pete hawk - voice talent: Blog

Costs associated with audiobook production:

One woman in the industry says that "Most commercial recorded products are done in big cities like N.Y., L.A., Chicago or Miami...  $500-$5,000 per finished hour is a range I've seen publishers use." The following four factors combine to contribute to the bottom line:

• Studio Time

• Recording Engineer

• Producer/Director

• Talent Fees

Studio time

• is generally in the $150-$200 an hour range
• audio engineers services approx $125 an hour
• producer/director: A few hundred dollars/hr to "the sky's the limit"

Talent Fees

• Can range from $175-$300 per finished hour for professional "unknown" talent to four figures for celebrity talent. Fees are often negotiated based on the scope of the work, intended distribution, type of talent agreement, etc.

What is involved in the audiobook production process?

Audio production for the spoken word can have a widely varying production ratio, this c an be anywhere from 4:1, (i.e. 4 hours of work for every hour of finished product) to as much as 12:1 (i.e. 12 hours of work for every hour of finished product). Considerations of pacing and style for the delivery and attention to detail in recording, proofing, editing, and mastering are the largest contributing factors.

The process involves the work of a narrator (performing the reading/narrating), an engineer (recording & editing) and producer/director (coordination & direction). Post production entails editing, mixing and mastering.  The nice thing about Pete, is that he is able to play all of these roles and deliver a quality product.

What is is a "voice artist" and how is he involved in the audiobook narration process?

In a word: Storytelling. Narration is an art form, the narrator or voice actor is a "voice artist". There are special skills required of an audiobook narrator. The skill set for a narrator or voice actor includes the following "performance tools": Script analysis, interpretation and a range of creative delivery styles for character development and portraying characters and, not least of all, stamina and consistency. A lot of time goes into preparation for an audiobook performance. This includes pre-reading the material, (often creating a database of the characters to be voiced) and going through the manuscript to do the "mark up", putting accent/emphasis marks in for a guide.

In voice acting it is important that the overall performance flows well and is consistent. The rhythm of each line, each paragraph, each piece of dialogue, each chapter as it unfolds must match the flow that the imagery of the scenes demand.  The pre-read is essential to the execution of this task. At the same time, a fine balance must be maintained,  delivering the necessary emotion, characterization and tone without overshadowing the story. Unless called for in the story, an "over the top" performance can distract the listener and detract from the experience. Therefore the narrator must be able to serve the needs of the role while remaining "transparent".  An experienced and talented audiobook narrator performs with this level of skill.

Choosing a Narrator
As the author or executive producer, you are the person closest to the project, and if the person's voice "resonates" with you on an emotional level, chances are that it will be the appropriate "type" for the material. In addition to this, however, a narrator must have the skill set to be able to do much more than just read clearly: One must have the understanding and expertise necessary to breathe life into the work. 

Some other important considerations in choosing a narrator are: budget, deadline, narrator's availability, is there a studio and engineer available, and of course, attention to detail in recording, proofing, editing, and mastering.

Artwork

Most of the artwork seen in Pete's audio products was produced by him.  Fee's charged for art depend upon one thing, the amount of time involved.  Typically this can be wrapped into an overall "fee" for the project.