Category: Uncategorized

  • Overwhelmed By Work Requests? It’s time to Consider Hiring Others to Help you Out

    If you do a good job, you will probably get results which means more money. That ‘more money’ part is very exciting to many. But if you are not careful, it may completely ruin your business. Money is good. It\’s thrilling when you know you are getting paid to do what you love. 
    Often, most Freelancers and online entrepreneurs get overwhelmed by work demand to a point where they forget about serving their customers well. If you have more than 2 projects at hand that requires the same attention to detail, consider assigning it to someone else to help you out. Hiring someone else with the same skills as yours from sites like Upwork will not only help you complete the projects faster with less effort, but you will also rest assured that the project is being taken care of.  Here are my few approaches to hiring a fellow freelancer online; 

    Accept That You Will Not Be a Freelancer All Your Life

    Don\’t let praises from your clients for a good job keep you from thinking bigger. Everyone of us will like to own an enterprise one day and quit their ‘doing it themselves’. When you get more work from your clients and referrals than you can handle it yourself, appreciate and accept that you are growing and you need some help. It’s all about mindset change. You just need to accept the challenge to grow.

    Use The Freelancing Sites that You Are Familiar With

    Hiring another freelancer from a freelancing site that you have worked in is easy as you already know the terms. For instance, if you freelance on Upwork, you will not struggle trying to understand how to post a job, sift through freelancers and hire one. As a result, you will be quick to point on one with the right skills since you are already on the same shoes.

    Narrow Down Your Needs

    Now that you have decided which freelancing site to use, it\’s now time to narrow down your needs. Let\’s say a client wants a video that will require you to incorporate animations, voice over and screen recordings. In this case you will first need to break down this requirement into 4 -Voice over, animation, screen casting, editing and compilation. 

    For, me I will hire someone to do voice and someone else to do animation based on the script. I will then complete the screen-casting and compilation of the three elements. This is fun and exciting for me. 

    In some cases, I will  hire someone else to do editing and animation if have a lot of work at hand. By doing so, I will be making profit at end, at the same time having more time for myself than before. 

    Hire Someone with Portfolio and Clear Communication

    Now, poor communication can ruin day let alone your business especially when you are working on a fixed deadline. Some freelancers are poor when it comes to communication. If you sense this from the first e-mail, cease the communication. It will help you a lot in filtering and finding the right fit. 
    Pick the ones who are able to address your problem in their bid/application. 

    Consider Doing a Paid Test Project if You are Hiring For the First Time

    If you had been a freelancer for a long time and you start hiring, you may be intimidated by the quality others put out. At the same time, you will be scared of the fact that you pricing may not be attractive enough. You should not be. Think outside the box. Let the job sound very easy to do to someone experienced. Most freelancers like to work for clients with clear requirements irrespective of the price. If it\’s a video, you can hire 2-3 freelancers for a test project for $10-20 and ask them to create a 30 seconds video. From there, you can pick the best freelancer with clear communication skills. 

    Conclusion 

    Don’t let fear hold you back from hiring someone to help you out even if you are a freelancer. You will soon discover that, you are getting more done in less time. Plus, you will have more time to participate in other fun activities. 

    And that’s all from me today.

    Till next time; bye and take care.

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail to here.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Tips to Ensuring You get Paid For Your Blog for Services After Delivery

    If you give expert advise or opinion on your blog and readers love what you share, they will definitely seek for your expertise or refer you to other people looking for services that you offer. You will always get excited when a client contacts you and wants to hire you for your services. If you are not cautious, you will end up giving out all your services for free or at a throwaway price.

    At end, you will feel sorry for yourself for trusting someone who contacted you remotely and asked for your services of which you provided them in good faith.  

    Some remote clients are heartless and rude. Once they get hold of the service they needed; be it video or voice over, they forget about you. Some will say they didn\’t use it. This is despite you making revisions and iterations based on their request. So, how do you ensure that you get your pay after working on and completing the project with a client you met on your blog?

