tips for directing a live session
During a live session, a project director will meet with their voice actor(s) individually via a call on Discord, Zoom or a similar type of service in order to direct the recording, give the actor feedback and ask for changes or additional options. The actor is expected to record the session on their end and send the file to the team afterwards to edit.
Live sessions are pretty much the norm in professional studios. A separate voice director is often hired for this, with clients from the production side sitting in to supervise and provide additional notes. However, many online/indie projects are—and can be—recorded independently by having the actor send over a file with a couple of takes for each line of the script.
Having actors self-direct may be the best option if you are not used to working with actors in real-time and aren’t quite sure how to convey what you are looking for, and eliminates the need to juggle availabilities and work around both of your schedules. But if you find yourself wanting very specific reads and want to give the actor direction in real-time as opposed to sending over revision notes, you may request live sessions for your project.
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Pros to Live Direction
- By working with the actor in real-time, you can immediately either approve the recording for each line or ask for any desired changes, minimizing the need to bounce emails back and forth asking for retakes.
- Other members of your team (such as a script writer, co-creator, character designer, etc) can also jump on the call to listen and give feedback if they so desire, allowing for a collaborative result.
- Having someone on the line may result in a more believable read from the actor.
Cons to Live Direction
- Schedules can be difficult to coordinate, especially when working across different time zones and/or countries. If there is a large time zone discrepancy, it may mean one or both parties have to work at a non-optimal time, such as late night or early morning.
- The process can sometimes take longer overall than if voice actors record on their own and then send lines through email, particularly if the project creator does not know how to direct efficiently.
- Editing the files can be more time-consuming—with independently recorded files you’re generally getting just the lines, but with a live session peozple tend to record the entire session meaning you have a lot more audio to review/cut/edit or pay someone else to do for you.
- Not everyone knows how to direct, which can be a notable source of frustration for actors. In fact, working with a bad or incompetent director is often seen as worse than simply self-directing.
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frequently asked questions
How should I structure the pay for live session jobs?
If you wish to do live direction, we generally suggest making the pay rate “per hour” rather than “per line/word”, to ensure actors are appropriately compensated for the time booked out of their schedules to record the session. This is how rates are typically billed in-studio.
Can I require a live session for unpaid/hobby projects?
That’s up to the actors. Put quite simply, if you are not paying the actors to work on the project, it is difficult to demand specific commitments from them in terms of scheduling. If you insist on directing live but you’re not paying for the recordings, make sure this is stated up front in the casting call notice so any actor auditioning knows what will be expecting.
Do I need to rehearse the script with the actors beforehand?
“Rehearsals” are generally not seen as necessary for voiceover work. Any important notes and information can be communicated to the actor prior to the session via email, or during the session itself. Sending the script to the actor prior to the session for review, however, can be quite helpful!
Should I have the entire voice cast record together on a call?
While this may sound great in theory because it can allow for more natural flow and believable performances, it can quickly become an absolute nightmare in terms of scheduling. The bigger your main cast, the more difficult it becomes to coordinate, as everyone has different real-life obligations – not to mention the difficulty of working across multiple different time zones and the session potentially falling apart if a main cast member has an emergency and can’t make it to the group recording. It’s usually more practical to just record with each actor individually; however, if you really want to do group records then it’s best to limit it to just a couple of the lead actors who interact with each other most often.
How many hours should I schedule at a time?
In professional industry work, an individual session usually lasts 2 to 4 hours. For vocally stressful sessions (defined as anything which involves sustained screaming, shouting, growling, rough or textured voices, creature work, etc.) these should be limited to 2 hours at a time, unless requested otherwise by the actor. Additionally, it’s common to offer a 5-minute break at approximately the top of every hour.
Should I hire a separate voice director?
If you’re pretty sure you want to do live sessions, but you’re not confident in your abilities to effectively direct the talent, consider hiring a voice director if your budget allows for it. You as the producer would still be welcome to sit in the session and provide additional context, which can be helpful for both the actor and voice director – and you can still speak up if you need something done differently that the voice director doesn’t catch. But by letting the voice director take the reins, the primary onus is off of you to provide feedback.
A voice director’s job often entails the following tasks:
- Communicate with the producer/client regarding the concept and creative direction of both the project as a whole and each character’s individual arc, before recording sessions begin
- Review materials ahead of time n in order to understand the story and provide context to the actor during the session
- Keep the tone of each scene in mind so that all the dialogue sounds cohesive when put together
- Guide the talent by helping communicate any necessary information to them about the story/character/scene
- Take notes of preferred selection for each take (unless someone from the production team is available to note take)
- Give feedback to the talent for retakes or additional options of each line
- Act as a go-between for producer and talent if the producer has notes and revisions they’re not sure how to convey properly to actors
- Keep an ear out for consistency in the voice and tone as well as clarity of recorded dialogue
- Communicate with audio engineer (if applicable) to ensure recordings match technical specs
So what makes a good director, and how can you make the process efficient and productive for both parties? Here are some tips that will help ensure everything runs smoothly for your live session.
