Voice Over Voice Over 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'IVR' in the context of voice over work?
- Interactive Voice Response — automated phone system prompts (Correct answer)
- Independent Voice Recording — solo home studio sessions
- Integrated Video Rendering — syncing VO to video
- Internal Velocity Ratio — pacing metric for narration
Correct answer: Interactive Voice Response — automated phone system prompts
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) refers to the recorded prompts and menu options heard when calling automated phone systems.
Question 2: In voice over, what does 'matching' refer to during a pickup session?
- Choosing the same microphone brand as the original session
- Replicating the tone, energy, and pacing of previously recorded material (Correct answer)
- Syncing the new audio file name to the original project name
- Equalizing the audio to match broadcast loudness standards
Correct answer: Replicating the tone, energy, and pacing of previously recorded material
Matching means recreating the same vocal quality, emotional level, and pacing from the original session so pickups blend seamlessly with existing recordings.
Question 3: What is a 'scratch track' in film and animation production?
- A damaged audio file that needs to be replaced
- A temporary placeholder voice recording used during production before final casting (Correct answer)
- The first clean take selected by the director
- Background ambient sound recorded on location
Correct answer: A temporary placeholder voice recording used during production before final casting
A scratch track is a rough voice recording—often done by the director or a stand-in—used during animation or editing before the final voice cast records.
Question 4: Which LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) target does Spotify recommend for podcast audio?
- -9 LUFS
- -14 LUFS (Correct answer)
- -23 LUFS
- -32 LUFS
Correct answer: -14 LUFS
Spotify normalizes podcast audio to around -14 LUFS integrated loudness, so mastering to this level prevents unwanted gain reduction.
Question 5: What does 'lip flap' refer to in animation dubbing?
- Unnatural mouth movements caused by poor animation quality
- The visible mouth movement on screen that the dubbed dialogue must match (Correct answer)
- An audio artifact from a loose microphone connection
- A comedic style of animation where characters exaggerate mouth movement
Correct answer: The visible mouth movement on screen that the dubbed dialogue must match
Lip flap is the onscreen character's mouth movement that voice actors must sync their dubbed dialogue to in localization work.
Question 6: Which contract term describes a voice over fee paid each time a commercial airs?
- Session fee
- Residual (use fee) (Correct answer)
- Buyout
- Talent advance
Correct answer: Residual (use fee)
Residuals are additional payments made to the talent each time a commercial airs, common under SAG-AFTRA union agreements.
Question 7: What is 'sibilance' and how is it addressed in voice over audio post-production?
- Low-frequency rumble fixed with a high-pass filter
- Harsh 's' and 'sh' sounds controlled with a de-esser plugin (Correct answer)
- Vocal fry on low notes corrected with pitch correction
- Excessive room reverb removed with noise reduction software
Correct answer: Harsh 's' and 'sh' sounds controlled with a de-esser plugin
Sibilance is the harsh, hissing quality of 's' and 'sh' sounds in vocal recordings, typically reduced using a de-esser during post-production.
Voice Over Voice Over 4
What is 'IVR' in the context of voice over work?