    Set your terms 

    Your terms should surround your PAY. Before anything else, focus on getting your pay-that\’s the reason you are working with them on the first time. Many freelancers and bloggers fear to talk about pay for the fear of loosing the client. Now, get this from me, crooked clients know this and they maximize on it. They will do everything to ensure that you don\’t ask for any pay upfront. And at the end you loose both your \’fingers and your chips.\’ Now, here is a brief on how I do it. 

    • Understand your clients requirements first – Every job is based on requirements. For example; if a client needs me to edit and produce his/her video, one of the first requirements is the footage and storyboard on how he/she wants it edited. If it\’s video creation, I will first find out what he/she will provide me with for use in creating the video. Once I have all requirements with me I will proceed now to the next stage of telling them the cost. 
    • Give them your rates –Now you have the requirements. You are an expert. It\’s time to give them your rates for the service. I usually give them my rates per minute of production. This will help them decide whether to work with me or not. If they decide to work with me, its a win.But, I don\’t get excited yet until I get paid. 
    • Set timelines –  Encourage your client that you work on timelines. And let him/her set the timeline. This will make them commit as they will be rest assured you will working on the project and delivery will be soon. This is a good place to know if he/she is serious about it or not. 
    • Introduce your mode of payment once the timeline is set – once you have the timeline set, mention that you always want to be paid an upfront of say 50-70%. Give them options to make payment. If they doubt you, advise them to use freelancing sites like Upwork.com.  They can also use escrow.com. Here both parties will be protected via the escrow payment protection system. Don\’t let them convince you to do the job first and get the whole payment later. That\’s an axe from far. Ran away fast. 
    • Decline any work/job without down payment – If the clients starts dilly dallying about paying you after you complete the project, simply say no unless they follow your terms. This is where you will get your first part of the bargain and your confidence on the project will be boosted. 
    • Do the job and ask for the final pay once he/she approves the last draft – Now, many freelancers loose their final pay because they quickly trust the prospect after receiving the first pay and end up give out everything on completing. Don\’t fall into this. Treat everything as business. Give and take. They pay you, you give them the final product. 

    Conclusion 

    With all this said, you will still be tricked into giving out everything without pay because some clients may send the pay as agreed, and when you deliver the service- they reverse the payment before it clears with your bank. At the end, they will stop replying to your messages and e-mails – and you LOOSE your pay.

    If this happens to you, don\’t let it repeat itself. Tighten you terms based on your experience. At the end, you will be smiling all the way to the bank. Moreover, your list of serious clients will be growing spontaneously. 

    And that\’s all from me today.

    Till next time; bye and take care.

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail on connect@cheptiony.com

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Increase Your Chances of Getting Freelance Video Jobs with Storyboard

    Any seasoned video producer will tell you they don\’t need a storyboard in order to create a video- and that script is enough. Well, me being one of them, I agree that it is possible to work on  a video without a storyboard. But how do you make yourself stand out from others in this competitive industry and command a bigger pay-especially when proposing? Well you have to be creative enough to show your  prospect that you are organized. Having in mind that not every editor/producer breaks down the process they use when working on their videos, you need to utilize this as your strength and make yourself stand out in the market. And Storyboard can be your savior. Here are reasons why storyboard will help you stand out.

    Storyboard works best for clients who have never worked on a video before 

    Most new clients who have never worked on a video with someone before; are clueless on how to go about it. And for them to trust you, you need to take them step by step on the process. If they are willing to provide the script, then you can introduce them to \’storyboarding\’ where they will have a clear picture on how the video will come out. This way, they will view you as an expert; besides, they will feel a sense of ownership as they will get a chance to contribute to it.

    Storyboard is good for videos that require royalty free videos 

    Now, sometimes as a video producer, your royalty free video choices for different parts of a video may not be what your client wants. This thus means that if you had purchased the footage, you will have to dig deeper to your pockets and purchase an alternative footage to replace it. To avoid this, creating a storyboard and sharing links to videos you  propose to use is very crucial as you will have advance client approval before purchasing them.