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preparing for the session
- Email the actor a day or two before you are scheduled to record to confirm the session date and time (including time zone). Exchange any necessary information for connecting (such as Discord username or Zoom link). Providing a link to the script (or a hard copy of the script) is also a good idea at this time so that the actor can look it over if they so choose.
- If you need to cancel or reschedule, let the actor know as soon as possible so that they can reopen that time slot for other bookings.
- Technical/connection issues can cause delays that are inconvenient for both parties. Log on a bit earlier than the scheduled start time so that you can make sure your computer and Internet are working properly. Be sure your computer is already booted up, applications are open, any necessary updates are installed, and that the correct input/outputs are selected in your conferencing program. If you’re able to connect via a hardwired connection as opposed to Wi-Fi, this is a plus as it can help reduce lag, dropouts and other connection issues.
- Utilize headphones if possible during the session (if you don’t have over-the-ear headphones, earbuds such as AirPods will work). If you are using computer or phone speakers, the sound from the call can “bounce back” resulting in the actor hearing an unpleasant echo as they record their lines.
- Connect from your phone only as a last resort. While it’s not uncommon for clients to join a Zoom call via their cell phones, spotty service can result in calls being dropped or important notes being missed. Join from a computer instead if you’re able to.
- Consider muting your mic while the actor is recording. If you’re in a noisy home or office environment, have loud children or pets in the background, are eating lunch during the call, etc…this can be distracting to the actor while they are trying to perform. Muting yourself during takes can be helpful; just remember to unmute when you need to give feedback!
- Beware of “too many cooks in the kitchen”, which can confuse or even intimidate talent. If you plan to have multiple team members sitting in on the call, decide who is going to be the primary “point person” to give notes to the actor—though the others will still be welcome to chime in with notes where needed, it helps avoid situations where different team members are giving the actor conflicting directions.
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during the session
- Give brief context for the project and character. At the start of a new project, you should explain a little bit about the story and the role the actor will be playing. Upon recording each scene, you may wish to give a short overview of the scene or any relevant plot points that the actor should be aware of. However, try to keep it concise and avoid droning on with a long backstory that doesn’t really apply to the character the actor is playing. (Many things can be gleaned from context and are fairly self-explanatory for experienced actors.) Remember that the actor can always ask questions to clarify if they need more context.
- Visual assets are pretty much always helpful. If you have concept art of the character, a storyboard, a teaser video, etc, this can greatly aid the actor in coming up with a fitting baseline.
- Voice test: On a brand new project, have the actor read a few sample lines from the script so you can approve the general tone of the voice, pacing, and base projection level etc before you dive into recording the full script. This will also help the actor set the appropriate gain levels for recording.
- A good workflow for recording (commonly done in-studio for game sessions) is to have the actor try two takes of the line (known as an “A and B take”) after which you can either a) move on to the next line, or b) ask for a new take based on your feedback. This allows the actor to give a couple of their own interpretations first to give you options to choose from—-and if you’re not happy with them, it can give you an idea of what changes to request. But don’t ask for 4-5 takes off the bat—-you still might not get what you want and have to redirect anyway.
- Give the actor the chance to try the line first before telling them how to do it. For instance, if the context of the scene clearly shows that the character is angry, you don’t need to tell them “I need you to sound angry for the next line.” However, if the actor reads the line and it’s still not angry enough, you can redirect after the fact by saying “I need more anger in the line / can you make it more intense?” etc.
- If you’re not quite sure how to articulate what you want, the following elements may give you ideas: Speed (faster or slower), volume (louder or softer), pitch (rising/falling inflection), energy (more or less), emphasis (hitting a certain word), or asking for a different overall “feeling” of the line. The more specific you are, the better the chance of getting the read you want!
- For battle efforts, shouting lines, or anything else that is “vocally stressful”, try to keep it to as few takes as possible. Be clear with the actor what you’re looking for on these so they don’t have to strain their voice continually retaking a loud line. Start with 1-2 takes on these and then redirect if you absolutely need to. Also, save the in-battle recordings until the end of the session if possible. You don’t want the actor to blow out their voice early on before you even get to the regular dialogue!
