Huge thanks to Marc Guss and his guest tonight on the Marc Guss Voiceover Club, Scott Brick! The “maestro of the genre” as Marc dubbed him, gave a masterclass in audiobook narration tonight. Scott also discussed his two upcoming sessions at VO Atlanta next week: one focuses on how to approach your VO craft as a business, and the other is a deep dive into third-person narration, which is his favorite part of the business.
Some highlights and tips from tonight’s conversation are:
- New talent should avoid choosing jobs that are low hanging fruit, meaning they don’t pay much, or jobs where the subject matter is something they may not be proud of later. The word “No” can be very important early on in your career, and it’s worth being patient to do work that’s best for you.
- “Storytelling is manipulation.” You need to stay out of the way of the story. Let the audience go on the journey.
- A researcher can be a big help when it comes to things like tricky pronunciations, foreign languages, etc.
- Scott said that listening is interactive and that the person listening to an audiobook is actively using their imagination.
- He explained that the word protagonist doesn’t simply mean the main character, it’s the character who changes. He makes notes when reading the book so he knows the points of that character’s arc.
- If you’re nervous about editing, pay someone to do it. And if you don’t like punch and roll, you’re not alone — Scott doesn’t either.
- He said that the moment that the narrator connects to the text is the moment that the listener connects to the text and to the author as well.
Thanks so much to Marc and Scott for their time and such an interesting Q&A with the audience questions! Catch up with both of them next week during VO Atlanta. And check out Scott’s website for information about coaching.