Emma Clarke's Diary

08/12/2023

First script of the day requires me to sound 'normal.'
Doable??

07/12/2023

Right. I'm on voice rest for the rest of the day. Utterly spent. I am a husk.

07/12/2023

Gathering some stamina before I voice a chunky project. Giving myself a bit of a team talk this morning. It's surprising how much physical and mental energy long-form projects need. Gggrrr!

06/12/2023

Busy with a hefty corporate project. Think it might keep me busy until Christmas. At the end of it I'll be an expert in an extremely niche area of law. Send pie.

05/12/2023

One good thing about today: my Norwegian pronunciation is coming on a treat!

One bad thing about today: I've just voiced a thing about altitude sickness and genuinely feel queasy.

04/12/2023

Revving up for a new week. Lots to do - working with a new coaching client, voicing, academic work, composing. The first job of the day is about the ins and outs (literally) of a medical procedure. Not for the squeamish!

01/12/2023

Busy morning here with a variety of voiceover jobs. You never know how December will pan out. There's definitely a 'party hangover' effect from mid-December where work slows down until just before Christmas. And then there's often a panic because everyone's forgotten to record everything they need for Twixtmas. Fun times!

30/11/2023

Had a fascinating meeting with an academic who specialises in the ethics of artificial intelligence. We had a wide-ranging conversation and agree there are big ethical concerns - for all sorts of reasons - around the development, use and implementation of AI.

Hoping to work with her as part of my PhD research.

30/11/2023

Kicking off the day with some Voice of God announcements for an award ceremony. Some scary pronunciations in there! Wish me luck.

29/11/2023

My Inbox is full of PPP - potential pronunciation potholes. A chunky medcomms script and a VOG award ceremony with some frankly terrifying-looking names. Wish me luck!

28/11/2023

It's a voicing day today - lots of festive stuff coming in and a medcomms project about a really grim disease, so it's a story of highs and lows today at Clarke Gables.

27/11/2023

V chilly, grey and wet here at Clarke Gables today. Lots of admin to do. Working my way through my Inbox sssllloowwwwlllyyyy. 🥹

24/11/2023

Had a lovely afternoon at Media City yesterday. Looking very Christmassy! 🎄

23/11/2023

New podcast: behind-the-scenes audio of me being an utter (udder?) cow. Enjoy!

https://open.substack.com/pub/ebclarke/p/cow-impression-voiceover-commercial?r=1cwbtc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

22/11/2023

"Dear Emma Clarke...

😂😂😂

22/11/2023

In final prep for a big 3 hour recording session tomorrow. Lots of pronunciations to check! Wish me luck.

21/11/2023

Well, the Christmas ads are gathering pace now! Lovely to see. It's a real litmus test to get a sense of how the economy's shaping up. More Christmas ads = more B2C confidence.

I don't think we're anywhere near where we were before the pandemic but more seasonal ads are coming through than October appeared to suggest...

20/11/2023

Having a quiet day today mostly listening and reading.
Bloody wonderful.

17/11/2023

It's very chilly here at Clarke Gables' attic studio today. Wearing so many layers I look like a mobile jumble sale. Worse than usual!

16/11/2023

Working with some brilliant people on the last part of the first part of the second project I'm putting together with this organisation. Confused? All will become clear soon-ish.

15/11/2023

I've had directed client sessions this morning - a rare treat. A lot of my work is recorded solo but today I got to work with two of my fave producers. Great times!

15/11/2023

Interesting story in the news today that raises questions about voice samples being used to generate AI audio, without the consent of the artist.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your views.

In-development film comes after controversy around the re-creation of late stars’ voices, such as Anthony Bourdain

15/11/2023

Today I'm writing a script for a recording that'll happen next week. Tone is really important with this one - getting the tenor and delivery of the language right is essential for this audience. Let's hope I get it right!

14/11/2023

New blog: A new study categorically demonstrates that less words in an audio ad means more effectiveness. BOOM!

