Paul Boucher - Blog #Narration

Automobiles and AI

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 18:17:35 +0000

The auto dealership industry has adopted AI chatbots on many sites.

The way they’ve done it contributes to the perception of one of the principal perceived problems associated with dealing with car dealerships.

That it can suck.

Basically, the bot answers questions as a named assistant. I had Leah and Monica on subsequent days. I suspect my wife would have had Chad and Biff if she'd been the one exploring.

Anyway, the Bot isn't obviously AI until you ask a question that requires a specific answer.

In my case, when I offered three specific appointment times, it responded with the dealership's hours. That's when I knew I wasn't dealing with a person.

However, the next step is where the dealerships get it wrong in my estimation.

It’s because the Bot’s routine didn’t include a fundamental question: “Do you already have a salesperson you deal with at our dealership?”

Look, anyone who’s worked in sales of any kind knows that the end of the day, there’s a difference between a “customer” and a “client”.

A customer is a transactional type of buyer. Usually a one-off. No prior history, likely no future history.

A client is someone who DOES have a history with the dealership. They’ll approach their contact at the dealership first if they have questions.

However, the way dealerships have implemented AI, it doesn’t reward the dealership-client relationship. It prioritizes the transactional customer interaction.

What the AI does is hand off the question to an order-taking salesperson, usually new, who’s always on their phone and will react in a Pavlovian way to a notification on their phone.

“Someone wants to buy a car!”

Leading to a text – not even a phone call – from said salesperson about the car you inquired about.

Last week, when this happened to me, I was under the impression that my existing connection at the dealership wasn’t working on the Used Car side of the dealership.

When I got to the dealership, I was met by the salesperson who responded to the lead, AND my existing connection. My existing contact was super professional as always, and simply asked why we hadn’t called. He then explained why HE didn’t get our message, which is that the AI simply broadcasts a notification within the dealership system, and whichever over-eager phone-dweller responds first gets the lead.

Had I not been lazy or rushed in my search, I might have thought to reach out to him first to check if, in fact, he was working with both used and new cars.

There were a few consequences to my using the AI.

First, and most importantly, the dealership’s implementation of AI turned me into just another customer, rather than acknowledging my over 20-year association with this particular salesperson. That contributed to small, but mendable damage to my relationship with “our guy.”

If the Bot had asked the question above, I feel loyalty will increase. The recognition that the dealership values my business as a client by even asking the question changes the tone of the entire interaction.

The other consequence is that the speed of the notification and response from the other salesperson, although pretty quick, was such that we missed out on the car.

Those few minutes I could have reached out directly would have likely changed the outcome completely.

The new salesperson was professional, so this isn’t meant to disparage their skills.

My personal opinion is that by not prioritizing the CLIENT relationship, the industry reinforces the perceived Herb Tarlek "sale-no-matter-what,” and lacks the personal connection that can make car buying such an unpleasant experience.

If your business needs repeat business and wants to foster client relationships, rather than just customer relationships, then think about this when implementing automated sales solutions like chatbots. They can be genuinely terrific, but a small tweak can turn an experience from “endurable” to genuinely engaging and a win for both sides.

Contact Paul

Taking Care of Your Voice

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:49:19 +0000

Did you know that different climates affect your voice, even if you aren't a voice actor?

Calgary, like Denver, has a high, dry, alpine climate. Average humidity indoors is often less than 50%. Outdoor is often 60% or lower – and that’s after a month of twice the average rainfall!

I noticed yesterday that my voice was cracking or a bit more “textured/gravelly” than usual as I was recording. First thing I thought of was “Right! I have to drink water – not JUST coffee.” 🙃

So keep a few things in mind every day in hot or cold dry environments.

Hydration Is Essential

Drink plenty of **room-temperature water** throughout the day. Avoid cold beverages and opt for warm drinks like non-caffeinated herbal teas with honey for extra soothing benefits.
Incorporate hydrating foods (like cucumbers or watermelon) into your diet. In extreme dry climates, hydration should be a full-day focus.
Use a humidifier.

