Read this: #159B - SPECIAL: The “One Voice” Conference 2021

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You may not have thought too much about before there be invisible voices lift self-service checkouts and smart speakers, they narrate your audiobooks introduce the next programme on TV and voice all your favourite cartoon characters, then once a year hundreds of them flock to a hotel in South London to practice their conversational reading style horror stories and ring a bit too much on a boat down the Thames

Is the UK's biggest conference 4 voiceovers and Leah Marks and mcredmond from the British podcast Awards nominated voice-over social podcast have put together this collection of the best hits of 1 boys 2021 especially for you have devoted Media podcast listeners expect showing off from some of the country's best impressionists Furious rant about seeing in diversity and one of the best outtakes in the world of voice-over this year.

I'll be back at the end of the show but for now.

I will hand you over to the shows hosts Nick and Leah hi.

I'm Nick I'm a voice-over artist and a voice and accent coach and I'm Leah and I'm a voice-over and an update and a BBC Radio Manchester news reader and I work in audio drama as well.

We've been mining the one voice conference that content for years now, but they finally made as their official podcast as last year and this year.

We're bringing you Media podcast listeners some of our favorite.

Enjoy as well coming up we have some of the most up-to-date information on how AI is going to impact voice-over work and dip into the world of continuity and a cracking demonstration of how to say the word flaps, but here's the keynote speaker from the conferences first day.

Impressionist Rory Bremner this year Channel 4.

It's 1990s we've moved across from the BBC right.

How can we push the boundaries of it if you could imagine a time like this is the time when the prime minister Tory Prime Minister of argument about Europe can you imagine and backbenchers giving the government that Prime Minister really anyway and John Major off microphone and famously that was the bastards bastards the bastards and pretend to John Major and

Is the my heart I'm so anyway.

I'll cut it short but I should have this guy Richard body.

I said hello what's all this behind my back.

I know I know I don't want to join them and we're doing you didn't have a script the microphone and two people in there and I will make it up at that moment when you realise he thinks you're John Major and it's like the safe door swung open and you thinking all my heart and I was making up I said I want you to come and the conference no, I want you to I want you to dance with me on the last night know what was the Heat this man.

I was sort Richard body was the ringleader for a group of backbench MPs who were going to give major really hard time at the Party Conference in a couple of weeks time.

They were going to really rock the boat and there was going to be this big revolt but because he spoken to John Major you spoke to me.

He called it off and anyway, so you change the course of history moorways the weather is what I think I know a true love is all the cabinet papers which came out at beginning of the year.

So he didn't believe it.

Eventually he apologise for the cabinet secretary, but yeah, that's what happened he called off or evolved because he spoken to John Major and had assured him.

And it just overtaken even more dramatically in the last 10 years or 5-years even take trump.

You know you know he's like I like the turned up at Crufts today.

Where are you and person a famous person on the telephone Stephen Fry Stephen noticed the story about Prince Charles anyway and and he got a phone call from you do one day.

It's even pick up the phone Steven

Next weekend here from Sophie Hind who's the MD of voice work.pay.

I Richard The Voice technology and audio production company that's worked on Google home and Amazon Alexa AI and text-to-speech panel and was first or last by conference organiser huw Edwards to give some examples of how a company has been using AI voices ok, so I could give you a couple of example 1 which is sport Focus and sport is all about emotion and passion as we know and within our skill we deliver news on all 20 Premier League so it's a blend of human voice and CDs so where you've got short real-time information.

That's changing rapidly so schools or fixtures.

There's a place for Ty you doing something like a match preview or post match report we use email invoice because you want to convey that emotion that passion what happened.

Said so we find it's a real blend and we've even with real advocates of human voice.

We've even used a human voice to voice all the menus in the skill so often with Alexa your hearing his voice but we've chosen to use a voice-over because we think it gives a richer experience another example, where would you use a eye is within a chatbot so for education and universities often when they are recruiting they recruiting students from all around the world where you got multiple languages multiple queries, so we have a system where the chapel answer queries by voice it can answer via social media but it can also translate into multiple.

It's a short question about courses about the Campus you know what to do in the first week.

It works really effectively and we've also found that generationally you know that some younger demographic are very happy to interact with the boats.

They Know It's

But that's not a problem and I think that's one of the big things to consider it.

I think we as consumers are happy with text to speech in certain environments as long as we know it speak to robot that from for us.

We create a lot of audio content and there is no substitute for me for human voice if it's a longer for peace or please, please.

What do you think the future is interesting opportunities with passionate about technology over 4 billion people around the world using voice assistants now.

It's huge.

It's not going anywhere and it's not just about smart speakers and the little plastic thing in the corner of your room.

It's about the way that were interacting with the biggest uservoice on our phones every rule mobile so where I see a huge opportunity for voice overs is we preached the brands if your if your brand has been discovered by voice.

