DIY Narrator: For Instructional Designers Who Narrate eLearning: Recent Episodes
Josh Risser
Narrating your eLearning is about more than just delivering information, it’s about engaging your learners. To get the most out of your time narrating, you need to make sure you’re focused on the things that will improve the conversationality of your narration and connect your learner to the message and intent of your e-learning project.
Ok, I'm just going to start by saying I'm obviously biased in my opinion about where AI can (should?) live in the eLearning narration world. Full disclosure, in the last year (2020) around 50% my income was from eLearning Narration work. There was a HUGE surge in people needing to produce virtual training, especially in the upskilling/certification world. Not necessarily in the world of corporate learning, that was honestly pretty steady compared to 2019, for me at least. That said, I try to keep my eyes on future advances in technology related to voice and learning, things that might impact my future as a voice talent. In the last couple of months I have seen a handful of articles touting the "benefits" of AI voices in eLearning narration. It's mostly been focused on saving money and speeding up production. No one seems to be talking about how the learners feel. Or how effective it is at accomplishing the real goal... learning. Setting my bias aside, I want to hear from you in the community. What do you think? Is it a handful of companies producing AI voice avatars simply targeting an industry that uses voices and is often very budget conscious? Or... Are we a decade or less from the rise of AI in eLearning and the end of eLearning voiceover for DIY and Pro alike? Knowing full well, we can't predict how good these robots will get, I still feel we're a long way off from a robot expressing empathy or urgency in their read. Let me know your thoughts. Shoot me an email or look me up on LinkedIn.
Last week, the wonderful Devlin Peck released a video titled "Does your eLearning Project Need Narration?" - which I thought had some great ideas around necessary application of narration in eLearning. If you haven't watched it, I absolutely suggest you go check it out. Subscribe to his channel while you're over there! Great videos released much more consistently than episodes of this podcast! In this episode, I riff on some of my thoughts on Devlin's major points and expand on them from the perspective of a narrator.
I know what you're thinking.. There is one point where I kinda, sorta, somewhat disagree. It's really less of a disagreement and more of a difference of perspective based on what could be a differing approach to the craft of eLearning Narration. That said, I don't really know Devlin's familiarity with my approach to narrating eLearning or if he does any narration himself, so it isn't fair of me to assume anything. Plus my bias as a narrator obviously comes into play when talking about whether or not narration should be included in a project. That said, I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, so drop them in the box and let me know what you think. Resources
Devlin's website Does your eLearning Project Need Narration? - Devlin Peck Mayer's Principles - Devlin Peck
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
A piano, guitar, and the alphabet walk into a bar... Oh wait. That's a different thing. After a bunch of questions, I'm revisiting the concept of practicing your eLearning narration. Many of you have asked "How much do I need to practice?" or maybe "What should I practice?" Well, listen in and you can hear me riff a little more on what practice actually means to me. You can also listen to the previous episode, if you want to dig in a bit more. Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/music-musician-piano-keyboard-4934190/
Ask any good musician and they'll tell you the trick is the space between the notes. That's what we're here today to talk about. Pauses. We're usually so focused on the words and the performance of them, that we forget to address intentional silences. We can use them to catch a breath, add emphasis, and help pull a listener along. They can also be used to overwhelm a listener or ruin your effectiveness because you paused for too long and left them wondering if maybe the audio dropped out. Because less is more, that's all I have to say for now. Enjoy the episode.
This month I've been working through a huuuuge eLearning Narration project. I mean, HUGE. Nearly 80,000 words, more than 30 modules, all for one client. That equates to probably close to 8 hours of completed audio. The full process involves the following main steps:
A quick read to know what's coming Recording the first take and fixing mistakes as I go Creating regions for file naming Proof listening a module to find mistakes I missed during recording Cutting in new lines or recutting an entire section to improve the original take for clarity/pacing/spaces/etc Fixing any annoying breaths, mouth noises, or odd background sounds I didn't notice while recording Rendering to MP3 Making sure the individual files are all there, named correctly, and sound as I expect (rendering errors and artifacts can definitely happen!)