Warm Up and Cool Down Your Voice

Perform **vocal warm-ups**—like gentle humming, lip trills, and “sirens”—before any recording.
In cold settings, increase the duration/intensity of warm-ups since muscles and vocal folds take longer to adjust.
After long sessions/presentations, give your voice a “vocal nap” for a while. Think 30 minutes to an hour.

Optimize Your Environment

Clean radiators, air filters, and studio equipment regularly to avoid dust.
Add water bowls or humidifiers to workspaces to supplement air moisture. This actually works!

Lifestyle and Recovery

Get plenty of sleep—fatigue leads to poor breath support and vocal strain.
Avoid smoking, duh.
Don’t whisper or shout: Both can cause significant strain or damage to your vocal folds. Though sometimes, when you’re THAT person in a video game or animated production…you’ve gotta do it. That’s when the idea of a vocal nap becomes super important for recovery.

That’s a capsule version of great advice received over the years that you can apply. Happy gabbing!

Contact Paul

Why Professional Voice Actors Charge For Studio Services

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:27:16 +0000

There are all sorts of things professional voice actors do to provide value to their clients.

In the age of AI, everything in a voice actor’s business is up for reappraisal.

One of the key differentiators in my business is my Right Voice Vault studio service.

I’ve archived every client recording session since 2000 in secure, offline drives, and redundantly since 2010.

The reason is simple: I was taught to do it by the pros at Sync Spot Audio Post (merged with Twisted Pair in Calgary to create Propeller Studios).

I sublet space there for several years, and I witnessed how their archival practices provided added value for their clients.

One immediately obvious benefit was preventing data loss. Hard drives fail, people break and lose things, etc. When a client lost portions of any recorded audio session, it was immediately restored and resent.

Another, perhaps less obvious benefit is that when any production needed updating or alterations, the original session could be restored, and new voice recordings could be matched with the original for seamless integration for the intended audience.

That makes more of a difference than you might think.

We listen to audio on headphones the majority of the time, so we hear sound in a lot of detail. When sound changes in tone or quality, we notice it. When studio pros and professional voice actors work their magic, the change will zip by you like it never happened, like it was the original.

Value and cost can be tricky conversations, but if services add value to your core service (voiceover/narration), pricing the value appropriately and clearly explaining the value it provides can ease the acceptance of any fee.

In the age of AI audio technology, though, do those studio best practices STILL have value?

AI technology *can* give a client the ability to “clone” a voice actor’s performance and make the voice actor say things he never said in a new recording. It’s not always perfect, but addressing the question of how many clients say it’s “good enough” is another blog for another day.

The human heading back into the studio with attention to detail will do a better job than the AI 100% of the time. Still.

Also, there are a few issues with AI alterations to an original performance. Let’s start with the theft of the voice artist's intellectual property—their voice—and the violation of the original contract or agreement.

File this under “Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.” Especially if you have an ounce of integrity and respect for your supplier.

A service/performance was supplied for a specific instance covered by a verbal or written agreement. Altering that performance in any way without the consent of the voice actor is unethical, and thankfully, in many jurisdictions, illegal. There’s also the issue of compensation. The actor should be paid if the original performance is altered, and their voice is used to update or change a narration or voiceover.

So, is there still added value in specific studio practices, including archival? 100% there is. Ask yourself how you’d feel about dealing with a human supplier that simply stopped providing the added value service that’s saved you on more than one occasion, and made you look especially good on others. It’s one thing to read another sad clause in the terms of use from a tech company that “this agreement may change without notice.” It’s another thing entirely to have it yanked without notice by a human supplier.

Not to mention that the investment made by the voice artists to guarantee broadcast-quality sound, which can be repeated for each engagement, is worth an hourly studio fee.

I hope this gives you a bit of insight into just a couple of the added value benefits of dealing with a human voice actor rather than text-to-speech or AI voices.

