Dyslexic Voiceover Artist: As A Client, How Can You Support?
I’m a dyslexic Voiceover Artist.
I realise it’s a little ironic to literally read for a living when I am dyslexic, but clearly, I must love a challenge!
Having said that, as a client, there are some things you can do to help make projects with dyslexic voiceovers less challenging for them.
Although, to caveat, no two dyslexics are the same. Dyslexia comes in a wide variety of forms and can be mild or severe, so it’s best to ask the voiceover directly to find out what specifically helps them.
So, what about me? How does my dyslexia manifest itself?
I’ll be honest, after near two decades since I was diagnosed, I’m still working it out fully, but I do know that my reading (and especially sight reading) is weaker than others. And because I’m concentrating so hard on the reading side of things, I find it harder to process the information I’m reading at the same time e.g. it may take me several reads of a script before the meaning fully sinks in. But don’t worry, I get there.
Sometimes when I read, I miss out words – in particular small, two-letter words. Or I sometimes misread longer words, where my brain tries to guess the rest as I’m trying to read at a normal speed e.g. I might read ‘continuity’ as ‘continually’ or ‘excavation’ as ‘evaluation’.
Sleep has a huge affect on my reading. Not something you can do much about, I know but I find it interesting nevertheless. It’s again partly related to the amount of concentration and energy I’m expending.
Then of course, there are the psychological barriers that date back to childhood, of always feeling embarrassed or stupid compared to others. This means that if I make repeated mistakes while recording, I sometimes become frustrated with myself which can leads to more mistakes. However, when I feel prepared and comfortable, the number of errors vastly reduce.
Also, I might add, it’s not all doom and gloom, there are some lovely parts which come with my dyslexia – I’m creative, I’m observant, I’m hugely empathetic, I’m good at solving problems, I’m very resilient and I like to think my super friendly nature relates to it too…
But, back to voiceovers!
What can you do to help me, us and our project be the most effective?
Here are a few ways:
- Send me the script in advance – ideally the day before or if it’s a longer script (over 1,000 words) then ideally a few days before. If you have script changes or options in mind, please send me alternatives in advance so I can practice those too. Preparation means I give the best performance.
- Font – I like size 12 in Comic Sans font, with the voiceover text only and aligned on the left-hand side. If you’d like me to see the story board, please send this separately.
- For corporate narration and e-learning, as these tend to be longer scripts, it helps me to record chunk by chunk when we’re doing a live session. Or for scripts over 1,000 words I prefer to self-record, if possible.
- Numbers / Pronunciations – please send me the pronunciations (as a recording) in advance. I part memorise scripts so this helps me learn the correct pronunciation before the session. Again, I love to prepare.
Producers say to me regularly ‘Oh, I didn’t realise you were dyslexic’ and really, it’s not something I tend to shout about - I’ve had plenty of practice working out coping mechanisms and there is still some stigma attached to it, although thankfully the trend is changing.
Either way, I am starting to realise it’s a core part of my working practice and my personality. I like to think it’s a truly positive part!
I love working with companies who embrace neurodiversity and understand that dyslexia is not a deficit to be corrected, but a difference to be supported and celebrated.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to working with you on a project together. If you have any ways of working which help you, just let me know, it’s a two-way street 😊
Blanche x
If you’re dyslexic, know someone who is, or would simply like to learn more, there are some great online resources. I’d recommend Dyslexia Scotland and British Dyslexia Association.