What does it sound like and

The still a huge huge number of businesses that haven't thought about it.

You know they have amazing visual brand guidelines and logos and fonts and beauty and when it comes to the voice if you ask her voice is about a brand if you don't have any audio content or any presents on your website it will just return whatever it pulls in the background.

So it could be reading a a wiki page in a horrible to speech so we are working with brands to create their audiogram brand guidelines which includes using voice overs and human voice so that really beautiful content that matches ever had a massive opportunity for voice over but I also see that you know with text-to-speech.

We will all start using digital assistants to do the really short routine mundane things and that's where text-to-speech will become more valuable to us like the fridge telling us when we running out better adding it to a shopping list and

Let's carry that thread on about positive things that we can think about positive stories or things that we think will be coming you know different types of worker extra work, so I think the film and gaming industry is quite a lot in pre-production in a keeps costs down and then real voices are used at the right point but the weather's this rapidly changing information on highway information.

We have a brief to create a recipe skill for Alexa and 500 + recipes in the first iteration the voice 500 recipe could be quite cost-prohibitive for the client but actually we can build the school with a lot of human voice and then when it comes to the instruction bit I think they will tolerate having an AI voice just giving me step-by-step instructions.

I think it will lead to more opportunity in different applications.

Hello, I'm Jessie Ware from table Manners the podcast now here with my mum died and we have a special bonus episode of table manners.

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We talked to the fantastic broadcaster and entrepreneur Laura Jackson all about how to fantastically listen now on your favourite podcast app.

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Next up we have a short clip of channel four's paint, Norwich and Danny Kirwan from a brilliant session about the role of the continuity announcer and I'll pop up in this one to hear you've got two birds one of them you may be able to recognise from the two in it that is the Deezer to decommission boots know the one of the left is Sky one, but it's all very similar so you can I phone you have your screen space, please showing what's on telly and that's it that you normally have a plane up there actor or network director who runs the schedule for you and tell you when you're talking.

Yeah.

It's quite a lot of programs a lot of counting she needs to concentrate very strongly on what you're saying and not to listen to the clients too much because you could have you can have three points going on in your ear as well, so you can you get other account from a live outside broadcast which is coming off there a lifetime too and I said why can't we just coming on the plus your account from the network correct as well.

Three different people fighting in your ear as you're trying to read a 15-second script which can't be any longer than 15 seconds and all the while a small voice is head as soon as you raise the Fate of the mic as soon as your life to the nation the boy says you could say fuck right now and then you push it back in mind and it says fuck yeah, that's a bad one at the end of that 15-second anything I really hope I didn't say I have no idea that go on it down here for you and everything quite easy.

We just got to do is reads your can we will be in network director the flight director.

Yeah, here we go then.

so, this is the way it works will be the network directors and remember once you start you can't stop the medical drama on the end the number 369 54321 did she do well, so if you like to hear some more from that it's there and some absolutely horrific stories from the depths of other continuity boots we spoke to a collection of TV

Finest in episode 29 rees-mogg, Louis Walsh so on today to the second keynote speaker was the comedy impressionist Jess Robinson we originally spoke to her on the voice-over social class back stage at Glastonbury a few years ago about her route into the end of 3 and some other bits and bobs that episode 20 but when was upon the main stage at the one boys conference we have to tell us about how to overcome her feelings of anxiety and even she suffers from it, Imposter syndrome well my therapist once said that I should.

Liza Minnelli she said who Who Do You Know The Who just wouldn't give a fuck who do you know that is just powerful and them the whole time channel them and say something and do a movement with it too so the movement was this cause it felt powerful and the words are and get infinite lives in step into that additional go for that casting or do the voice that you're not too sure about that.

Yeah, so I channel lots of different people and I got a little mermaid little stupid poem which is Stacey Solomon tickle Lorraine Kelly to be polite in the morning.

Hillary to be blunt and I'll channel Katie Hopkins when I want to be a call me.

There's more Alanis to get angsty Street-Porter to be on Miley when I'm drinking Alex Jones on a date Kylie with my neighbours and Jayne Torvill when I skate don't know what she sounds like.

The only thing I mustn't do is Mother than my head.

I'm stormy Daniels down the market and Sonia from Eastenders in bed at the end Eliza Minnelli Liza Minnelli ok.

We're gonna learn how to do Liza Minnelli the first thing you've got to do to be Liza Minnelli is get your voice in the back of your throat Slight Mr Bean like Dennis Street-Porter say hello.

I am at the One voice conference amazing the next thing you've got to do is with your voice in the back of your throat.

You've got a head in an American accent.