This human voice actor is happy to provide the right voice for many projects. Samples and a way to reach out live at www.paulboucher.com, and https://www.youtube.com/@PaulBoucher.

Contact Paul

A Bit of Wisdom

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 16:15:18 +0000

To be considered...

I’ve heard a bit of wisdom repeatedly in different forms over the years, and it’s been helpful over the past few days.

You control what you do next.

The first time I remember seeing it was in the old Serenity Prayer. You might remember the bit about accepting the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

It’s expressed in a different context by author Trevor Moawad, founder of the company Limitless Minds and author of It Takes What It Takes and Getting to Neutral. Trevor’s work was introduced to me by Vince Fowler, a mentor and coach in his own business and life, and a good human to know.

Among the many nuggets of wisdom that lead to “you control what you do next” was how powerful negativity can be relative to positivity. That positivity in and of itself may not work for you, but neutral thinking might. Also, don’t say stupid ***t out loud. Makes me chuckle even now thinking about the way Trevor says it in the audiobook.

In any case, the “what you do next” part can be tough to figure out when you’re working on controlling your emotions and the ambient conversation/noise around you is negative.

So, I have a life-tested suggestion to help. At least in the short term.

Do good and don’t tell anyone about it.

No social media, no talking about it. Strictly for the good of it.

The ripple effect within you and outside of you may be small, but no less valuable for that.

Like what?

How about leaving an unsigned note with a tip for a server explaining what about their service made your experience better?

If you’re getting a coffee for yourself, why not pick up a $5 gift card and leave it anonymously on a coworker’s desk who’s having a tough day?

If you spot a homeless person outside a grocery store, grab a deli sandwich and bring it out to them before you shop your list.

When all else fails…give good hug.

Don’t forget about yourself in all this. Get outside and feed your soul with some fresh air and sunshine.

You control what you do next. That’s pretty much the extent of your “span of control.” Use it wisely by remembering the people and things you actually care about.

Contact Paul

Some Good News in AI

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:54:22 +0000

Here’s a little good news for your day.

Yesterday (Feb. 4) was World Cancer Day and it provided me with the opportunity to kick off my fundraising for the 2025 Enbridge Tour of Alberta for Cancer this summer. Over two days in July a few thousand people will cycle over 200 kilometres for the cause. These are all people who have been touched by cancer in one way or another, whether as survivors of the disease, or people who continue their journey without loved ones and friends lost.

It also has made me hyper aware of positive pieces on the progress against the diseases that make up “Cancer.” That includes this very short piece in a newsletter called The DeepView, and a section they have every day called AI for Good. In this case, breast cancer detection.

So I have two links for you. The first is to DeepView and the piece noted above on how in a recent controlled trial, AI detected more breast cancers (29%), and reduced workload among clinicians by 44%. It’s such encouraging news and gives a glimpse on how AI works that’s different than say, Chat GPT. Here’s the link– scroll down past their lead story and you’ll see the AI for good section.

The second link is if you’d like to contribute to my wee campaign to raise funds to continue the Alberta Cancer Foundations groundbreaking research work via the ride, and that’s https://support.touralbertaforcancer.ca/paulboucher2025.

Contact Paul

Human Wins!

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 22:46:42 +0000

Keep your learning human. Your staff will thank you.

So, allow me to paraphrase for the sake of better eLearning in 2024 and 25: give me your tired script, your huddled instructional designers yearning to hire a human voice to read it, the wretched AI voiceover your client wants to use, send these to me…

…and let a professional voice actor give the client something tangibly human to their learners and employees.

Last week, a client explained that an enterprise client had a difficult technical script that they insisted on having narrated by AI. The script was close to 30 minutes long.

My client explained what a lot of clients don’t know: that AI still gets so many things wrong, beginning with emphasis and continuing through pronunciation, that have to be “repaired” manually after review, that it’s more efficient to use a human narrator on this kind of content from the get-go.

So, I offered the client the same service I’ve offered other clients in the same situation: I asked them to allow me to record a short excerpt of the course at no cost and let the client do an A/B comparison.

