"Just talk to me like we're having a drink at a bar..."

So I was lucky enough to be hired for a voice over job this past Week. Lots of fun and a lot of clients in the studio. Six to be exact which is much more than usual. Normally you'll get one or two, maaaybe three people listening in on your takes and giving you notes for the next go round.

To have six people all giving input will inevitably lead to some confusion.

Amid the myriad suggestions and thoughts being slung around the room I got the note "just be really relaxed when you give this next read. Like you and I are hanging out at a bar having a drink".

I admittedly have a very overactive imagination so as soon as I heard this note my thoughts started spinning. But to understand my rapid fire mind run let me set the stage a bit more.

(Basically this set up but add 3 more people.)

All a little listless and disgruntled that their ideas have to compete with others.

So anyway at the start of the session after I'm settled and set in the voice booth (the other side of the glass window in the fuzzy background) the majority of them all pour into the studio and I pop back out to shake hands and make a good first impression...which is difficult with chronically sweaty hands but thats for another post...

Everyone is dressed in winter attire. Pea coats and scarves or those loose fitting neck cloth wrap arounds like a Christmas Kylo Ren cape, except for one dude.

This guy is dressed like an early 90's sports agent from Tampa. Bald with thick black rimmed glasses on his overly cared for, shiny hydrated face. Super tight fitting white button down dress shirt with one too many of his buttons unemployed so his chesticles are in view. and Jeans. I'm pretty sure he had shoes on but I wasn't looking.

(implied chesticle shot)

So we are recording takes, I'm getting the usual notes of "sounds great. this take more relaxed and more emotion in the middle, now try it less energy, now more etc"

Then Mr. Chesticles chimes in "hey great job we are loving your radio type voice and all the modulation but this take go ahead and drop all of that and just, just talk to us like you are at a bar. like you and me just went out to get a drink at a bar, talk to me like we are having a drink. at a bar".

And now my mind starts runnin. why would I want to go to a bar with you mr. Chesticles? More women would be turned away by the iridescence of your entire get up simply because of reflective light. they'd get close and then get blinded by your sheen I talk to people more or less the same. It's always my voice whether at a bar or not. Do you want me to change my voice so that I don't sound like me? Why hire my voice if you are looking for a bar voice we just met why would I want to goto a bar with you what kind of vapid, meaningless conversation would we be having? Probably something about shirt tightness and hydrating lotions for my face and how best to slip drugs into a drink undetected Do I have a drink? how many drinks in am I and what am I drinking? this is a business meeting because we aren't friends so am I acting irresponsibly by being inebriated in front of this person paying me? did you order my drink for me? and if so what's in my drink? am I going to have to take a Lyft home? these drinks are overpriced

So after all of that raced through my brain we did the take, they liked it but then said "forget that previous note we really want you to keep your modulation it keeps me interested so just do it the way you did it before"

Oh you mean read it like the person you hired. No problemo.

All it all it was a great time and they were all great people, even Mr. Chesticles.