Accent-uated

We've talked about accents before, and the pros and cons of having impressions or the real deal. But let's talk a little bit more on why you may want to have accents in your projects. While there are obvious times an accent would be needed or desired, you may find there are less-obvious projects where they would fit as well.

One of the most obvious times is because you're doing an audiobook, and there are characters of various nationalities. In those cases, you may opt for an ensemble cast in order to get the right accents for the characters. Anything else requiring a character, be it animation, video game, escape room scenario, etc, may require you to cast for a certain accent. Again, though, these are the obvious times.

But you don't have to limit such casting to only characters. An accented narration may add that extra oomph to an internal corporate documentary, customer appreciation video, or a training course. There are many different lists all over the internet ranking accents by attractiveness, and it helps to illustrate just how much English speakers appreciate the different cadences and tones that come with hearing their native language spoken by people from different countries. Because of this, it can help to keep your audience attentive and engaged if there's a pleasant accent for them to listen to. When using a site like FlyVoiceovers, you can listen to talents' reels of them speaking English in their native accents, and get a good feel for which voice may fit well with your project.

Thanks to our ever-expanding technology and global relations, our world is shrinking and demographics are shifting. Depending on the region your media targets, audiences may respond more favorably to different accents as well. Of course if the primary language in that target area isn't English, it might also be a good idea to have a version released in the primary language. Even within a country, if your main audience is in a specific region, it may benefit you and your project if you ensure you have talent who can speak with that regional dialect or accent. Think of it like how in English-speaking countries we also have our own regional differences, and how it can help something like a commercial feel more personal if it sounds like it's spoken by a local. All of these choices depend on what type of project you are producing, what your demographics are, and the tone you wish to convey.

Another potential reason to use a specific accent for a project may have to do with where the company is based. For example, if a company is based out of Amsterdam but needs to present something to English employees, it may be a nice touch to have the narration done with a native Dutch accent. Even if a company is based in an English-speaking country, it can still use accents to give a nod to its origins. Perhaps it's based out of Memphis, Tennessee in the US, and so it uses a narrator with a local accent, even for projects that will be viewed by their branches in London and Sydney.

FlyVoiceovers is built on the understanding of our era's international needs, and strives to not only have talent from around the world that are native speakers in various languages, but who are also fluent in English. Because of this, you can be able to easily find talent who can not only voice a project in their native language for your target audience in one region, but also in English with a lovely accent for a different region. It's a one stop shop that saves time, because there's no need to seek out different agencies in different countries.