If you are reading over a pre-shot video, make sure you can see the video from your recording area. You may also record the voice-over without the video, simplifying your job and allowing you to focus on speaking. However, if you need to react to the video then it is best to read with the video in the background. Whenever possible hit play on the video and microphone recorder at the same time. Then, when you start recording, you'll be perfectly synced up to the video. Standing opens up your chest cavity, allowing you to speak with a clear, unencumbered voice. It also allows you to be more animated, acting out some events so that you sink deeply into the character. You want to be 8-10 inches from the mic. Roughly the distance between your thumb and pinky if they are both extended out. If you do not have a sound-proofed room or recording booth you can still make one for yourself. The echoing sound will appear in your recording and keep your voice from sounding clear if you don't take the time to soundproof. Many amateurs have found that recording in a closet is easy: your clothes will naturally dampen the sound and you can put a towel or blanket on the floor and door to fully close it off.  The main goal is to get rid of or cover any hard surfaces, which reflect sound back to the microphone. If your mic has a "hyper-cardioid pattern," use it. This means that the sound is moving through the microphone and out the back instead of echoing around inside. You need to be able to hear your voice as you record, and quickly play back your audio to listen for any mistakes. Try and invest in good headphones, preferably over ear, that will provide the best playback of your voice over. " This sweet spot is tough to find, but it is the basis of all good voice-overs. Your voice tends to lose some character in a recording, so overemphasizing emotions and enunciation brings back the natural energy of your voice. To test this, try out 3-4 lines in the beginning of recording at various levels of energy. Play them back and adjust your voice accordingly, finding the one that sounds best in the recording, not when you are saying it out loud. You do not need to worry about speaking loudly into the microphone, just being clear and emotive. Inflection is the rhythm and tone of your speech. Many beginners like to start with all their sentences ending in "up" tones, like they are asking questions. Good inflection, however, is about varying your voice to sound natural and dynamic. A lot of this comes from "Acting out" your parts as you speak. For example, audiences can actually "hear" smiles, as it changes your tone of voice slightly into a happier register. These words only have a place in the voice-over if your script asks for them. "Uhm," "ahh," and "uhhhh" are all missed in everyday conversation, but they will be glaringly apparent in a recording, when the audience is only focusing on your voice. Focus on reading the script and nothing else. If you need to pause, just stay silent. This takes practice, but listening to your own recordings over and over again will help out.

Summary: Set the footage you're reading over up on a computer screen. Stand while delivering your lines. Make sure your recording room is silent and free of echo. Wear headphones. Speak a bit "larger than life. Focus on strong, varied inflection. Never say "uhm" or other filler noises.


The cream and the butter should be measured out, sitting next to the pan and ready to be added. Making caramel sauce is a fast process; if you are wasting time looking for ingredients when your sugar is burning, you're not going to end up with caramel sauce you'll want to eat. On medium-low heat, add the butter and sugar to a heavy-bottomed, 2- or 3-quart saucepan.  Do not stir the sugar and butter as it dissolves. If you need to, swirl the mixture gently to combine the ingredients, but not much. You want the caramelization to start from the bottom and let it work its way up. Leave the sugar and butter mixture on medium-low for 5 to 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the caramel sauce. Swirl the mixture if necessary to prevent burning, but do not stir.  If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest of it is melted, the next time you attempt your caramel sauce, add a half cup of water to the sugar at the beginning of the process. This is called a "wet" caramel sauce. (See below.) The wet caramel sauce recipe will help the sugar to cook more evenly, although it will take longer to cook—the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will begin to caramelize. After 5 to 8 minutes, the mixture should turn a light brown. You should still see small bunches of sugar crystals which have not yet crystallized. If sugar crystals start forming on the sides of the pan, use a brush to wipe them back down into the mixture. Continue cooking until the remaining crystals caramelize and bubbles start to form. The color should be deep auburn. This could take two minutes, or it could take another five.  This is the time to really guard against burning. You don't want to leave the sauce unattended at this point. If you're worried about the sauce burning, you can turn the heat down to low. It's better to take a little longer cooking than to hurry the process and burn the caramel. Keep resisting the urge to stir. Swirl if you need to, but don't stir yet! After all the sugar crystals have caramelized, take the pot off the burner, and mix in the cream a little at a time. Now is the time when you can finally use a whisk to stir.  Mix in the cream in small batches and stir vigorously. The mixture will foam up and grow in volume. As you mix in the rest of the cream, the sauce will turn a darker color. The sauce will keep on bubbling as the cream gets incorporated into the sugar and butter. Pour the caramel into a heat-resistant bowl or jar, through a strainer. Any uncaramelized crystals left will not make it into the final mixture. Except, of course, the caramel that you put on your ice cream! Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm it up before serving.
Summary: Gather your ingredients. Combine the butter and sugar. Heat the mixture. Check the color. Keep the sauce on medium-low. Remove the pan from the burner. Strain the mixture. Let the sauce sit to cool to room temperature.