    Storyboard will help you stop guessing 

    If you are working on a technical video, sometimes, in some sections, you need to consult the client to clarify some terms and thus help you create a scene to reflect the meaning. Storyboard will be the best medium to raise such questions. Clients love this as they get also to contribute towards the production of the video. You only need to a good listener here.

    Storyboard is the avenue to win the heart of your client 

    Now, the first thing to do when your client agrees on a storyboard, is to propose to them that you can use online collaboration tools where changes can be reviewed in real time. In this case, the best tool to use for story board is Google slides. Even if you have worn the contract, don\’t stop showing to your client how professional and experienced you are by action. This way, he/she will trust you opinion on matters that are not even related to your line of expertise. Be that guy that can be trusted to not only deliver, but deliver to satisfaction.

    And this will in turn lead to repeat business and before you know, you will have more work and less stressful marketing.

    That\’s all from me here today. Till next time, bye and take care:-)

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail on connect@cheptiony.com

    Don\’t forget to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Top 7 Things Every Client Looks at When Auditioning Freelance Voice Over Artists’

    If you are a voice over artist and wishes to improve your rate of winning clients online and getting highly paid- pay close attention to this post as I will be addressing what the clients looks into before hiring a professional voice over artist. Now, this will depend on the level of profession you are in and the platform you are looking those clients in. Most freelancing sites  allow clients to categorize their requirements when posting their jobs. These ranges from entry, intermediate and expert.

    With this said, irrespective of the category you fall in the above, have in mind that the client is always looking for the best. So, what do you do to stand out from the crowd? Having hired and worked with over 100 different voice over artists in the past 5 years to voice the video scripts I work on, I have learnt that many great talents are gathering dust online for failing to clearly read and understand the what the client is looking for. It\’s that simple, but somehow, some behave as if they are robots and apply for all the jobs that are posted online.

    So, let me take you through the process in which I filter different job applications.

    Did he/she read the job post? 

    I usually post a job and wait for a few hours so that I have at least a number of applicants on my list. To be precise, start reviewing applications when I have 10 applicants on my list or more.  So the first thing, which comes automatically is, did this person read the job post and adhered to the requirements? All the time, I find 20-30% of the applicants apply for the job using generic cover letter. They want the job but the don\’t even understand the instructions I give them. e.g In the post I clearly state that I am looking for a male voice over, and a female artist applies for the job. This says a lot about that person and without even reviewing their demo, I trash the application. Who wants to work with someone who does not follow instructions? You will agree with me, none.

    Level of Understanding to my Project – Any past experience always helps 

    The second thing I look into is if they understand the  type of audience my project is purposed for. In this case, I do a lot of video tutorial scripts, have they done video tutorials voice overs in the past? If yes, do they  have an example of voice over that that he/she has done on the same line. If they do, they they become my first priority.  This doesn\’t mean that, I don\’t review proposals for those who have not done video tutorials in the past. Most of those who know what they are doing will mention in their applications that they have not done it in the past work similar to what I am looking for- because the opportunity has not presented itself -but would like to give a try. I love this type of people because-they are honest – will give me their best.

    Does he/she  have the correct accent I am looking for 

    If you thought accent doesn’t matter, then you have not worked or projects targeted at global audience. We have many accents depending on the regions and continent request is coming from. For English, we have three main common accents, Neutral,  British native and American Native. Of-course there are several other English accents namely African accent, Indian accent, North American Accent and many more. Some of the clients who request for my services as a video producer, are usually specific on the type of voice over I should use in the video.

    Audio demo recording quality 

    Now, we are  at my favorite stage, downloading and listening to the demos sent by applicants. An audio recorded on phone and the one recorded on as studio is easily recognizable with the first 5 seconds. In the audio world, we say the ‘taste’ differs. One is deep and pleasing to listen while the other is not.  So, if the applicant says in his/her cover letter that he has a home studio yet you can hear from the recording that it was done in an environment with some echoes all over; that freelancer is not honest. It\’s better to say you have an audio recorder which you compile it with your talent. Sometimes, I oversee the quality and choose to go with someone who knows to articulate his/her words well when recording.