The Wandering Mind The biggest problem you have when you're doing this much narration is a wandering mind. At various point during the process you can start drifting mentally to any number of places. Especially if you find the content a bit dry, you've been going too long without a break, or you have a lot of different things pulling at your attention. A drifting mind has a number of consequences for your learner, the worst is a disengaged performance. Your learners take your cue from you. If you're engaged and interested in what you're saying, they'll be interested in what you have to say. But if you have no energy, are thinking about dinner and what you have to do later, and checked out while you're reading to them... well, they aren't going to be listening. Keeping your eLearning Narration focus, will also lead to an increase in your perceived Authority. So that's a win-win situation for you and your learners. Also, check out the 20-20-20 rule for preventing eyestrain while reading
Today, we're talking about finding your intent in your eLearning Narration performance. And I may have just simultaneously written the best and worst headline in the history of the Internet, but it will all make sense when you listen to the episode. What is Intent? Stop. Right. THERE! Intent is not a "what". Intent is your "why". Why are you narrating this eLearning? Why are you saying the thing you're saying? Why are you talking about this concept before the next one? Do not confuse your "why" with your "what"! Your intent is not just to get someone to learn something, it's not to diffuse the information you have to all of the learners out there. What you're trying to do is get people to absorb and learn the concepts. But the harder question is "Why are you trying to get this person to learn this concept." The emphasis on each is very important. Why do they need to know how to be better, faster, or stronger at their job? (Hint: it's not so the company makes more money) Why do they need to go through the 2021 benefits training when the 2020 benefits training was almost identical? (Hint: It's not because HR is required to train every employee every year) Finding Your Intent To make finding your intent easier, first let's make this less confusing and define our terms. We already know "Why" = "Intent". Let's call "What" your "Objective". This is the outcome you're trying to produce: Learning something new, getting better at your job, etc. You can find your intent by working through the answers to the 6 key questions posed in the magnificent headline of this article. Listen in and you'll hear me work through these questions and give you some examples of how you should approach each question. You'll also get a little insight into my own personal "Why". Links and Things I've discussed many of these concepts in other episodes, but I was inspired to dig this by Larry Conroy's 2009 article on an actor's intent, "What is the Difference Between an Action, an Objective, and an Intention?" This episode will also play well with another acting-focused episode: Nebulous Woo Woo Stuff
"I still sound like I'm reading!"
I've heard that sentiment from a number of people trying to get better at eLearning Narration... Then I realized something. All of these people (possibly even you!) are missing one key ingredient when it comes to improving their eLearning Narration and sounding like a professional voice talent — not someone sitting in an office and reading a script or an even worse version of Amazon Polly. That key thing is something you're very familiar with. In fact, when you hear it on this episode, it's going to hit you like a flyswatter on a hot August afternoon. Take a second and think about your typical approach to narration. You only fire up your mic once it becomes time to lay down some dulcet tones on that fancy eLearning module you just built in Articulate. Or maybe for today's forty-second Zoom Meeting. And right there is your problem! The Problem People only worry about being a great eLearning narrator when they have to do the voiceover for an eLearning Module. You don't get better at something by only doing it once a month or even once a week. You need to do things much more often. There's a word for this... hmm... What do we call it when we repeatedly perform a task with the aim of getting better? PRACTICE! When I was first getting into voice over I would fit learning about the business and practicing the craft into as many spaces of my life as I could. I'd listen to podcasts on my drives and dog walks, read about it at night before bed, and practice, practice, practice on my microphone every. single. day. I was submitting hundreds of auditions. Early on, I didn't lie to myself about getting hired for the job, but I knew that every script I read and every hour I spent with my DAW got me a step closer to getting good enough that I'd be able to do the work of a voice talent as a full-time career. And now voice over is what I've done full-time, more comfortably than I was as software developer or a corporate trainer, for nearly three years now. But don't worry about getting 10,000 hours on the microphone. That's not necessary, you just need more focused practice time than you're currently getting. Which can't be hard. More than zero isn't much! How to effectively Practice eLearning Narration Take a listen to the episode for my tips on how to effectively practice your eLearning narration skills. You don't need to spend hours a day recording yourself. But it'll help if you have some guidelines and a good benchmark to work towards. In this episode you'll learn:
3 specific things you need to do make sure you're practicing effectively A simple way to create a benchmark to strive for (what good is practice without a goal?) How often you'll need to practice How to avoid practicing the wrong things and ingraining bad habits Why the CDC Hand Washing article can be an effective practice script
Related Episodes Here are some episodes you can check out to help you practice more effectively:
Bad and Incomplete Advice Who's it For? Part 1 Who's it For? Part 1 Control Your Breath 5 Performance Tips for Engaging eLearning Narration
One major complaint, gripe, or observation I've heard a number of times is that professional voice talent can sometimes sound too professional.