So oh boy orgy I'm glad I'm here amazing and as you can notice you're doing a spot on Judy Garland right now the next thing you've got to do with your voice in the back of your throat and the American accent is you've got to add the sugar and Ashes so could you say 7?

Sausages we getting there.

This is great.

You could already be on the Muppet Show just remember that voice for your character really it's excellent the next thing you've got to do is so I've got the voice in the back of the throat.

We've got the American accent.

We've got the Ashes you you know you've got to get into the emotion of are you never know she's gonna laugh or cry really relate to her and say something funny and yet tragic at the same time make it quite breathy as well like she's been running up the stairs my schnauzer fell down the toilet and but then he drowned fell down the toilet that's very good and now if you could just saw you come up the stairs.

You've been running a marathon.

I've had both hips replaced.

Spray it's Liza and then for a standing ovation from all of you and for me.

I'd like you to sing come.

Excellent well done some people are too hungover to stand up.

That's ok next it's the Equality panel chaired by voice of Murphy and featuring actor David Monteith to but we start off with actor.

Roly Botha who is non-binary one of the big challenges, but I'm coming up against at the moment is being changed to deliver a non-binary voice which I will tell you confidently Now does not exist.

There is no such thing as there are people who were like my lover and identify as male you have really high voice and I think I think like something.

Is just the Education around the nuances of changing Concepts for a lot of people and everyone has had to completely myself.

I I need to educate myself more on because things that come through in a lot of the non-binary now and I think what a lot casting think they're saying is I can't tell if it's male or female.

Where is it's not and I think what's important when we talking about casting authentically is that the non-binary voice to come to people who do not identify as something like male or female but their experiences and that's what is needed in.

Authenticity is really important United people see Castings that are for transgender characters and they are not transgender people not knowing with everybody say that a lot of people can go through lives happily not realising the challenges that other people face.

Thank you so much David you spoke really passionately you do I don't know if anyone follows the media but last year during the Black lives matter movement you wonderful videos education and tell people can educate themselves you still these people who don't reach for you.

I'm not really bothered about the people you don't want to educate themselves.

What can I do about that what I can do is the people who want to listen? I will speak to you and that means if you make mistake.

I'm not going to jump down your throat because people make mistakes and I also avoid certain certain words if I can I never did 7 videos about black lives matter if you don't wash your notice at never wants to buy a black lives matter mainly because they start conversation which on point yeah people get lost in the knowledge that the technology you're not doing anything.

What is explain what privilege was a lot of people need to be interested voice unlock my people saying talking to me on the phone then I'll put you on the phone and I've just got a voice.

Oxford School of drama quite recently and there was someone who did my head are identified as a girl she was transgender and they were transgender to keep doing it and I calling them her thing in the inside and I said I'm taking this really brave step to stand that you want to be but I'm over 50 and I want to change but I'm I'm entrenched it easy and she was very good babe with very gracious to the fact that I couldn't change instantaneously even though I wanted to and I extend that same price to people who get matters of coloroll get it wrong, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be a pushover on that either and they want to sleep for anything that they want to.

I voice I went to a studio for a very well-known games producer and demonstrating our games work and the script there and I did descript and they said to me what we go to Durban voice voices whatever they are and it's the same thing I had when I was younger as an actor and director goes.

Could you be more black and what kind of black is it you looking for and in the end of the day we walked out of the rehearsal room and there was a young urban you standing there.

Looking like that, but I don't want to be classed as a black doctor Doctor Who conventions.

Lot to getting asked if I don't worry about yesterday or tomorrow because not hear this it's not important.

The world's revolving around I just looked through the listings for today, so I worked out the website is writing A27 events today participants are 19 women and 20 men.

Yeah, right now about ethnic and diverse ei152 other black people taking part this weekend.

What is doing a Annabelle in African no problem with that? It's no problem with that for safe with the other person's doing it ethics panel.

Which is a step away from the Equality way to demonstrate equality is to put diverse people on panels that are not just about equality and diversity and change the subconscious of your mind just doing stuff without rating is getting looking at their supporting equality because the minute you do that some people get interesting people are realising it ever again, please.

I'm really I'm really

Thank you for that.

This is not the place where we demonstrate equality and diversity.

It's pointless to the conference organisers right now in the middle of running the American version of one voice so they couldn't join us for a proper chat about David comments, but they have recorded the statement has Hugh Edwards hello everybody I do hear what I'm David saying here and it's absolutely right that just showing a bunch of people on a diversity panel like some sort of tick box exercise would be less than you, but that is what we did we had people of colour book for the UK conference covering other topics as well and as an organization.

We are 100-percent committed to promoting discussion not just on racial equality also on gender equality equality on sexual orientation and equality for those with disabilities and further that I would like to add that since last year.