Award-winning voiceover Emma Clarke shares a new study that proves less words in an audio ad means more effectiveness.

14/11/2023

Taking time to think today - about projects I'm working on, my business strategy and how my work fits into my life.

I literally schedule in thinking time.

This helps me to make conscious choices, rather than lurching from one job to another without really noticing anything of value.

Do you engage in any reflective practice in your work?

13/11/2023

I have spent the past 30 minutes being a variety of Christmas Elves, for money.
I am proud of my life choices.

13/11/2023

This is great. The Shining as a romantic comedy, proving that it really is 'all in the edit.'

If you want your girlfriend to watch The Shining with you, show her this preview!

10/11/2023

Some interesting stats here about Spoken Word audio. Poses an interesting challenge to music radio and programmes with a strong emphasis on music. Is there a middle way for some shows on some platforms?

What do you listen to? What do you enjoy most? Are there some programmes and podcasts you actively avoid?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Spoken Word Audio Report 2023 from NPR and Edison Research released

10/11/2023

Taking some time to listen to several different radio stations this morning. V useful to get a handle on the vibe of the different networks I voice for.

Nobody wants the voiceover equivalent of Metallica on a station that plays Kenny G.

09/11/2023

It's an exciting day here at Clarke Gables.

💥 I have a meeting with a brilliant composer and musician about a collaborative project.
💥 I'm working on something completely new with a truly brilliant team and I can't wait to be able to tell you about it. 👀
💥 I've got to voice a script as "Mrs Christmas"
💥 I've been invited to a concert this evening!

08/11/2023

Just had confirmation that the first part of a potential project has got the go-ahead. Am going to celebrate with a chippy tea.

08/11/2023

Started the day with some Christmas radio ads that are getting me into the festive spirit!

Then on to an intitutional film narration about EU law. Trying hard not to feel too despondent about Brexit...and failing tbh. :(

Still, there are mince pies in the pantry and I've got a medcomms script to read about a rare disease before lunchtime. Woop!

07/11/2023

This is one of my 'slow weeks' where I take my foot off the gas a little. It's surprising how much this approach seems to improve my productivity. During a slow week, I work deeper on projects that will come to fruition some way down the line.

This morning I'm voicing some Christmas stuff. Later I have a planning meeting, more voicing, a collab session for a new project and then I'm off to the ballet! (Well, a cinema screening).

06/11/2023

Kicking off the week with a session with the Unsupervised research group. Excited to talk about plans to explore how we can use AI and machine learning in music-making.

The Machine Learning for Music Working Group is a community of composers, musicians, computer scientists and audiovisual artists, exploring the creative use of emerging AI and Machine Learning technologies in Music.   The Group is also a collaboration between PRiSM (the Centre for Practice & Resear...

03/11/2023

Brushing up on some terrifying pronunciations to narrate an overseas walking tour. 🤪

Once that's done I have to listen to some beautiful music for a project. It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it! 🎧

03/11/2023

Getting ready for academic supervision with my amazing Manchester Met Uni supervisor. This morning I'm sharing some practice research and two sketches for two new pieces of music. Slightly nerve-wracking. Wish me luck! 🍀

02/11/2023

Had an early start this morning working on a really ace new project that should see the light of day in a couple of months with any luck. Next up, some radio ads, a corporate script for a conference, lunch with a pal...then I'm back in the studio to record TV scripts for a retailer. And after that: pie.

01/11/2023

Bit of a mixed bag today. Radio ads, putting a chunky doc together for a client and some festive radio imaging. Love doing the new year countdown!

31/10/2023

Early start at Media City this morning. Mercifully it’s just stopped raining! ☔️

30/10/2023

It's a very grey day here at Clarke Gables. I've spent the morning getting in a creative frame of mind listening to music and staring out of the window. To the casual observer, it might *look* like I'm doing nothing but I'm not, honestly!

How do you get into a creative mindset?