In most cases, there’s no contest; the human narration wins. That happened in this case, and I recorded that course for the client late last week.

I’m happy to extend that same service to any verified client in the same situation.

Here’s what else I’ve learned in the last little while: some clients (not that one) don’t charge their end client for the rework time caused by the AI. This contributes directly to the myth, and it IS a myth, that for complex, longer content, an AI voice is “…just as good, if not better”, and “…more efficient”.

Send any AI into an English narration with a word that can be pronounced more than one way, like “construct,” and get set to spend a few hours by the light of your monitor fixing, fixing, fixing, forgetting one instance, and spend a second session, fixing, fixing…

Here are some other unfortunate consequences of the abysmal business practice of not assigning a value to the rework time of their teams in something like eLearning:

Those companies are directly contributing to putting qualified humans out of work,

Companies signaling to their employees their time isn’t worth anything, causing a slide in employee morale,

and contributing to poor learner outcomes, including lower retention.

There is tangible value in human skill, knowledge, empathy, emotion, and experience. It’s evident in any narration read by a professional voice actor vs AI.

Keep your learning human when it’s the right choice. Contribute to better outcomes for your company, employees, and the public that might depend on their learning.

I invite you to hear my human voice and I’m happy to help with any instances like the one described above.

Contact Paul

The Power of Familiarity: Building Trust and Connection Through Recognizable Voices

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:12:19 +0000

In a world filled with constant stimuli and ever-changing faces, there's something comforting in the sound of a familiar voice.

As a voice actor who’s been around for a couple of decades, my voice (and the voices of many of my pro peers) can be one of the familiar (and familiar-sounding) voices you leverage for your projects.

One of the most significant benefits of familiarity is the sense of trust it creates. Research has shown that when we hear a familiar voice, our brains light up in areas associated with trust and social bonding.

This applies to voice acting—in whatever domain our voices happen to be in. Brands/companies that leverage familiar voices in their campaigns can tap into this reservoir of trust, positioning themselves as reliable and authentic sources in the minds of consumers.

Also, familiarity breeds connection. When we hear a voice we know and love, we feel an instant connection to the message being conveyed.

The benefits of familiarity extend beyond trust and connection; they also include efficiency and effectiveness. Studies have shown that familiar voices are more likely to capture and hold our attention, leading to higher levels of engagement and recall. Hello eLearning creators!

In a crowded marketplace where consumers are bombarded with messages from all sides, the ability to cut through the noise and make a lasting impression is invaluable. By leveraging familiar voices, brands can increase the likelihood that their message will be heard and remembered.

In addition, familiar voices can evoke a sense of authenticity and credibility. When we hear a voice we know and trust, we’re more inclined to believe the message being conveyed. In today's hyper-aware consumer landscape, authenticity reigns supreme.

A lot of professional voice actors have familiar-sounding voices. Think of it as the vocal equivalent of “that kind of face”; the kind that people seem to recognize despite never having seen that specific person. When you’re thinking of a voice for your next project, remember to consider familiarity. From fostering trust and connection to increasing engagement and authenticity, familiar voices have the power to elevate messaging and leave a lasting impression.

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VO for Commercials

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 02:19:22 +0000

I'm musing about three things about narration and voice acting this week, but they're in a particular order.

First: Who are YOU? The DISTINCT you?

Second: WHEN are you? Are you actually living in THIS moment?

Third: Are you working with qualified teachers or coaches to enrich what the distinct "you" can bring in this moment?

Many moons ago, the most important business mentor of my career, Sandi Sloan, retired Toronto voice agent (and eventually my business manager for many years), introduced me to the most critical creative mentor of my career Marice Tobias.

More than any others, and there have been many, those two formidable pros have guided me to continued success for multiple decades.

**Bringing All of Yourself into the Performance**

One of the great joys of voice acting is bringing all of yourself into the performance.