When you've heard it, you may have said something like this:
"They just sound too professional!"
"They don't sound like us."
Traditionally, a voiceover talent performing eLearning has a very distinct sound. It could be described as "professional." But more often, I'd probably describe it as steady, deliberate or precise... but on the less-nice side maybe even dull, droning, or boring.
The thing is, that "professional" sound that pops into your head is something that you should be trying to avoid. Your learners want to hear someone who sounds like a trusted coworker, not someone who sounds like they're doing an impression of a VO.
Listen in to the episode to learn tips to avoid the "too professional" sound in your own eLearning narration by keeping your narration casual and engaging for the learner.
With apologies to Eli Manning...
Listen to this one before the Cease and Desist letter hits my mailbox.
Last night was Super-Duper Football Game night. As usual, the commercials were the true highlight. Though, when you can see them all online the week before the surprise of a really good Super Bowl commercial is shot.
As is usually the case, my ears were focused on the commercials that feature voiceover. I'm listening to hear if there is a voice I recognize, how it was performed, what the big trends are.
Super Bowl commercial VO is a great place to get a feel for the current expectations of a high-caliber VO performance.
Then I heard the spot from Verizon and the NFL titled "One More Sunday". This one was voiced by Eli Manning, which was an inspired choice given his recent retirement and the idea of the end of the season not necessarily meaning the end.
If Tom Brady were retiring, he would have had this paycheck locked down.
The idea behind the spot was great: The NFL season is ending, use the time you're getting back next Sunday to volunteer and make a difference.
Excellent idea for a campaign.
The thing is, Eli's performance just didn't do it for me. He just wasn't connected to the intent and meaning of the spot. Because of that, he fell a bit flat at key moments. I think it turned what could have been an excellent and highly effective spot, into one that did the job but wasn't amazing.
You can hear the spot if you listen to the episode, but feel free to check it out on iSpot.tv.
Listen to this episode to hear my breakdown of Eli's performance and how this relates to your DIY eLearning Narration.
I'm not doing this to pick on Eli, I just thought some of you may be interested in hearing the stuff that is going through my head when I hear spots like this and when I breakdown copy.
Head over to Verizon's site for the "One More Sunday" campaign to check it out and sign up if you are so inclined.
And to prove that I'm not an Eli hater here is one commercial he did that I specifically remember laughing way too hard at:
Photo by karatara from Pexels
This episode is a change of format for DIY Narrator! In this episode, I'm joined by Neil Zielsdorf.
Neil is an Instructional Designer for Amazon who has recently moved into a new house. As a result, he's been incrementally setting up a room in his home to be his new workspace for recording eLearning narration and videos over a green screen.
We had a great discussion about sound reflections (echo), acoustic treatment, and attempting to keep the sounds of a household out of your space.
In this conversation, we cover a number of approaches you can take to improving the acoustic quality of a room. Everything from bass traps, acoustic foam, and moving blankets to DIY acoustic panels and weatherstripping.
As an added bonus, we had a quick conversation about VR and AR as well as how voice over fits into that format a bit differently than your typical eLearning narration.
If you want to get in touch with Neil, you can reach him on LinkedIn.
Links
We talked about a number of things in this episode. Here are some links if you want to check any of them out!
The DevLearn Las Vegas Hotel Room EpisodeSamson Q2U micAudio Technica ATR-2100 USB micPurple Panda Lavalier (Lav) micThe Impulso AppBooth Junkie Acoustic Panels
Hmm... Title ideas...
