Voice Over Voice Over 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'slate' mean in a voice over audition?
- The recording studio's lighting setup
- Stating your name and the role you're reading for at the start (Correct answer)
- A cue card with script lines
- The final approved take
Correct answer: Stating your name and the role you're reading for at the start
Slating is when a voice actor introduces themselves (and sometimes the character/project) at the beginning of an audition recording.
Question 2: Which microphone polar pattern is most commonly used for solo voice over recording in a booth?
- Omnidirectional
- Figure-8 (bidirectional)
- Cardioid (Correct answer)
- Supercardioid
Correct answer: Cardioid
Cardioid microphones capture sound primarily from the front and reject noise from the rear, making them ideal for solo VO recording.
Question 3: What is 'room tone' and why is it important in voice over production?
- The pitch of a narrator's natural voice
- The ambient sound of a recording space recorded without talent speaking (Correct answer)
- The EQ setting applied to VO tracks
- The volume level of background music under narration
Correct answer: The ambient sound of a recording space recorded without talent speaking
Room tone is a few seconds of silence recorded in the session space, used by editors to fill gaps and create seamless audio edits.
Question 4: In audiobook narration, what does 'cold read' mean?
- Recording in a low-temperature studio to preserve vocal health
- Narrating a script you have not reviewed in advance (Correct answer)
- Performing with no emotion or inflection
- Recording the introduction before the rest of the book
Correct answer: Narrating a script you have not reviewed in advance
A cold read is performing a script for the first time without prior preparation or rehearsal.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'pop filter' in a voice over setup?
- To amplify the microphone signal
- To reduce plosive sounds like 'p' and 'b' from hitting the mic (Correct answer)
- To eliminate background hum from electrical equipment
- To shape the frequency response of the recording
Correct answer: To reduce plosive sounds like 'p' and 'b' from hitting the mic
Pop filters are screens placed in front of microphones to diffuse bursts of air from plosive consonants that cause distortion.
Question 6: What does ACX stand for in the audiobook industry?
- Audio Content Exchange
- Audiobook Creation Exchange (Correct answer)
- Advanced Content Experience
- American Content eXpress
Correct answer: Audiobook Creation Exchange
ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is Amazon's platform connecting authors, publishers, and narrators to produce audiobooks for Audible.
Question 7: Which vocal warm-up technique helps loosen the articulators before a voice over session?
- Humming at the highest pitch possible for 5 minutes
- Tongue twisters performed slowly then at increasing speed (Correct answer)
- Drinking cold water to tighten the vocal cords
- Speaking in a whisper to rest the voice
Correct answer: Tongue twisters performed slowly then at increasing speed
Tongue twisters exercise the lips, tongue, and jaw, improving diction and articulation clarity for recording.
Voice Over Voice Over 2
What does 'slate' mean in a voice over audition?