Marice helped to shape the notion in my head, intuitive for some, antithetical for others, that ME and MY distinct perspective and life experiences are the most important things that set my performances apart from every other voice in the great unwashed baritone "middle." She condensed this into the deceptively simple advice: "Play full-out!"

As the "voice whisperer," she could hear me skating on the surface of emotion. She could tell when I was performing how I thought it should be rather than how the copy could be uniquely interpreted through the prism of my life. Playing full-out requires an openness and vulnerability that's sometimes acutely uncomfortable but essential in providing singular performances.

By doing this, you infuse a distinct authenticity into your performance, which listeners (and casting directors!) can instantly recognize and appreciate.

Another critical element she stressed in various ways was being "in the moment." This was crucial within performances, BUT it was also essential to be aware of the larger context that the performances live in.

For commercials, an easy example of this consideration was anything voiced during the pandemic. People wanted reassuring, comforting voices in healthcare and quietly confident voices in other societally related news.

The world around us needs to be reflected in our performances. To that end, are you constantly refreshing your perspective and approach, pulling your craft and instincts to work in the present moment? Or are you merely regurgitating something that worked before?

Every other cycle in our lives has accelerated. It makes sense to return to the fount to refresh and renew our craft more often.

**The Importance of Varied Training**

Seek out different coaches with proven track records in the industry.

Each coach can provide insights and techniques that resonate with your distinct identity, enriching your skill set. Diverse, ongoing training experiences help ensure your career longevity and relevance in the industry.

As we head into the back-to-school, Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, and Christmas ad seasons, refresh and renew your craft for auditions and gigs. Research what voices are on top in this moment and what those actors are bringing to the table in their performances.

The art and craft of voiceover for commercials is a journey of self-discovery and continuous learning. Embrace your distinct identity; it's your greatest asset. Bring your authentic self into every performance. And never underestimate the value of training with different coaches who can help you expand your horizons and thrive within yourself in and in your career/business. With dedication and a commitment to growth, your voice can be a stand-out, enduring presence in the voiceover world for commercials.

For a list of coaches I've used and some of the other musings they've inspired, contact me!

Contact Paul

Expertise in Voice Acting

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 01:52:42 +0000

I spent some time this past weekend, as I do most weekends, traveling to and from ideal sites to engage in one of my favourite hobbies, road cycling. In this case, the badass badlands of Drumheller, Alberta.

While driving, I finished listening to this season's Against The Rules podcast, written and hosted by author Michael Lewis. In this season, tackling topics relating to the "unfairness of American life," he addressed the devaluation of expertise and the real experts in our world.

In example after example, he illustrated how the "talking heads" at the top are often NOT the experts and how they can sometimes be dangerous in their interpretation or misinterpretation of facts by experts.

I encourage you to take it in. Six short episodes will likely reshape your opinion of where you find the experts around you. Find it here (on Apple Podcasts) or wherever you stream your podcasts from.

It made me contemplate again how vital subject matter experts, often called SMEs, are to the voice actors (talking heads) who end up being the proxies of an SME's credentialed and lived experiences.

Experience is akin to the seasoned traveler navigating various landscapes, and honing their skills. On the other hand, credentials are the maps and guidebooks representing formal education and certifications. Their true potency is unlocked when they converge.

However, I propose that experience holds a slightly superior position. The lived encounters, the hands-on learning, and the ability to adapt in real time often set experts apart.

Imagine a voice actor asked to bring eLearning or other content to life. On paper, they might possess impressive credentials - a degree in theater, voice training, and a track record of successful projects. While these credentials are invaluable, it's the wealth of experience that will genuinely elevate their performance. Experience allows them to navigate the nuances of various scripts. Experience empowers them to handle unexpected challenges, like a complex concept that demands a unique delivery.

This blend of experience and credentials translates into something tangible. Confidence is an assurance to the learners that they are in capable hands. When expert voice actors deliver eLearning content, their confidence is infectious and creates an environment where learners feel assured that the material is being presented by someone who truly understands and embodies it.

