Tackling Voice Over and Studio Life in these times of Coronavirus

Tackling Voice Over and Studio Life in these times of Coronavirus. 

Let’s face it. Coronavirus is scary and it could spread really fast if we’re not careful. The good news is that it can be contained if we all responsibly play our part to prevent it, as community contact is the only way it can spread.

So as a Voice Talent, news broadcaster, radio jockey, anchor, sound engineer, recording artist, studio manager and those of you in the VO industry – what are some of the steps you could take to stay safe given the fact that you’re interacting with microphones, headphones, pop filters, equipment that has been used by others, in close proximity with their mouths and possibly with their saliva and perhaps has never been cleaned before? The very thought can be daunting!

Since we can’t possible show up in the studio as Darth Vaders how do we navigate this new challenge. Suggestions by talent in the business, WHO’s & government directives and the learnings so far – here’s a list of 10 dos and don’ts that might help …..

1. Try to re-schedule your studio gigs to Home Studio / Source connect / Skype or Facetime sessions so as to avoid long hours in a closed environment studio with multiple people. Best time to put technology to good use.
2. If this cannot be re-scheduled – then make sure to wipe down the pop filter, headphones, table surfaces or spray disinfectant on all the equipment thoroughly before commencing.
3. Bring your own headphones or pop filter to be on the safe side
4. For studios – Try to change the pop filter if you have access to multiple for each person using the microphone if multiple voice talent are using the same equipment in a studio and / or put a microphone cover and change them for each person if possible.  Also adjust the scheduling to make sure the studio doesn’t have talent in at the same time and to allow for enough time to clean thoroughly between sessions.
5. Wipe down doorknobs and metal surfaces in the studio every now and then as coronavirus could remain on these surfaces for up to 12 hours. Dispose of the wipes / tissue in an appropriate way preferably in a covered trash can.
6. Do not touch your face, nose, eyes or ears even though you might be tempted to when you’re totally in character.
7. Wash your hands every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure you don’t inadvertently transfer the virus into your body and follow all the official directives of the authorities in your place of residence.
8. Drink room temperature or warm water every now and then to stay hydrated and moisten the nasal passage, oesophagus and trachea.
9. Avoid eating or drinking cold things like ice-cream, cold drinks and cold water to minimise your risk of getting sore throat, common cold / flu as this will also lower your immunity.
10. Eating foods that fortify and boost your immunity might be a good idea during this period for example citrus fruits like oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, pomegranate, or other super foods like turmeric, red bell peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, yoghurt, green tea, papaya, kiwi etc.

Dealing with this new virus can have an impact psychologically as well. The constant updates from across the world and the distressing news reports can make anyone fearful and anxious. Perhaps a good thing that could come from our self-isolation in our home studios, is you could take time to reflect on all the things you’re grateful for. Not everyone finds their passion in their profession and we voice talents, radio jockeys, recording artists, singers… are indeed blessed to do what we love and love what we do, getting paid to have fun! We also have the alternative to stay home if we so choose. Working remotely in these uncertain times is the best option. So many work in professions that put them in the frontline with increased risk. Let’s channel all that positivity and keep the enthusiasm alive.

Meditation and deep breathing is another technique that can physically calm your lymphatic system and reduce stress dramatically. If you haven’t tried it before, YouTube has plenty of good short guided meditations for positivity, mental calm and peace. Try it!

Soft acoustic music is a mood enhancer and a great way to soothe frazzled nerves. Time to tune in to those playlists you have lying under utilised.

This might also be a good time to work on things you’ve been putting on the back burner for a while – like refreshing that old demo reel or marketing efforts you’ve not got around to doing or even better those audio rendering or voice acting tutorials you’ve been wanting to watch to upgrade your skills. There’s a wealth of information at our fingertips. Make the most of it!

So there you have it! If you know or have actually put into practice something that might be beneficial for all, please do write in with your comments and suggestions.

Let’s be responsible and stay safe everyone! Hopefully, this too shall pass and we can all return to being super productive in that booth!