Voice Artist Q&A Sessions: Philippe

Philippe is one of Matinee’s most popular English voiceover artists, due to his natural ability to adapt his voice for any brief he receives.

Over the years, he has worked on a large variety of projects; from corporate e-Learning material to voicing cartoon characters! We have asked Philippe a few questions on what it’s like working within the voiceover industry, his top tips for success and his day-to-day life as a voice artist.

How did you get started within the voiceover industry and what is it that you enjoy most about it?

Getting into the voiceover industry is not easy. It’s a bit like the acting profession insofar as there are a lot of people looking for work and unless you have an agent, or contact with a recording studio, securing a job is going to be tricky. There are online agencies where you can audition for work, but this will necessitate setting up a home studio – and if you are unsuccessful in securing work, this could prove to be an unnecessary expense.

My own beginnings were while living in Dubai in the late 80s. Businesses were starting, properties were being built and Dubai was on the cusp of the development explosion that we have all witnessed over the past 20 years. In the early days, there were many recording studios producing corporate videos and radio/TV commercials, but not enough voice actors to provide a variety of voice.

I contacted every studio in the area, went for a lot of recording auditions and eventually secured my first job. That was in about 1992. The rest, as they say, is history.

With regard to “enjoyment”, it is probably the feeling of achievement when a particularly difficult job has been completed or if I’ve managed to nail a particular character. On the downside, it is often a very solitary experience. If recording from home, it’s just me and a microphone, if recording at Matinee, it’s usually just me and the engineer – and occasionally the client who is listening in for either live direction purposes or simply interest.

How would you describe a typical day of a voice artist?

My days tend to vary, depending on what needs doing, and where it is being done. If I am recording from my home studio, I tend to record during late evening or overnight as this reduces the risk of unwanted external noise (traffic, children playing/shouting etc).

If recording in a professional studio then this is obviously done during the day.

Apart from recording time, the rest of my day would be taken up with reading through scripts ahead of recording, to become fully acquainted with delivery, pronunciation, errors in syntax or grammar and how I am going to deliver particularly long sentences i.e. where and when I take a breath.

What has been your favourite project that you have worked on with Matinee so far?

I’ve been fortunate enough to record a lot of projects requiring various character voices and accents, but my favourite job with Matinée was probably a series of short stories based on diary extracts from soldiers in the trenches during World War 1.

As well as being interesting stories, and giving me the opportunity to use my range of accents, it was very interesting to read what these young men were going through in the trenches.

What is the best kind of project brief to receive? Is there any information that you find particularly helpful to be included before a project takes place?

I would say that the biggest problem any voiceover artist can have, is how to pronounce a particular word. Especially if it’s a trade name or a proper noun in another language. This can be easily resolved by being provided with a sound file recorded by the client, giving a clear idea as to how they would like the word to he pronounced.

In medical, scientific or even geographical recordings, this problem can often crop up. So my answer would be; a brief that includes advice on pronunciation, and speed, tone and style of delivery.

How do live-directed sessions benefit you as opposed to recording independently?

In live directed recordings, any queries you may have with regard to tone, delivery, style and pronunciation, can be immediately resolved and that will result in the recording being made much more efficiently.

Why do you like working with Matinee?

I have been involved with Matinée since 2008, and during that time have had nothing but respect for the admin staff and engineers who try to make things run as smoothly as possible. It always helps to strike up a rapport with all of them, and I have to admit that I’m always welcomed with a smile, which, of course, always makes it a pleasure to deal with them.

Their scripts can be varied (corporate narratives, short stories, lip sync requirements etc) all of which only adds to my experience for future jobs.

You can listen to Philippe’s demo’s here!

Here at Matinée, we have a vast database of talented voice artists who specialise in everything from explainer videos to interactive toys. Whichever language you require a voiceover in (we offer over 80!) and whatever your next project is, let us help you bring it to life with our expert voiceover services.

We’ll help you connect and engage with your audience with the perfect voiceover, all the way from offering a selection of hand-picked voice demos, to recording and editing the final audio file. Why not get in touch with us today and find out more about how we can help you?

Call us on +44 (0) 118 958 4934

Or email project@matinee.co.uk