- Be sure to offer breaks if the session is expected to run for two or more hours, so everyone can hydrate, use the restroom, etc. It is common to offer a five-minute break at the top of each hour, or a ten-minute break halfway through longer sessions. For example, during a two-hour session you might offer one five-minute break after the first hour, and for a four-hour session you might offer a five-minute break after the first hour, a ten-minute break after the second hour, and another five-minute break after the third hour. These don’t need to be strictly planned down to the minute of course; if you’re in the flow of a scene or almost done with a certain section, you probably want to get to a stopping point that makes sense first. Actors don’t always feel comfortable speaking up to ask for a break, so by being proactive, you can keep your whole team happy!
- Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want in terms of line delivery. Many newer directors may be intimidated by working with an experienced actor or feel like they are being a “burden” by asking for retakes, but a big part of the actors’ job is to help bring your vision to life. As long as you are being respectful and reasonable, there is no shame in communicating what you’re looking for—after all, everybody’s goal is to make a great project!
- Consider “reading in” the voice actors—-meaning, if their character is responding to dialogue from another character, you’ll read the line from the other character so that they can “respond” with their own character’s line. This tends to make the performance more authentic, as “acting is reacting”. You don’t need to be an actor yourself to do this or even “perform” it in any way; it simply helps the voice actor to be able to verbally respond to a line in context.
- Be open to a little collaboration from your actors, if the project allows for it. Maybe a line is written in a way that sounds very awkward when spoken aloud, and they want to change a word or two to make it more conversational. Maybe they have a line they want to improvise a little at the end. It never hurts to be open to these options—-and if you’re not sure, you can always ask for a “safety take” of the original line as-written. This goes for being open to actors’ reads, too. Perhaps a take wasn’t exactly what you had envisioned in your mind, but it may end up being even better! Don’t be afraid to ask for a redirect if you know you want something different, but also, be open to what the actor’s instinct was in their initial takes.
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live directing etiquette
- Don’t be a jerk. Everyone’s end goal should be to make a great project. You can articulate what you want without being harsh or rude, or insulting the actor’s skill. Some people may do this to compensate for being afraid of not being taken seriously, or because they think that giving the actors a hard time will result in a more authentic performance, but in reality it will just make the actors not want to work with them again. It’s okay to be particular, it’s okay to be honest or even blunt, but it’s not okay to make someone walk away from the session feeling like garbage.
- Be sparing with line reads. For context, a “line read” is when you perform the line yourself the way you want it read and ask the actor to parrot it back to you with that same inflection. In most cases, line reads should not be your first go-to as it can be considered off-putting or esven insulting to an actor. Try to find a way to ask for the read you want without resorting to a line read. However, if you have a really specific delivery in mind that you need and you’re just not hitting it after multiple takes, a line read can be acceptable to avoid wasting too much time. Line reads may also be more prevalent/understandable in the case of comedy/parody projects where a very specific read is needed for comedic timing.
- “Give me one more” – while acceptable – can sometimes be confusing to actors. Did you like the way they delivered the line previously and just want another take similar to it, or did it not sound right to you and you want a significantly different option? When the director says “give me one more” over and over, it’s easy for actors to get in their heads because they’re not sure if they’re on the right track or not.
Some alternatives you can use:
**If you liked the take they gave but just want another choice with a similar vibe, or you just want to make sure you have another in the bag for one reason or another: “Great, can I get a safety on that?
**If you’re not sure if you liked the take or not, so you want to hear something else just in case: “That was good, but could you give me a couple more options just to play with?”
**If it wasn’t hitting for you, but you can’t really articulate what wasn’t right about it: “Can you try another with a different feeling so we can see what will fit best in the scene?” - Try not to respond with “No” after the actor tries a take. Maybe the line delivery they gave was not at all what you had in mind, and that’s okay, but saying “No, that’s not right” implies that the actor’s choice was inherently wrong rather than just different from what you were looking for. Instead of “correcting a bad read”, try to approach it from the perspective of communicating the notes you’d like to hear in their next read of that line.
Bad example: “No, that’s wrong. He’s meeting his old nemesis from the past and you read it like he was happy to see him. Do it again.”
Good example: “He feels pretty strongly here about running into his old nemesis – can we try another take with a feeling of more dread and resentment?” - Respect the actor’s privacy and boundaries. For example, if they provide you with a Discord ID for the purpose of conducting the session, that doesn’t mean you should just randomly hit them up for social chats afterwards. Some project creators may hire an actor they are a fan of because they enjoy that person’s work, which is fair, but try to keep it reasonably professional when you’re directing. A sincere compliment is fine, but treating the session like a convention or fan meet rather than a business engagement can make things uncomfortable.
- Above all, have FUN! It’s okay to make mistakes, and nobody expects you to be perfect. As long as you approach the session with a good attitude, chances are your actors will enjoy it, too.
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This article is written by Kira Buckland. While all guides and resources on this site are provided on a volunteer basis, you may optionally support with a coffee if you found them helpful!