic also.
Can you remember your first voiceover gig?
God...I can't, it was so long ago. It may have been a corporate gig? One job that I always remember was a voice over job I did a long time ago for Garden Wildlife Direct. It was just after Christmas and they had a January sale. I had to keep saying over and over again 'get 50% off our fat balls'. It took a lot to keep my composure! I thought it was some kind of mistake. I had no idea garden centres were selling fat balls! Turns out fat balls are seeds and other good stuff that birds feed off. Every day is a school day!
You mentioned you produce reels, what’s the magic ingredient for a good reel?
What's the magic ingredient...be yourself. Don't put on a 'vocie over'y' voice. Your USP is that no one in the world sounds like you and that is your strength. And ask yourself, who is my audience here? Who am I speaking to and what message am I trying to convey to the audience. It can really help a client when I am recording with them to picture someone they might be talking to. Get them out of their heads and out of the booth - which can be an alienating place and get them to imagine a person/scenario in real life that the voice is talking to in the script. Also CHILL OUT, it's not live, it doesn't matter if you make a mistake. No one expects you to be perfect every time you record - you're not a robot. And who wants to work with a robot!
Last thing, what’s a piece of advice that get’s you motivated and in the booth?
Make sure you've read the script a few times beforehand so you're familiar with it and the context of it. And don't be afraid to ask the client questions if you need context or have no idea how to pronounce a word. And WARM UP. Not just vocally but also physically. Get that blood flowing, get into your body. Everything sounds a lot better when your body is warm. You have more energy and focus. Also drink loads of water. I don't mean just before recording. Those two litres of water you drank hours before recording can work wonders!
Learn more about Fiona and her work here - https://cakeholeproductions.co.uk/ and follow her on Instagram here.