    Voice Modulation/Articulation 

    At this point, in all occasions, I find myself with only 4 -5 voice overs to pick one from. This is what I refer as the best. Voice modulation is very important. I many a times receive several demo done with  high quality equipment but the presenter lacks the energy to project their words in a manner that I would want them done. So, artists ability to add some life to their words and convince someone listening to take action is very important. It has everything to do with the readers projecting their ‘will.’

    Does the artist edit his/her work based on the demo 

    Having edited videos for now 7 years, It\’s no brainer that audio editing is a simple job especially if it involves editing out pauses and breaths. And the good thing about it is; you can do it within the software you are using to record the voice. So, if you are the type who thinks that the client will not mind unedited work – you now know why you are missing out on getting to work on those best jobs.

    Communications 

    Is the artist available for a chat or call during your timezone? If yes, then this is a good deal. Any professional voice over artist, will be specific on the times they are open for communications. Sometimes, it’s all about responding to e-mails promptly and on time when necessary. I usually prefer a freelancers who who promptly respond to my messages when available.

    Conclusion 

    Freelancing is now days a serious career. Clients who run their businesses remotely 24 hours are on the look for serious freelancers to help them. Among the most important things they look at is, their personality. How do they care for them as individuals as well as their business success? If you can address your clients requirements from the onset- I bet you – That client will be excited to talk to you. Don\’t sound like someone who is hungry to make a buck as you will be dropped like a hot cake:-)

    That\’s all from me today. What’s your do you think clients look at when finding a freelance voice over artist? If you need help with creating professional videos, contact me here. Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Top 7 Things Every Client Looks at When Auditioning Freelance Voice Over Artists\’

    If you are a voice over artist and wishes to improve your rate of winning clients online and getting highly paid- pay close attention to this post as I will be addressing what the clients looks into before hiring a professional voice over artist. Now, this will depend on the level of profession you are in and the platform you are looking those clients in. Most freelancing sites  allow clients to categorize their requirements when posting their jobs. These ranges from entry, intermediate and expert.

    With this said, irrespective of the category you fall in the above, have in mind that the client is always looking for the best. So, what do you do to stand out from the crowd? Having hired and worked with over 100 different voice over artists in the past 5 years to voice the video scripts I work on, I have learnt that many great talents are gathering dust online for failing to clearly read and understand the what the client is looking for. It\’s that simple, but somehow, some behave as if they are robots and apply for all the jobs that are posted online.

    So, let me take you through the process in which I filter different job applications.

    Did he/she read the job post? 

    I usually post a job and wait for a few hours so that I have at least a number of applicants on my list. To be precise, start reviewing applications when I have 10 applicants on my list or more.  So the first thing, which comes automatically is, did this person read the job post and adhered to the requirements? All the time, I find 20-30% of the applicants apply for the job using generic cover letter. They want the job but the don\’t even understand the instructions I give them. e.g In the post I clearly state that I am looking for a male voice over, and a female artist applies for the job. This says a lot about that person and without even reviewing their demo, I trash the application. Who wants to work with someone who does not follow instructions? You will agree with me, none.

    Level of Understanding to my Project – Any past experience always helps 

    The second thing I look into is if they understand the  type of audience my project is purposed for. In this case, I do a lot of video tutorial scripts, have they done video tutorials voice overs in the past? If yes, do they  have an example of voice over that that he/she has done on the same line. If they do, they they become my first priority.  This doesn\’t mean that, I don\’t review proposals for those who have not done video tutorials in the past. Most of those who know what they are doing will mention in their applications that they have not done it in the past work similar to what I am looking for- because the opportunity has not presented itself -but would like to give a try. I love this type of people because-they are honest – will give me their best.

    Does he/she  have the correct accent I am looking for 

    If you thought accent doesn\’t matter, then you have not worked or projects targeted at global audience. We have many accents depending on the regions and continent request is coming from. For English, we have three main common accents, Neutral,  British native and American Native. Of-course there are several other english accents namely African accent, Indian accent, North American Accent and many more. Some of the clients who request for my services as a video producer, are usually specific on the type of voice over I should use in the video.

