As the stage lights go up and the live show begins, an unseen voice of god voiceover announcer welcomes the audience in a polished and professional tone. They introduce the event host’s name as a video plays on a large screen in the background. The audience claps and right as the host begins, the teleprompter and video cuts out! The announcer reassures the audience of technical difficulties as backstage dissolves into chaos.
A voiceover talent needs to be ready but a Voice of God (VOG) talent needs to be ready for anything! If you’re looking to hire a live announcer or a VOG talent because you’re producing a live event, gala, ceremony, or award show then Blue Wave Voiceover’s roster is ready to deliver their professionalism and experience with live or pre-recorded announcements. We’re happy to offer several voice talents who are English speaking or bilingual English/Spanish speaking talent. If there’s a particular audience you’d like to authentically connect with more, our diverse roster can help.
If you’re wondering what a VOG announcer or presenter is, it’s often an unseen voice at an event who provides live or pre-recorded announcements. You can learn more about this unique genre of the voiceover industry here. It’s how the genre got their name – being the booming “voice of god” that seemingly comes from the heavens. (Or, those speakers mounted to the ceiling, in our case!)
How a Professional Voice of God “VOG” Talent Prepares for a Big Event
It’s the day of a live event. How does a Blue Wave Voiceover VOG talent prepare?
You might see Zippy Kaufman arrive early to give his mouth a work out with some tongue-twisters. Dustin Ebaugh already proofread several times and dutifully rehearsed hard to pronounce names before arriving. Debbie Irwin is armed with lozenges, water, mouth spray, and a full stomach (“I don’t want my belly rumbling!”). Standing by is a talent’s favorite: A cup of hot tea with lemon. (Maria Pendolino swears by Throat Coat tea!)
For pre-recorded announcements, Elizabeth Saydah provides a few variations of names if no pronunciation guide is provided. For her it’s important to have a confident mindset when recording. She takes her time and conveys that the event or person she’s speaking about is the most important. “That helps inform my delivery,” and her colleagues would agree.
After rehearsal and the lights go down, it’s showtime! Now is when a voice of god VOG talent has to really be ready for anything. The backstage energy hums with presenters, hosts, and technical crew getting all the elements in place. Always ready, Dustin Ebaugh takes no chances and brings a hardcopy of the script since he rightly points out, “paper doesn’t run out of batteries and die.” And although some bring digital devices for their script, at least those will still be on if teleprompters cut out but a guest still needs a cue. In a case like this, a talent like Debbie Irwin has to apologize to the audience for technical difficulties and ask for patience. “Things can go wrong and you have to be able to pivot on a dime!”
Being backstage is exciting and sometimes VOG talent get the best seat in the house! You can meet the celebrity host or guests. Some of our talents have had the privilege of announcing the President of the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, athletes like Caitlin Clark, or celebrities like Meghan Trainor and James Corden. Debbie Irwin helped Sarah Jessica Parker fix her dress with a safety pin. Despite wardrobe malfunctions or technical difficulties, a Blue Wave Voiceover talent still carefully listens for their cues.
How a VOG Announcer Performs
You might wonder how a VOG announcer delivers their voice for an event than other genres like a commercial? It can depend on the event and the audience. Is it formal? Elizabeth Saydah likes to treat it as special and give her voice a shine or gravity for a room full of important guests. It’s more presentational which is different for a commercial. Dustin Ebaugh agrees that his delivery will be different for racing enthusiasts than for a CPA group. Perhaps if you have a hairstylists convention, you may prefer a younger sounding voice that is more energetic.
As the current PA announcer for the Washington Mystics WNBA team, Joey Shaljo explains, “it’s your job to get the audience hyped, so it’s all about enthusiasm and excitement in those instances.” She has a ton of fun which helps if you’re a fan too. “I’m right on the court seeing all the action of play and witnessing the work of some amazing athletes. It’s a job where I have to be ‘on’ and ready to go for 2 hours straight, but the time just flies by.”
Another valuable point for a live VOG is that it’s more interactive. Dustin also says, “sometimes you have to hold for applause or emotional reactions.” Ultimately, as Debbie Irwin reminds us, “It’s bigger. Bolder. Broader!” As a fast talking New Yorker, Maria Pendolino says “I always need to remember to sloooow down so that my voice can resonate in the ballroom, auditorium, or arena!”
Hiring a VOG talent for the first time
Although there’s no “right” answer, Elizabeth Saydah recommends finding a voice that sounds like they’d attend the event themselves. Sometimes you’re not sure what you need until you hear it, in which case our talents are happy to provide an audition of your script. If it’s for a live event, looking for talent that has VOG experience or experience in performing live. Once you book a talent, it’s appreciated to provide a pronunciation guide for people’s names. As Zippy Kaufman says, “A pronunciation guide is a VOG’s best friend.”
Maybe you need a male or female live presenter for a corporate event, a black female voiceover for a ceremony, a non-binary or gender non-conforming presenter for your award show? Or perhaps a voice that sounds like Sam Elliott or Amanda Gorman. Our diverse voiceover roster is happy to authentically connect with your audience.
If you’re producing an event and looking to hire a professional voiceover live announcer and voice of god talent, you can listen to our rosters’ demos or ask for an audition. These announcers provide the professionalism, preparation, and skillset to deliver a quality performance!