The secret that Voice Over Talents don't want you to know!These 5 things help you sound more conversational. You won't believe number 4!Don't even think about recording your eLearning narration without doing this first!
Oh wait, I'm producing valuable content here, not clickbait.
But seriously, this really is one weird trick that most voice talents use on a regular basis and it will probably have an immediate impact on your eLearning narration delivery.
And it is so simple.
The "lead-in" is essentially a short phrase you add to the start of your read that keeps you from slamming into the first word after hitting record. It also has the added benefit of helping you keep your frame of mind on the key components of your narration scene:
Who are you?Who are you talking to?Why are you saying this?
Check out the last episode for more info on those concepts and why they're important.
024: AKA Method Acting for the Instructional Designer
This episode picks up where last episode ended: My presentation at the Learning Solutions conference.
Last episode, I talked about the Bad and Incomplete Advice you've been given and some pitfalls that can cause your narration to be not so conversational sounding.
This week, we're going cerebral! Time to get in your head and figure out what you're thinking about when you're sitting down to narrate.
I bet I can guess what you're thinking about:
"Time to knock out some narration before my meeting in 20 minutes!""I hope I don't stumble over my words! I hate starting over and having to edit!""I only had one [beverage of choice], I shouldn't slur my words... too much."
You could probably guess that those kinds of thoughts are not helpful when you go to narrate your eLearning course.
Listen to this episode to hear my thoughts on where your head should be when you go to narrate.
Stuff In This Episode
A 3-part template for getting your head rightA one-man play I wrote called "The Bathroom"My LSCon Slide DeckSome bad adviceProbably not any Method Acting at all, actually
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023: Learning Solutions 2019 Presentation - Part 1
Note: I accidentally pointed the last post to the wrong file! This is a duplicate/new post to make sure everyone gets the right file downloaded. You might not have noticed, but in case you think you already grabbed this episode, that's what's up.
First, a story:
Once upon a time, there was a guy who had a podcast and was speaking at a conference. He thought, "Hey, I'll record my session and release it as a podcast."
He bought a cool lavalier mic for his phone and tested it to make sure it worked.
Session day came and before he started presenting he fed the mic through his shirt, plugged it in and tested it out. Everything worked!
Then, about 35 minutes into his session he realized he forgot to actually start recording the session.
The End.
Sooo... At the end of March, I was honored to be allowed an hour to present at The eLearning Guild's Learning Solutions conference in Orlando.
It was an amazing experience. If you made it to my session, thank you so much for coming.
For those of you who didn't (which I think was most of you since I have a few thousand listens and about 40 people in the room), I want to recap my session over the next couple of episodes.
This episode focuses mainly on the advice you've heard in the past and how it's lead you astray. Not because it was bad advice, but because it was incomplete.
You've heard it all:
Billboard Important Phrases!Speak Slowly and SteadilyE-nun-ci-ate Your Words
These are all great pieces of advice, but I've found that there isn't enough context or understanding out there about how to properly implement them.
We should rethink the word "Authority" when it comes to eLearning Narration.
Episode 22 of the DIY Narrator Podcast is here! Time to talk about sounding like an "authority" in your eLearning Narration.
I'll be honest, I don't like the word "authority" as part of the direction for narrating an eLearning script. To me, "authority" too strong or negative.
In my head, I see the grumpy professor standing behind a lectern and regurgitating information. Expecting you to sit quietly and take notes.
Not like someone I'd enjoy learning from.
When trying to add "authority" to your narration, you have to be really careful. Doing so can take you down the wrong path. You may end up with a less friendly read or you could even end up sounding condescending.
No learner wants to be talked down to. People enjoy learning from a friendly person they trust and see as an equal.
When I see "authority" or "authoritative" in direction spec, I mentally swap it out for the word "confident." I've found this satisfies the feeling my client is hoping to get across, while not negatively impacting the tone of my narration.
Not sure about you, but I love to learn from a confident teacher. Someone who knows their stuff, understands how to teach it, and is brining me along with them in the learning process. That is not at all like the person I think of when I picture authority.
Listen for three tips on how you can sound confident to satisfy the "authority", without sounding like a jerk.
