I did the final voice over for Make Me Rich today. Five programmes voiced up in one day – quite hard graft, I’ve a sore throat now, as I sit at Manchester airport on my way back to London.
I’ve learnt a lot filming the series. Both about MoneySaving and about me as a TV performer. In MoneySaving putting the theoretical to the practical test has proved valuable – first of all it relaxes me that the techniques genuinely work if followed properly and the savings can be huge. Yet it’s also generated a number of new articles; Nappy MoneySaving, Nursery Vouchers, Digital TV Cost Cutting System and, soon to come, online DVD rental. All big areas I’d never truly realised the significance of before filming.
Plus it’s changed the way I deal with some articles. I’m currently rewriting Best Balance Transfers, and having always led with the tart solution – 0% to 0% switching; now I will lead with how to get no effort long term cheap credit as actually I think this is what most should be doing.
As for me on TV…. watching the first seven programmes was excruciating. I talk too fast. Don’t worry, I’m not going slow, but I have slowed down a little. I try to push too much info in, and should settle for simpler points, leaving the detail for this site. I can be too evangelical, so much so I occasionally miss the humour in situations. For me the difference between the first and last programmes is huge. I doubt you’ll recognise it too much in watching, as the wonderful producers have edited it well, yet they had more freedom in the later programmes as it was easier to cut.
Even doing voice over is a learning experience. I’ve done it many times before but never in such a concentrated scenario. My most regular TV was years ago at Simply Money, yet then it was always live. One thing I’ve learnt is to immerse myself when reading, try and regain the feeling of the day filming. Today I was literally bouncing in my chair in the voice over booth with full hand gestures even though it’d never be seen. Only that way can I match the excited tone I tend to feel when filming fully.
Talking for voice over is massively different to normal communication – it’s hugely exaggerated, yet it doesn’t sound it on TV. Yet think through when you hear none TV pros doing voice over (remember the Ian Wright programme ‘friends like these’? Then the contestants used to do packages, and even though they tried to get it right, it often sounded hollow). If someone spoke to you in that voice it’d be absurd, yet on TV it sounds normal.
A huge learning curve all round. Hopefully the programme will get a big audience. Hopefully ITV will recommission it, and my dream is they may then choose to show it in the evening. I can dream.
