Tell me about your ear
13/7/17 11:38![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
darkemeraldsWho here likes audiobooks? Can I ask you some questions?
What's important to you in a reader/narrator/actor--particularly in fiction? Have you ever figuratively thrown an audiobook across the room because some particular thing about the reading bugged the crap out of you?
For example, do you value voice quality above all? Can't stand certain types of voices? Would listen to Alan Rickman reading the phone book?
Or is vivid characterization most important? Do you like really dramatic character readings? Or are subtle variations enough for you to keep track of the story?
How much do you care about authentic dialect, accents, and accurate representation of, say, foreign words in a text?
What about male versus female voices? Have you ever felt that an audiobook would have been improved by an actor of a different vocal gender?
And pacing: do you use the playback speed control on your audiobook app if someone is too slow? Too rushed?
Here's why I'm asking: I'm thinking seriously of hiring a voice actor to create an audiobook of Restraint. I know what I like, but in the long process of workshopping the novel I've learned that my taste is pretty specific, maybe even alienating to people who might like my work if I opened it out a bit more.
I can't please everyone, of course, but if I'm gonna shell out for this production, I'd like to get a sense of your taste, too, and try to meet it.
What's important to you in a reader/narrator/actor--particularly in fiction? Have you ever figuratively thrown an audiobook across the room because some particular thing about the reading bugged the crap out of you?
For example, do you value voice quality above all? Can't stand certain types of voices? Would listen to Alan Rickman reading the phone book?
Or is vivid characterization most important? Do you like really dramatic character readings? Or are subtle variations enough for you to keep track of the story?
How much do you care about authentic dialect, accents, and accurate representation of, say, foreign words in a text?
What about male versus female voices? Have you ever felt that an audiobook would have been improved by an actor of a different vocal gender?
And pacing: do you use the playback speed control on your audiobook app if someone is too slow? Too rushed?
Here's why I'm asking: I'm thinking seriously of hiring a voice actor to create an audiobook of Restraint. I know what I like, but in the long process of workshopping the novel I've learned that my taste is pretty specific, maybe even alienating to people who might like my work if I opened it out a bit more.
I can't please everyone, of course, but if I'm gonna shell out for this production, I'd like to get a sense of your taste, too, and try to meet it.
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20/7/17 04:15 (UTC)That being said, I really enjoy Campbell Scott: he can do women without making it all false and high-pitched. There's something about the way he changes tone that makes it obvious it's a woman, but a real woman, not a caricature of one.
Also, some energy to it. Some readers are dry as hell (tends to be the author-read ones for some reason, unless it's Gaiman); others have just the right...'I'm a voice actor for an animated film' aspect to it, but without being over the top. Again, Campbell does this just right.
Aside...I'm glad to 'see' you!