    Audio demo recording quality 

    Now, we are  at my favorite stage, downloading and listening to the demos sent by applicants. An audio recorded on phone and the one recorded on as studio is easily recognizable with the first 5 seconds. In the audio world, we say the \’taste\’ differs. One is deep and pleasing to listen while the other is not.  So, if the applicant says in his/her cover letter that he has a home studio yet you can hear from the recording that it was done in an environment with some echoes all over; that freelancer is not honest. It\’s better to say you have an audio recorder which you compile it with your talent. Sometimes, I oversee the quality and choose to go with someone who knows to articulate his/her words well when recording.

    Voice modulation/articulation 

    At this point, in all occasions, I find myself with only 4 -5 voice overs to pick one from. This is what I refer as the best. Voice modulation is very important. I many a times receive several demo done with  high quality equipment but the presenter lacks the energy to project their words in a manner that I would want them done. So, artists ability to add some life to their words and convince someone listening to take action is very important. It has everything to do with the readers projecting their \’will.\’

    Does the artist edit his/her work based on the demo 

    Having edited videos for now 7 years, It\’s no brainer that audio editing is a simple job especially if it involves editing out pauses and breaths. And the good thing about it is; you can do it within the software you are using to record the voice. So, if you are the type who thinks that the client will not mind unedited work – you now know why you are missing out on getting to work on those best jobs.

    Communications 

    Is the artist available for a chat or call during your timezone? If yes, then this is a good deal. Any professional voice over artist, will be specific on the times they are open for communications. Sometimes, it\’s all about responding to e-mails promptly and on time when necessary. I usually prefer a freelancers who who promptly respond to my messages when available.

    Conclusion 

    Freelancing is now days a serious career. Clients who run their businesses remotely 24 hours are on the look for serious freelancers to help them. Among the most important things they look at is, their personality. How do they care for them as individuals as well as their business success? If you can address your clients requirements from the onset- I bet you – That client will be excited to talk to you. Don\’t sound like someone who is hungry to make a buck as you will be dropped like a hot cake:-)

    That\’s all from me today. What\’s your do you think clients look at when finding a freelance voice over artist? If you need help with creating professional videos, contact me here. Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Top 7 Things Every Client Looks at When Auditioning Freelance Voice Over Artists\’

    If you are a voice over artist and wishes to improve your rate of winning clients online and getting highly paid- pay close attention to this post as I will be addressing what the clients looks into before hiring a professional voice over artist. Now, this will depend on the level of profession you are in and the platform you are looking those clients in. Most freelancing sites  allow clients to categorize their requirements when posting their jobs. These ranges from entry, intermediate and expert.

    With this said, irrespective of the category you fall in the above, have in mind that the client is always looking for the best. So, what do you do to stand out from the crowd? Having hired and worked with over 100 different voice over artists in the past 5 years to voice the video scripts I work on, I have learnt that many great talents are gathering dust online for failing to clearly read and understand the what the client is looking for. It\’s that simple, but somehow, some behave as if they are robots and apply for all the jobs that are posted online.

    So, let me take you through the process in which I filter different job applications.

    Did he/she read the job post? 

    I usually post a job and wait for a few hours so that I have at least a number of applicants on my list. To be precise, start reviewing applications when I have 10 applicants on my list or more.  So the first thing, which comes automatically is, did this person read the job post and adhered to the requirements? All the time, I find 20-30% of the applicants apply for the job using generic cover letter. They want the job but the don\’t even understand the instructions I give them. e.g In the post I clearly state that I am looking for a male voice over, and a female artist applies for the job. This says a lot about that person and without even reviewing their demo, I trash the application. Who wants to work with someone who does not follow instructions? You will agree with me, none.