I also mentioned a few other episodes:
Episode 001 - 5 Performance Tips for eLearning NarrationEpisode 020 - Tips for Conversational Narrations
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Yer gonna wanna listen to this one!
This week we continue with the question “Who’s it for?” and dig into how you can adjust your narration style to sound more conversational with the intent of appealing to and connecting with your audience.
If you haven’t heard Part 1, check it out!
And if you have heard the episode on how I failed by not answering the question of “Who’s it for?”, be sure to check it out here.
I guess you could call that Part Zero.
Oh, be sure to listen all the way through to hear my impression of the worst elements of conversational American English and a horrible pirate joke.
In the next episode, we'll talk about your energy levels and sounding "authoritative"... whatever that means. ;)
Things covered include:
Elements of conversational narration style How they all fit together When they don't work What NOT to do! A terrible pirate joke
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"Who's it for?" You already ask yourself this question when you begin working on a training module. It should impact every element of your eLearning: the outline, the visuals, the length, the language, and the method of delivery.
It should also impact your narration in a number of ways. This week, we're talking about scriptwriting and pace.
I did touch on pace a bit in Episode 19, so be sure to check it out as well.
In the next episode, we'll move onto how the conversationality of your narration will change based on your answer to the question of "Who is it for?"
Things covered include:
Understanding the question "Who is it for?" Approaching your script Questions to ask to impact your performance pace
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It's been too long since the last episode, but it was all for good reason!
Apart from being crazy busy over the holidays, I spent a lot of time thinking about where I wanted to take DIY Narrator in 2019. I think you're going to like it.
Also, near the end of 2018, I took on my first project with a brand shiny new client and quickly proceeded to make one serious mistake that caused a bit of extra work on my end and some unnecessary stress on their end.
I want to tell you that story in this episode, along with what you can learn from it to improve your next narration project.
Things covered include:
DIY Narrator Academy DIY Narrator Podcast Changes My eLearning Narration FAIL! Who's it for?
Subscribe! Be sure to subscribe. Find all the links here. Question? If you have any questions for me, please email them over to host@diynarrator.com or send me a message on my fancy new Questions Page.
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Video is BIG in L&D.
But I don't have to tell YOU that.
All you have to do is think about the last time you visited YouTube and you'll realize how engaging and effective video content can be when done well.
Or how ineffective it can be when done poorly.
Specifically, I'm talking about poor audio quality.
Knowing how effective video can be for training, I wanted to discuss how you can get started taking steps to improve your audio quality.
With how great cameras are getting on phones these days, in my opinion, audio quality is the low-hanging fruit when it comes to improving the effectiveness of your training videos.
Things covered include:
A short rant about audio in videos Camera Audio Mic Solutions - Upsides and Downsides
Lav mics Shotgun mics
Recording Solutions
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When I was at DevLearn back in October and introduced myself as "voice talent" often their response included some variation of the following question: "My friend/My spouse/I've always wanted to explore voiceover. Do you have any advice?" Lucky for me, I love to talk shop.
For a long time, I've avoided this question on the podcast, but I wanted to cover it and get it out of the way! For the most part, those of you in L&D are passionate about learning and teaching and aren't looking for another career.
But that's what this episode is all about. How can you, as an Instructional Designer narrating your own eLearning, get into other areas of voiceover?
You have the equipment and you've improved your space and skills based on advice from the DIY Narrator podcast. Why not try your hand?
Here's my advice, which doesn't really differ at all from my own path into voiceover.
Things covered include:
Listening to commercials! Coaching Getting Auditions Agents? A special announcement!
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The introvert in me needed a break from the amazing networking and learning event that is DevLearn... and what an amazing event it is. The Keynote from Julie Snyder (Executive Producer of the Serial Podcast) was killer (no pun made in poor taste intended), the sessions have been awesome and informative, the Expo is amazing, and everyone is the nicest person I've ever met.
Plus, in Episode 15, I promised you a podcast!
This week is all about doing the best with what you have and improving the sound of your recording. In a matter of minutes, I went from a very echoey room on a glass desk with a bunch of background noise to a very serviceable sound using just some stuff from the hotel room.
