Medical Narration - Dan Sheldon

Find a Medical Narrator or Voice Actor in the Healthcare Field

Dan Sheldon — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:31:41 +0000

Are you working on a medical project that requires a professional and authoritative voiceover? I’ve been counted on by many companies, both large and small, for this purpose. Whether it’s an e-learning course, healthcare video, medical documentary, or pharmaceutical commercial, finding the right medical narrator is essential to effectively convey complex information and maintain credibility. A skilled medical narrator can engage the audience, add authenticity to the content, and ensure accurate pronunciation of medical terminology. Growing up with parents who owned a dental practice, I was immersed in the world of medical jargon from an early age. While my path eventually branched off to broadcasting and the performance arts, I never lost my fascination with the healthcare industry. Whenever I sit down to do a medical narration, I consider these factors:

1. Define the Project Scope: Before I begin my read, I clearly define the project’s objectives, target audience, and the tone to convey.

2. Refer to My Demos and Samples: An experienced medical narrator will have demos or samples of their previous work available on their website. You can listen to my samples (even the ones that aren’t specific to the medical genre) to gauge which samples align with the vocal quality, clarity, and suitability for your particular project. You’ll hopefully be able to note my diction, pronunciation, and ability to communicate with authority. If there is a particular sample that comes closest to the sound you’d like me to replicate, just let me know!

3. Pronunciation Skills: Medical narrators must be well-versed in medical terminology and have impeccable pronunciation skills. Ensure the narrator can articulate medical jargon clearly and correctly. You can provide your pronunciation ahead of time or let me handle the heavy lifting. I have a lot of experience in this realm and if I don’t already know how to pronounce it, I have a bevy of reference guides at my disposal.

4. Seek Recommendations and Reviews: I’d be happy to provide you with a list of happy clients who have utilized me and continue to do so on an ongoing basis.

5. Communication and Collaboration: Working with a medical narrator involves effective communication and collaboration. When you reach out to me, take note at how quickly I respond. That’s an indication of what you can expect in general. Very rarely does an hour go by during normal business hours without an email being effectively answered. I’d like to think this is normal business practice across the industry but I’ve heard otherwise.

6. How much does it cost to hire a medical narrator: The fees for hiring a medical narrator or medical voice actor can vary depending on project complexity and usage rights. I use the GVAA rate guide as a starting point but am very flexible depending on the budget and scope of each project.

7. Contract and Agreements: I never make my collaborators sign a contract but if you have an NDA or something similar that your company requires, I’d be happy to look it over and sign it. One thing that should already be perfectly clear in this day and age is that my voice may not be used for any AI or voice clone purposes. I retain the rights to my voice. You retain the rights to the specific product we created together.

8. What else do you need to provide me as the voice actor: Just the script, medical references, deadline, and any other specific guidelines you think we help me deliver the performance you are looking for.

9. Do you provide custom demos?: I can absolutely send you a sample recording of your script for you to listen to. Usually between 30 seconds to a minute. This is done at no charge. For longer projects, I can also send you the first couple of minutes for your approval before I go ahead with the rest of the narration.

10. What file format do you provide?:

Virtually whatever file type you need! In my experience, mp3 or wav (48khz/24 bit) are the most common file format that people request from me but I can work with virtually whatever final deliverable you need.

I know hiring a medical narrator for your voiceover project can be a potentially overwhelming situation if it is your first time doing it. I’m here to make it the easiest part of your project workflow and to make you the hero within the company by exceeding deadlines and quality expectations.

The post Find a Medical Narrator or Voice Actor in the Healthcare Field first appeared on Dan Sheldon.

Medical Narration is a Rewarding Genre

Dan Sheldon — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 00:00:33 +0000

In an alternate life, I would have better applied myself to my organic chemistry coursework and eventually ended up somewhere within the medical profession. The radio and TV newsrooms were far more appealing and so here we are: Narrating for the medical field as someone who sounds like they might be in it themselves.

This project for Lumina Care, an international organization based in the UK, is one that is particularly rewarding because of the long-term impact it can have on so many who deal with chronic headaches.

I’ve been given permission to share the overview video for the treatment regimen.

The post Medical Narration is a Rewarding Genre first appeared on Dan Sheldon.

The Top 4 Niches in Voiceover

Dan Sheldon — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 12:01:00 +0000

When I first started getting serious about voiceover, I had no idea where I would fit in. I come from a sportscasting background so I figured, at the very least, I’d snatch up those gigs in the voiceover realm.

Nope!

I don’t always crack the code for what those clients are looking for, which is how I first realized I don’t get to pick my niche.

The market, or the client, picks it for me.

So here are my top 4 niches in voiceover.

1. Medical Narration

This is a big one for me. Why? Because I sound incredibly intelligent, of course! Really, more than anything, I think it boils down to my upbringing and what I set out to be when my adult life began.

I grew up with a periodontist for a father and my mother ran the business. Medical jargon filled the air in our house. I started out on the pre-med track in college but with 60 hours a week being spent at the student TV and radio stations, the Organic Chemistry book eventually went bye bye.

Years later, my comfort level in pronouncing phrases like sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, has allowed me to scratch that latent medical itch on a frequent basis.

2. TV/Radio Commercials

I do a solid amount of TV and Radio commercials. A lot of it is in the realm of hospitals and clinics as well as education and higher learning but my voice is also used to sell outdoor equipment, luxury items and so on.

3. Corporate Narration

Whether it’s on-boarding for businesses or internal presentations, a combination of a conversational yet authoritative style is required for most of these projects.

4. IVR, Telephony, On-Hold

This genre has about a thousand names and sub-names but, basically, if you don’t hear a live person when you call a business, hopefully you hear me.

Remember, I didn’t pick this niche, it picked me! But I couldn’t be happier with the outcome so far.

Oh, and sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the technical term for “ice cream headache.”

I don’t get them anymore.

Something to discuss in another entry, or maybe with my doctor.

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