We have made significant progress in terms of

Sexuality with our speakers roughly half and half male and female and with at least 10 about presenters identifying as being from the LGBT community regarding people we are careful to make sure that the makeup of our speakers at least reflect the makeup of the population nationally but the problem with that is that the speakers have to cancel through you know no circumstances their own there's just on a flex in the system and it ends up looking like we haven't even bother trying when actually we have and also the people that are established enough in their fields to provide a great session to a new industry is a limited pool.

So that does have an impact and I also do recognise that just reflecting the population might not be enough and that's you know you can't be what you can't see having people of cholesterol.

Typically overrepresented on the stage might be a positive step and we are working towards that I would however slightly like to come back onto points that David made, which I didn't think were.

The first one being the Emma and uncle is fantastic talk on the opportunities available in Nigeria and the wider parts of Africa was just as valid as the other took from the schedule and the larger message that we've been promoting for over a year now about the future of the oh and it being heavily linked to globalisation.

So that was a completely relevant topic and the second one was that of inclusion as the chair on the ethics panel, which it is a very different topics that other quality and was also very important and it shows actually our commitment to empowering people of colour with positions of authority at the 10th conference.

I am listening.

We are always trying to improve and actually I'd like to invite our community to help us with this because more voices means more viewpoints and means we can take even more steps towards a safe positive and inclusive environment for everyone know we recorded a live episode of the voice of a social at the One voice conference all about accents.

Turn voice-over and how to book more work in your native accent the full version of which is out in October but here's a little clip kicking off with a video of Katie who's an agent at the voice-over gallery Manchester talking about which regional accents.

They're being asked for we get a lot of they ask for a Northern accent, but it's never specified to read me very rarely get the Liverpudlian and what they call a generic northern which perhaps doesn't exist in the world of voice-over it seems to exist more and more common probably more over more so than RP voice actually which is so we had no then from quite a few different people actually but yes she also told this thing which illustrates an accent and I think it was also bad push for diversity because been as a company also trying to be in the UK for that.

LGBT bait from having people who are actually from the to record rather than people doing accident by themselves, so who are not made that authenticity casting and it came up in the Equality panel earlier as well.

I just somebody patronising like that the people behind his campaign think they want understand what anybody saying this statistic recently about the percentage of the population who speak with variants of RP is actually only about 3% in the UK between 3 and 5% depending on the researcher read so you know the majority in terms of accent is not our PRP and accent within the but like it's an accent in itself amongst all these other accents so I'm just about it.

I've written here girl.

I'm livid anyway dot dot dot.

Rather than stronger version of the regional accent was also what were being asked for so you know the ability good dial it up and I'll it is it something that's quite useful.

This is my voice but I definitely can't talk a lot Manchester because they live their lives there a long time is like my alternative voice-over option then what's yours sound? So when it when people don't think I'm Irish enough.

I don't know when Irish bars in America but you'll hear me on the phones in the phones have many of them if you call them going here in Detroit it sweaty wing Thursday so come on and get your Irish wings and the full version of that live episode we are out on the 1st of October we got one more thing to play you.

Play the best bit of the entire conference but just before we do if your a voice-over or you use voice overs with publishing a version of this voice over social one voice conference episode with the DPF filter on it's not next week the people who do work in the industry so the best bits of chosen for that one cover things like rates and you said auditions agents think that so we'd love for you to join us there you can find at the social.com or wherever you listening to the media podcast obviously so here's one of my friends to introduce our final favourite bit hello.

I'm Alex hangover sometimes known as Alex picture was nominated for best outtake at the One voice Awards sadly didn't win which basically means it was worse than the worst anyway, Leah and Nick's loved it and I've asked me to introduce it as part of the best of the one voice conference episode sadly.

They wouldn't judges if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning this highly coveted award next year my tip is just to Simply Be immature.

Just like me.

Thanks very much for having me on the podcast and here's my submission flaps flaps inside the intake airbox number one map at this address.

Let it the flaps inside the intake airbox number one map at this address the vertical axis shows the engine revolutions and professional.

Is anything about flaps there's nothing funny about flaps flaps slap slap slap slap? She's having him up flaps flaps flaps flaps flaps the vertical axis shows the engine revolutions and the horizontal axis shows the percentage of incoming are the values in the charts are expressed in percentage of

You're alright, that's funny.

That's the funny bit of the way.

That's done.

Ok flappers opening flappers opening the values in the charts are expressed in percentage of the valleys in the charts are expressed in percentage of flappers opening thanks for listening to this special bonus episode of the media podcast also available at wonderful rights for my agent London voice-over, and if you have an interest in the world of voice-over, I can thoroughly recommend as well the voice-over social podcast episodes.

An investigation into the Secret History of the RP accent an audio diary of their trip to a seaside Village near Aberdeen and the worryingly named sex noises do that pod kite link / the video social in the autumn.

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