Could it be better? Sure. But that's not the point. The point is simply that there is no excuse to use what you have around you to improve the sound of your eLearning Narration.
Here are some photos-
Desk Setup:
Pillow Fort:
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Whenever you have to record a longer project over the course of a few days, a flood of thoughts and concerns may come to mind:
How will I make sure tomorrow’s recording sounds like today’s?
What if I lose my voice from all of this talking?
What happens if my computer blows up?
This episode, I’m discussing exactly that. How to best prepare and manage your process during a marathon multi-day recording session.
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The hisssssss of sibilance is a killer of a great narration. It's harsh on the ears, distracting for a listener, and just plain annoying.
Sibilance in an eLearning narration can be caused by a number of issues, but thankfully, there at least as many ways to address or fix it.
However, my philosophy stands: Always attempt to address a problem before it begins and try to relieve it before we ever hit record.
Unfortunately, some voices and microphone combinations make it difficult to fix sibilance problems at the source. In those cases, you also have a few software options available as well, so don't give up the dream and hit delete on that 60-minutes of recorded narration just yet.
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“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ― Rudyard Kipling
This week I worked on three different eLearning projects that incorporated a story, each in a different way.
I wanted to take a minute and share the methods with you.
We've all experienced the eLearning where afterward you remember the silly acting and contrived story, but not the message it was trying to convey.
So, I had a few thoughts on ensuring the stories you're telling in your eLearning and through your eLearning don't become a distraction for your learners.
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Breathe in! Breathe Out! Did you know that you're probably breathing incorrectly?
That leads to difficulty working your way through longer passages, awkward breaks to catch a breath, and taking large gasps after long sentences. Those loud breaths will cause you to spend more time editing.
Never fear! This episode is all about getting your breath under control and improving the flow of your narration.
Topics include:
Tips for taking deeper breaths Conjunction Junction! Air Control exercises A hidden Friends reference DevLearn!
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Time for a change of pace! This week - Q&A and an Announcement!
Questions cover a variety of topics.
Topics include:
When to use an authoritative/formal vs conversational style My thoughts background audio and sound effects for eLearning Approaches to getting two very different recordings to sound a little more similar.
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Saving time Part Three! WOOOO! DIY Narrator is back!
Sorry for the delay in this last episode of the series. I went and got myself sick somehow (I blame my kindergarten teaching wife and daughter in daycare).
Wrapping up the time-savings series, we're moving into the final step of the narration process, Editing your audio!
I recapped the "Click Trick" covered in the last episode and got into elements of your DAW that you'll want to dig into so you can save some serious time in the future.
Plus, check the References section below for a bonus video showing off the Click Trick. References and stuff:
Part 1 - The Script Part 2 - Recording The Click Trick Video
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Saving time Part Two! Continuing the series on saving time that I started last week, this week I'm on to discussing some time-saving tips to incorporate into your recording workflow.
There are a couple that will save you some actual talking time and one BIG one that will save you time when you need to sit down and edit the narration.
Plus, check the References section below for a bonus video showing off that timesaving trick. References and stuff:
Episode 001 - 5 Performance Tips for Engaging eLearning Narration The Click Trick Video
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Save time and win the bet! Taking on a DIY project (eLearning narration or otherwise) is a bet.
You're saying you're confident that you will be able to do the work with significant cost savings, despite the time and equipment investment, and that the end result will be reasonably comparable to what you may have hired someone else to do.
So far, we've talked quite a bit about performance in other episodes, but now it's time to talk about saving time.
It's easy to get caught up spending days narrating and editing an hour or less of eLearning work.
Your time is more valuable than that.
This is part one of a three-part series on saving time in your process. This first episode is all about writing and preparing your script with the intent of setting yourself up to save time in the recording and editing process. In this episode, I discuss:
Things in scriptwriting phase that are time killers later down the line Beginning with the end in mind
References and stuff:
Episode 001 - 5 Performance Tips for Engaging eLearning Narration Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
I didn't talk about this book specifically. But in currently reading it, I've realized that it really applies to what we're doing here.
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Got Mushmouth? I didn't plan to record this episode today, but I was struggling with this very problem this morning.
