Hey folks! Time for another #AudioDramaSunday post.
This time, I want to talk about how to record audiobooks. In particular, on our Survival Horror anthology Life On Gaia (https://www.shadesofvengeance.com/product/life-on-gaia-audio-book/) – there were a lot of lessons I learned during and after recording!
Preparation is key!
Warming up is ideal to set the scene. Vocal warmups can help with your overall headspace as well – plan for it every time and recording will go more smoothly.
Pacing takes practice.
In a sequence of short stories, like Life on Gaia, every story will have a different feel. Remember that you’re not just a narrator and there are different characters to get across to your listeners. Characters have different pacing to each other at times, and reading any dialogue once as a narrator and then again ‘in-character’ was a big help for me!
Pickups happen for a reason!
Sometimes you know you want another pass at that last sentence, or the director knows your rhythm is off. Rushing through will just mean you miss stuff, so never be afraid get another take just in case.
Pause when things get heavy.
Sometimes stories go into dark places, and there were times during Life on Gaia where we finished one story and knew we were either done for the day or needed a few minutes to change perspective. Emotions will leap from the page and affect you, it’s part of great storytelling, so know when to take that break.
I hope these four Ps are helpful! If you’d like to hear the results of these and more lessons, be sure to check out Life on Gaia, available on our website right now: https://www.shadesofvengeance.com/product/life-on-gaia-audio-book/
– Leo
