Professor Andrew Linn of Sheffield University released the mathematical formula for the perfect voice: a female talking 164 words per minute with a 0.48 second pause between sentences that fall rather than rise in intonation holds the most appeal to the panellists who were part of the research.
Falling into this category is voice-over artist Natascha Slasten.
London, UK (Billboard Publicity Wire) June 17, 2008 -- Professor Andrew Linn of Sheffield University released the mathematical formula for the perfect voice: a female talking 164 words per minute with a 0.48 second pause between sentences that fall rather than rise in intonation holds the most appeal to the panellists who were part of the research.
Falling into this category is voice-over artist Natascha Slasten. Natascha has won voice-acting roles for companies such as Heineken and Toyota. German born Natascha has a perfect command of English but it is the use of her mother tongue that is building her career - a career that is about to stretch all the way to Hong Kong. Chapel Kensington engaged her as the German audio guide on the fleet of tourist buses in London and Dubai, currently in operation with 'The Big Bus Company.' With further expansion planned into the Far East and Europe Natascha expects to be kept busy - thanks to her "perfect female German voice; soft, deep, intelligent and seductive, perfect for commentaries and commercials." (David Richardson, MD Chapel Kensington, www.chapelkensington.com)
The importance of matching the right voice to a particular project is crucial in marketing. Using a voice in the wrong context can result in the loss of respect for a brand. Get it wrong and the brand will not resonate with the target market. Professionals like Natascha are trained as actors/actresses and in every voiceover job they inhabit a character, bringing to the table all the skills they have in their experience in the entertainment business.
Trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London and the TVI Actors Studio in Los Angeles, Natascha is well aware of the need to be open to various roles. In her voiceover work she channels the acting skills into her delivery and is very aware that the 'voice' can stimulate emotion and set the tone. Bernard Shaw, voice-over artist for BBC Worldwide, describes Natascha's voice as "soft and smooth as the cream on the strudel and as accurate and reliable as the finest of German engineering."
As with most other industries at this time the voiceover industry has moved from 'old school' advertising into multimedia. With more blogs, websites and podcasting requiring voiceover the industry is evolving into multimedia soundbites. Voice selection techniques apply just as much for multimedia as for traditional roles. Recent research has shown that a female voice stimulates the auditory section of the brain, allowing the message to be easily decoded. One of Natascha's traditional roles involved Liverpool Cathedral where she commentated the German Multilanguage section of the tour. On the other hand she was engaged as a voice-over artist for Alpha CRC's Webinar (Web based Seminar) programme.
As a voice-over artist Natascha is fully aware of the power a disembodied voice can have to sell, persuade, influence, set a tone and create interest. Consider the large number of places you tend to hear voiceover and you may have some understanding of the possibilities of this career choice with the right training. Linguist Professor Andrew Linn (Sheffield University) whose study has shed some light on the "perfect voice" has stated of its power "As humans we instinctively know which voices send shivers down our spine and which make us shudder with disgust." Inspiring trust with her soft but confident voice Natascha looks forward to being the voice of many more brands.
www.nataschaslasten.com
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