    Level of Understanding to my Project – Any past experience always helps 

    The second thing I look into is if they understand the  type of audience my project is purposed for. In this case, I do a lot of video tutorial scripts, have they done video tutorials voice overs in the past? If yes, do they  have an example of voice over that that he/she has done on the same line. If they do, they they become my first priority.  This doesn\’t mean that, I don\’t review proposals for those who have not done video tutorials in the past. Most of those who know what they are doing will mention in their applications that they have not done it in the past work similar to what I am looking for- because the opportunity has not presented itself -but would like to give a try. I love this type of people because-they are honest – will give me their best.

    Does he/she  have the correct accent I am looking for 

    If you thought accent doesn\’t matter, then you have not worked or projects targeted at global audience. We have many accents depending on the regions and continent request is coming from. For English, we have three main common accents, Neutral,  British native and American Native. Of-course there are several other english accents namely African accent, Indian accent, North American Accent and many more. Some of the clients who request for my services as a video producer, are usually specific on the type of voice over I should use in the video.

    Audio demo recording quality 

    Now, we are  at my favorite stage, downloading and listening to the demos sent by applicants. An audio recorded on phone and the one recorded on as studio is easily recognizable with the first 5 seconds. In the audio world, we say the \’taste\’ differs. One is deep and pleasing to listen while the other is not.  So, if the applicant says in his/her cover letter that he has a home studio yet you can hear from the recording that it was done in an environment with some echoes all over; that freelancer is not honest. It\’s better to say you have an audio recorder which you compile it with your talent. Sometimes, I oversee the quality and choose to go with someone who knows to articulate his/her words well when recording.

    Voice modulation/articulation 

    At this point, in all occasions, I find myself with only 4 -5 voice overs to pick one from. This is what I refer as the best. Voice modulation is very important. I many a times receive several demo done with  high quality equipment but the presenter lacks the energy to project their words in a manner that I would want them done. So, artists ability to add some life to their words and convince someone listening to take action is very important. It has everything to do with the readers projecting their \’will.\’

    Does the artist edit his/her work based on the demo 

    Having edited videos for now 7 years, It\’s no brainer that audio editing is a simple job especially if it involves editing out pauses and breaths. And the good thing about it is; you can do it within the software you are using to record the voice. So, if you are the type who thinks that the client will not mind unedited work – you now know why you are missing out on getting to work on those best jobs.

    Communications 

    Is the artist available for a chat or call during your timezone? If yes, then this is a good deal. Any professional voice over artist, will be specific on the times they are open for communications. Sometimes, it\’s all about responding to e-mails promptly and on time when necessary. I usually prefer a freelancers who who promptly respond to my messages when available.

    Conclusion 

    Freelancing is now days a serious career. Clients who run their businesses remotely 24 hours are on the look for serious freelancers to help them. Among the most important things they look at is, their personality. How do they care for them as individuals as well as their business success? If you can address your clients requirements from the onset- I bet you – That client will be excited to talk to you. Don\’t sound like someone who is hungry to make a buck as you will be dropped like a hot cake:-)

    That\’s all from me today. What\’s your do you think clients look at when finding a freelance voice over artist? If you need help with creating professional videos, contact me here. Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Top 7 Things Every Client Looks at When Auditioning Freelance Voice Over Artists’

    If you are a voice over artist and wishes to improve your rate of winning clients online and getting highly paid- pay close attention to this post as I will be addressing what the clients looks into before hiring a professional voice over artist. Now, this will depend on the level of profession you are in and the platform you are looking those clients in. Most freelancing sites  allow clients to categorize their requirements when posting their jobs. These ranges from entry, intermediate and expert.

    With this said, irrespective of the category you fall in the above, have in mind that the client is always looking for the best. So, what do you do to stand out from the crowd? Having hired and worked with over 100 different voice over artists in the past 5 years to voice the video scripts I work on, I have learnt that many great talents are gathering dust online for failing to clearly read and understand the what the client is looking for. It’s that simple, but somehow, some behave as if they are robots and apply for all the jobs that are posted online.

    So, let me take you through the process in which I filter different job applications.

    Did he/she read the job post? 

