| In the international marketplace, it is very important for | | | | neutral or non-affected accents. These sought after |
| organizations to be able to both globalize and localize | | | | accents as noted above (BBC, NPR, CBC) come with |
| their product information and service offerings. | | | | a host of benefits, including perceived authority, |
| That being said, the information presented to their | | | | intelligence, trustworthiness, and professionalism to |
| target audiences is only as effective as the means by | | | | name some. |
| which it is communicated. | | | | Other accents remain more elusive. Due in part to a |
| For our purposes, the vessel or means of | | | | lack of demand or market, these accents are |
| communication is via a voice talent performance; in | | | | requested less often. |
| essence, a voice-over recording. | | | | Accents can reveal information about an individuals |
| Now, when I refer to localization, I mean that a given | | | | geographical location, ethnicity, socio-economic |
| accent and manner of speaking matches or correlates | | | | background, and education. If we only examined the |
| with a particular group of people in a geographical | | | | nature of accents from an anthropological point of |
| area. | | | | view, we'd be seeing a fraction of the picture that |
| An example: | | | | we're meant to view. |
| If I were writing a French Canadian script for an | | | | Accents are not always predestined and meant solely |
| audience located in Montreal, QC, I would make sure | | | | for those who live in their district... they can also be |
| that the terminology I use is familiar to French | | | | learned or acquired. |
| Canadians living in Montreal. Not only that, I may | | | | This is where opportunity knocks, and the world, with |
| employ unique speech and formation characteristics | | | | your voice, can become yours. |
| indigenous to the French Canadian language and | | | | Recently, voice instructor Pat Fraley and his fellow |
| relevant cultural references to help my audience | | | | accents masters conducted a workshop called |
| identify with what I have written. | | | | Accent on Dialects Masters Event, a workshop where |
| Going one step further, I would hire a native French | | | | talent learned about how to identify their own dialects, |
| Canadian voice talent from Montreal who embodies | | | | how to recognize properly executed dialects, tried their |
| the characteristics I am looking for to convey the copy | | | | hand at British, Irish, German, Russian, and N.Y. accents, |
| in a meaningful and direct manner accessible to all | | | | and received a bounty of resources on how to |
| French Canadian speakers in Montreal. | | | | prepare for and perform dialects foreign to |
| Localization is conveying a message to people in a | | | | themselves as well as recordings of their voices on a |
| specific geographical location implementing language | | | | CD from the workshop. |
| and concepts that they can understand. | | | | One of the largest markets for dialects (or accents) |
| Certain accents have become staples and are relied | | | | today is in performing voice overs for videogames. |
| upon heavily every day. For example, RP English (or | | | | If you can acquire several key dialects, you'll be able to |
| BBC English / top of the scale), Neutral American | | | | work globally and land more diverse roles. |
| (NPR or prime time national news), Parisienne French, | | | | The same theorem holds true for voice talent with |
| and Canadian (CBC or prime time national news) are | | | | regional accents that need to be averted. Some talent |
| all members of an elite club of corporate, global | | | | find that in order to get work, they must first lose their |
| accents. | | | | regional accents and adopt a new way of speaking, |
| This doesn't come as a surprise. The most neutral | | | | reconditioning themselves to pronounce words in the |
| accents found in each country are usually prized | | | | preferred, neutral accent. |
| above regional accents as is the case with many | | | | This process of unlearning accents can take years. |
| languages where a "high" or "official" version is | | | | Many talent are not even aware that they have an |
| preferred to dialects spoken in rural or isolated areas. | | | | 'accent' until they are informed by a casting director or |
| One classic example is the Italian language. Italian, | | | | agent. |
| when spoken in Rome or in other large Italian cities, | | | | Whether acquiring new accents to expand dialect skills |
| does not vary significantly, whereas the Italian you | | | | or unlearning a native regional accent, the work |
| hear in the foothills of the mountains or on the coastline | | | | required of an individual is extensive. Talent going down |
| may be dramatically different, in both pronunciation and | | | | this road are more likely to be successful if a set of |
| meaning. | | | | discerning ears or those of trained linguist are actively |
| When someone is hiring a voice talent to record, they | | | | involved, coaching the talent to ensure that the accent |
| are often looking for a clean, polished voice with | | | | they are imitating sounds authentic and believable. |