Sometimes, you just can't get the words out of your mouth in a way that sounds convincing. Today, I was stumbling on simple phrases, sounded like I was reading, and just couldn't get my brain to connect with the script.
Warm-ups to the rescue!
Honestly, I don't warm up as much as I should. A narrator should warm up every day before they start into scripts.
It doesn't hurt to knock off the rust from the night and get the muscles synced up. It might also have the added benefit of helping you smooth out those word combinations that you struggle with.
Here are a few warm-ups that I use when I'm stuck in a rut and need get my mouth in gear! In this episode, I discuss:
How warm-ups can do more than just warm up your muscles. Reading like a kindergartener Elvis? Emphasis exercises
References and stuff:
V-Oh! Tongue Twisters and Vocal Warm-Ups Tongue Twisters in this episode:
Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward. Pad kid poured curd pulled cod The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick Oh what to-do to die today at a minute or two 'til two A thing distinctly hard to say yet harder still to do For they'll beat a tattoo at twenty to two With a rattatta tattatta tattatta too And the dragon will come when he hears the drum At a minute or two 'til two today At a minute or two 'til two.
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Updates? Pickups? No problem! It's inevitable.
At some point, you're going to need to go back to an eLearning project from the past and update the narration. Maybe it's a yearly change, or you mentioned something that's out of date. It could even be a major change to a policy that needs a touch-up.
You finish recording the update, listen back and... uh oh... it doesn't sound anything like the rest of the module.
You know that the major difference in the original narration and your update will be jarring and completely pull your learner out of the immersion.
Take a listen to the episode to hear 5 factors that may contribute to the change in the sound of your narration and ways you might overcome the issues. In this episode, I discuss:
5 factors that might change the way your narration sounds Microphone Frequency Response Recording Environment
References and stuff:
Mic Technique Recording Environment Frequency Response Curves The Lounge Podcast
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It takes two to tango! The live roleplay scenario is a staple of the in-person training world. But when it comes to eLearning, the closest you can probably get is to have two voices acting out a conversation or scenario as part of your narration.
Whenever you have multiple actors, a whole new set of issues can show up. Problems with mismatched volume, echo, and weird sounding conversations.
Next time you plan to have two or more people in a conversation for one of your eLearning modules, here are a few things to consider before you hit record.
Hopefully, they can save you some time in the recording sessions or in the editing process. In this episode, I discuss:
Working with two talents recording at the same time Working with two talents recording at different times The Cardioid Pickup Pattern A new definition for the word "distracting" The Sympathy Chuckle
Stuff I Talked About:
Firewatch Voice Acting Joey Tribbiani Cardioid Patterns
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Say Goodbye to Mouth Clicks!! Clicks, smacks, pops, spaghetti mouth. Doesn't matter what you call it, mouth noise is annoying for the narrator and the listener.
They can add hours to your narration and editing time, tons of frustration...
And they're one quick way to disengage your learners.
In this episode, I'm discussing all the methods I've used in the last few years to overcome mouth noise in my e-learning narrations.
These are tips I've actually tried. I discuss worked for me, what didn't work, and which I still use. In this episode, I discuss:
Saliva 3 tips to fix mouth noise A handful of bonus tips, because I can never stop at 3
Stuff I Talked About: The following are affiliate links, I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through my link, without any extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Halls Fruit Breezers Biotene Mouth Spray iZotope RX Elements
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Use your microphone properly! You've thought about your performance, your room is tuned up and you just pulled your brand new Yeti from its cardboard shipping vessel. Time to fire it up!
WAIT!
Sure, you can flick it on and start talking. It can be that easy. But how do you know you're doing it right?
How do you know you're using it properly?
I can hear you already, "Josh... you talk at it and it records you."
Well, yes. But if you don't think about how you use your mic, you may make a mistake that costs you extra time in editing, sounds terrible, or worse...
Annoys your learners!