Think of expertise as a torch that lights the path for others. Learners often grapple with isolation and a lack of direct interaction, especially in the eLearning landscape. Yet, a bridge forms when they hear a narrator who exudes confidence and expertise. The voice actor becomes a guide, a mentor through the digital maze. Learners absorb the content and take in the assurance that the expert narrator projects.

This transfer of confidence is where the impact of expertise truly shines. As learners engage with the eLearning content, they absorb the expert's approach to the subject matter, their method of articulation, and their subtle cues of understanding. This isn't just about the material; it's about nurturing a learning experience that leaves a lasting imprint.

Expertise is a synergy between experience and credentials, with experience holding a slightly elevated role. The confidence that stems from a well-rounded expert, in this case, the voice actor, resonates deeply. This confidence becomes a conduit for learners, imparting knowledge and a sense of assurance and mastery.

To hear what your content might sound like delivered by an expert narrator, reach out any time!

Contact Paul

Unethical Outsourcing

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 01:43:17 +0000

For many years, large corporate players in all sectors have looked for ways to “divide and conquer” suppliers to erode quoted prices.

There are times when this is completely above-board, genuinely looking for the best match of price and value.

However, one of the most insidious ways that North American companies have affected supplier prices is through outsourcing to lower price jurisdictions.

In voice acting, as in other businesses, what results is requests for estimates from a jurisdiction whose standard and/or cost of living is a fraction of what those realities are in the North American cities the supplier lives in, and more importantly for our work, where the work is destined to be used.

For years, generations of performers before us have fought to value and price our often-ephemeral work using objective metrics. They include (and this is not a complete list), terms of use (how long a narration can be used), and the medium or mediums the work is being used in.

One of the other important, but often ignored considerations, particularly for non-broadcast work like eLearning, is geographical location of use.

For North American voice actors, the two outsourcing locations that have acquired the most notoriety are India and China.

Both locations offer without exaggeration, pennies on the dollar compared to the rates suppliers command when working with North American companies directly for work destined for use in North America.

Here's a real-world example. I was approached by a company in India to do work in Canadian French for a national enterprise.

The work was obviously destined to be used in Canada.

The Indian company was offering 1/10th the market rate for work that that same company, has in the past, paid me full value rates for.

When I explained to the representative of the production company in India that it didn’t make business sense for me to practically give way my service to a client who had previously paid the market accepted rate for content to be used in North America, they all but laughed. They explained that this is the price offered from that jurisdiction to companies in our back yard.

On what level is this in any way an ethical way for a North American company to treat high value, high-quality, North American suppliers?

Understand that I’m not accusing a minion somewhere on the corporate ladder of maliciously seeking to undermine neighbouring businesses, but somewhere in that food chain, someone knows exactly what impact they’re having, and they DON’T CARE.

Otherwise, they could easily instruct their third party in those jurisdictions to deliver work completed locally in that jurisdiction to be priced according to local norms, but to accept North American pricing from suppliers required to complete the project. Simple.

Knowingly eroding livelihoods in North America, and using outsourcing to purposefully disregard objective pricing norms is not ethical capitalism. It’s bordering on criminal. It’s certainly wrong.

Go ahead and float a rising tide in distant jurisdictions for work performed on those shores by paying local rates. That’s one of the benefits of globalization and multi-national supply chains.

Do NOT however screw over companies in your back yard by forcing them to drop their rates by 60-90%. We will call you out. We will call out the third parties following your instructions. We will continue to refuse the work.

We know there are bottom feeders who will always accept the work. And that as they go bankrupt, others will replace them. We can’t fix stupid. Or if you prefer a more politically correct approach, “we can’t support those who, without prior acquired business knowledge, experience, and intelligence, make faulty decisions they aren’t fully qualified to comprehend the full, long-term consequences of.”

That’s my take on multi-national corporations with profits in unimaginable sums screwing over suppliers by using outsourcing. Also, those who don’t understand the ramifications of their own actions accepting work on terms that should, from every common/business-sense perspective, be re-negotiated or declined.

Contact Paul