    I usually post a job and wait for a few hours so that I have at least a number of applicants on my list. To be precise, start reviewing applications when I have 10 applicants on my list or more.  So the first thing, which comes automatically is, did this person read the job post and adhered to the requirements? All the time, I find 20-30% of the applicants apply for the job using generic cover letter. They want the job but the don’t even understand the instructions I give them. e.g In the post I clearly state that I am looking for a male voice over, and a female artist applies for the job. This says a lot about that person and without even reviewing their demo, I trash the application. Who wants to work with someone who does not follow instructions? You will agree with me, none.

    Level of Understanding to my Project – Any past experience always helps 

    The second thing I look into is if they understand the  type of audience my project is purposed for. In this case, I do a lot of video tutorial scripts, have they done video tutorials voice overs in the past? If yes, do they  have an example of voice over that that he/she has done on the same line. If they do, they they become my first priority.  This doesn’t mean that, I don’t review proposals for those who have not done video tutorials in the past. Most of those who know what they are doing will mention in their applications that they have not done it in the past work similar to what I am looking for- because the opportunity has not presented itself -but would like to give a try. I love this type of people because-they are honest – will give me their best.

    Does he/she  have the correct accent I am looking for 

    If you thought accent doesn’t matter, then you have not worked or projects targeted at global audience. We have many accents depending on the regions and continent request is coming from. For English, we have three main common accents, Neutral,  British native and American Native. Of-course there are several other english accents namely African accent, Indian accent, North American Accent and many more. Some of the clients who request for my services as a video producer, are usually specific on the type of voice over I should use in the video.

    Audio demo recording quality 

    Now, we are  at my favorite stage, downloading and listening to the demos sent by applicants. An audio recorded on phone and the one recorded on as studio is easily recognizable with the first 5 seconds. In the audio world, we say the ‘taste’ differs. One is deep and pleasing to listen while the other is not.  So, if the applicant says in his/her cover letter that he has a home studio yet you can hear from the recording that it was done in an environment with some echoes all over; that freelancer is not honest. It’s better to say you have an audio recorder which you compile it with your talent. Sometimes, I oversee the quality and choose to go with someone who knows to articulate his/her words well when recording.

    Voice modulation/articulation 

    At this point, in all occasions, I find myself with only 4 -5 voice overs to pick one from. This is what I refer as the best. Voice modulation is very important. I many a times receive several demo done with  high quality equipment but the presenter lacks the energy to project their words in a manner that I would want them done. So, artists ability to add some life to their words and convince someone listening to take action is very important. It has everything to do with the readers projecting their ‘will.’

    Does the artist edit his/her work based on the demo 

    Having edited videos for now 7 years, It’s no brainer that audio editing is a simple job especially if it involves editing out pauses and breaths. And the good thing about it is; you can do it within the software you are using to record the voice. So, if you are the type who thinks that the client will not mind unedited work – you now know why you are missing out on getting to work on those best jobs.

    Communications 

    Is the artist available for a chat or call during your timezone? If yes, then this is a good deal. Any professional voice over artist, will be specific on the times they are open for communications. Sometimes, it’s all about responding to e-mails promptly and on time when necessary. I usually prefer a freelancers who who promptly respond to my messages when available.

    Conclusion 

    Freelancing is now days a serious career. Clients who run their businesses remotely 24 hours are on the look for serious freelancers to help them. Among the most important things they look at is, their personality. How do they care for them as individuals as well as their business success? If you can address your clients requirements from the onset- I bet you – That client will be excited to talk to you. Don’t sound like someone who is hungry to make a buck as you will be dropped like a hot cake:-)

    That’s all from me today. What’s your do you think clients look at when finding a freelance voice over artist? If you need help with creating professional videos, contact me here. Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Four Commonly Used Video File Formats Playable Online

    If you are a seasoned video editor or producer, am sure you are aware of video file formats playable on PC,mobile and tablets.  But if you are a newbie or a client intending to hire someone to produce videos for you, then go on reading.

    Clients who have an audience and have done analysis on them know their clientele behavior online very well. When I say \’know their audience,\’ I mean how the consumers view the video they produce.