In this episode, I'm talking about three mistakes that are commonly made when it comes to mic technique. In this episode, I discuss:
Common mistakes you might be making with your mic technique. Ways to fix them Signal to Noise ratio
I also laugh at myself way too much. But that's nothing new. Subscribe! Be sure to subscribe. Find all the links here. Question? I'd love to start incorporating a Q&A section into each podcast. If you have any questions for me, please email them over to host@diynarrator.com or send me a message on my fancy new Questions Page.
That's all for now. Be sure to subscribe in your podcatcher so you can catch the next episode. Get Notified! Be sure to sign up for updates about new episodes and resources. Especially things that are not part of the podcast!
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Time to improve your room! Wow! Thank you to everyone who shared the last episode. Also, thank you for all the new connections and great messages on LinkedIn. It makes me amazingly happy to hear that I'm actually helping you out and maybe helping you think differently about your approach as a DIY Narrator.
This week we’re going to get into one of those areas of narration that people seem to just plain ignore.
Your room.
Fixing your room isn’t that hard and is totally not optional. At least not if you want good quality audio.
Your room is the most important part of your audio quality. Hands down, no question about it. More important than the microphone, more important than the timbre of your voice.
More important than anything else.
Think about all the effort and care you put into each element of your eLearning.
Why not give that same care to the quality of your audio?
But don't worry!
You don't have to drop thousands of dollars on acoustic panels and foam to improve the sound of your room. You can do it with some basics that you probably have around the house, or by using one special place of your house that you most likely already have…
But that’s a super secret location that I reveal in the episode. In this episode, I discuss:
A really great food analogy A quick discussion on acoustic treatment vs soundproofing Kiddie pools Three approaches to knocking down echo in your recording space A super secret location that you can use to record great audio
Stuff I mentioned I mentioned a few things in this episode, here are some links so you can investigate further:
The Porta-Booth Pro Vocal Booth To Go Roxul - The acoustic treatment in my booth
Subscribe! Be sure to subscribe. Find all the links here. Question? I'd love to start incorporating a Q&A section into each podcast. If you have any questions for me, please email them over to host@diynarrator.com or send me a message on my fancy new Questions Page.
That's all for now. Be sure to subscribe in your podcatcher so you can catch the next episode. Get Notified! Be sure to sign up for updates on new episodes and resources. Especially things that are not part of the podcast!
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Performance tips for the DIY Narrator! It's finally time for the first real episode of the DIY Narrator Podcast! If you're an Instructional Designer or eLearning Developer who narrates their own eLearning, you should make sure you tune into this one.
I'm really excited about this episode because I'm very passionate about the subject.
Every element of your eLearning project is included because it does one of two things:
Provides essential information Improves the learner's engagement
Your initial thought regarding Narration might put it into category 1. But the narration isn't there only to help with providing essential information.
There's nothing special about having a narrator vs only displaying text on the screen if you give it the job of just delivering the information.
In fact, if that's your attitude about narration, don't waste your time on it or just get a robot to narrate for you. They're cheap.
The performance of the Narrator not only delivers the information but can carry the engagement.
It's so much more than just reading a script. If your listeners feel like you're in the room with them and speaking directly to them, they're going to be more engaged in the process of learning. In this episode, I discuss:
What I mean when I say "performance" in eLearning narration 5 tips for more engaging eLearning narrations Exercises to help you apply the tips
Question? I'd love to start incorporating a Q&A section into each podcast. If you have any questions for me, please email them over to host@diynarrator.com or send me a message on my fancy new Questions Page.
That's all for now. Be sure to subscribe in your podcatcher so you can catch the next episode. Get Notified! Be sure to sign up for updates about new episodes and resources. Especially things that are not part of the podcast!
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Narration Foundations for DIY Narrators Thanks for tuning into the first episode of the DIY Narrator Podcast! If you're an Instructional Designer who narrates their own eLearning, you don't want to miss out.
I know, most of the time you can just skip Episode Zero when it comes to podcasts, but be sure to catch this one!
In this episode, I discuss
Who this podcast is for (nudge.. nudge... Instructional Designers!) Why I decided to do this work What this podcast is NOT The 5 elements of effective DIY Narration What to expect in the next episode
Links to resources mentioned:
The Lounge Podcast
My Episode!
Wabi-Sabi!
More Wabi-Sabi with Seth Godin
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