    Thanks to Google analytics, they show you everything including the devices your consumers are using.  Now, here are four common video types playable in most devices.

    .MP4 Video Format 

    This is a popular file for publishing videos on youtube. MP4 is a digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store video and audio, but it can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images. Most video editing softwares has this format available to choose when rendering. Its popular for its ability to save files in a compressed format.

    .MOV Video Format

    A MOV file is a common multimedia container file format developed by Apple and compatible with both Macintosh and Windows platforms. It may contain multiple tracks that store different types of media data and is often used for saving movies and other video files. 

    .M4V Video Format 

    This is a file format popular among the Mac users. The M4V file format is a video container format developed by Apple and is very similar to the MP4 format. The primary difference is that M4V files may optionally be protected by DRM copy protection.

    .WMV  Video format 

    This is common  file among the Microsoft users.  Windows Media Video (WMV) is a series of video codecs and their corresponding video coding formats developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Windows Media framework.

    And that\’s all. Note that they are compatible and plays well in most latest Gadgets. Also, its available to choose in most video editing softwares when exporting or rendering the video.

    Till next time, bye and take care!

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail on connect@cheptiony.com

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • Top 9 Things Every Client Should Know Before Contacting a Video Editor or Producer

    Most clients who hire video editors or producers do so because they have little or no knowledge in video production and are in search for an expert. So, as a new client, how do you address the video editor you contact so that he/she understand what you are looking for? There are many components which when compiled together, makes a winning video.

    Each of these items has a name or a keyword. Knowing the various components that makes a video is crucial. It will make your communication with the producer or editor smooth and easy. Here are some of the common components that you should know

    Script

    This may sound straight forward to many,  but surprisingly , some clients can\’t fathom the need for a script in a video. To understand why a script is an important element for your video read my post on writing a winning explainer video script to learn more.

    Story board 

    Once you have the script ready, the producer will work alongside you in creating a storyboard for your video. This is a sketch of how your video will be presented in real time. Storyboard is best designed in slideshow style or table style where script is broken down into sections with proposed videos/images/graphics inserted for each text line.

    Background audio music/voice over 

    Some scripts will need just background music or voice over to accompany the video presentation. This is one of the components that makes up your video. It\’s therefore important that you are aware of the right term to use for the editor or producer to understand you well.

    Intro and Outro 

    This is a branding component that is used in the introduction and at the end of your video. The intro may be your own company logo animated and it\’s Outro being how your customers can contact you for service. This is very important as it shows your users that you own the video.

    Video Quality and Format  

    This is the level of quality the video will be shared. Currently, the most common video quality is HD 1080 (high definition) and UHD (Ultra High Definition)2k, 4k. To learn more about video quality, please read video resolution definitions on demand in 2018. When it comes to video format, there are several formats available outside there. The most used forma that plays in most devices is .mp4 and .m4v.  To learn more about the latest video formats read four commonly used video file formats online in 2018.

    Lower Thirds 

    These are the text or graphics that appears below the video as it is playing. The best example is the name of a person in an interview. Sometimes it\’s the phone number or website address. Make this know the editor from the onset if you need them.

    Subtitles is the text transcription of the voice over in the video. It appears as it is spoken below the video. In some occasions where there is no voice, subtitle text appears on the screen to explain what is happening.

    FTP 

    FTP  stand for File sharing Protocol. Most of you subscribe to it. This where you will share your folders and files. The most common FTPs outside there is Dropbox and Google drive. FTP allows to collaborate with the freelancer easily and speed up the process of production.

    Video thumbnail  

    Finally when the video completed and ready for publishing, video thumbnail is crucial. It will prompt viewers to click on it and play the video in most common video publishing sites like YouTube.

    These are nine common things you should know as a client before you contact a producer. Most of the editors will ask you to provide some of these. It will be a bit confusing if you do not understand what they mean.

    Do you have anythings else you think the client should know? Please share in the comments area.

    Till next time, bye bye and take care!

    If you need professional help on video, let me know by sending me an e-mail on connect@cheptiony.com

    Don\’t forget to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony